After releasing several recordings themselves on small time labels, in 2010 they contracted to release an ep with Sub Pop and have collaborated in recordings and on stage with artists such as MC Silk, and THEESatisfaction. They deliver sincere and radical lyrics with sounds and beats that include sounds from around the world. Containing echos of funk, minor-key jazz, London dubstep and mbira sounds they structure their songs outside the 16-bars/chorus/repeat form of much hip hop.Their music won them the first ever Music Genius award from The Stranger in 2010.
The group which also features mixing engineer Erik Blood, often dress in elaborate costumes and masks for their live performances.
For Butler, who never stopped making music since he released his classic album by Digable Planets , ''Blowout Comb'', Shabazz palaces is his latest place to play with ideas. Those ideas have always been simultaneously global in their expansiveness and basement ceiling low in their commitment to hip-hop’s bottom line.
Their video for Belhaven Meridian is a one-shot bw music video, shot in Watts, LA, homage to the 1977 classic film Killer of Sheep, a film set around the Watts Riots. It features a cameo by Ernest Wadell from The Wire.
Dope.
Sparkles
Shabazz Palaces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The world has been down on me
Waiting for this all we
Macking and stacking cream
Tonight I'm on the scene
Planning on getting so clean
Only to sparkle the car
My baby's on my arm
We got the stop(?) and junks
Super slick shit is bomb
I know we looking tough
You won't be looking too much
There go my niggas, what's up?
Another rap for us
Turn up the sounds enough
It's going down and plus
It's shiny man, with velvet and diamonds and stuff
High and sophisticated, to celebrate that we made it
Always the beat will save us
Niggas and all you ladies
Buckets of new Mercedes, fuck it just fill your flavor
Times we live are crazy, everyone's money hungry
I think that's poppin' ugly, baby just say you love me
I know we all struggling to make something out of nothing
What's up to all my cousins and my niggas home from prison
Hustlin' and straight what is it? Do your dance how you get it
We live life in that rhythm, they takin' don't you givin'
So we take it don't you play, how we so fly as nothing
We stepping out you coming? We stepping out you coming?
They try to break our backs (and our riches)
All we did was lean with the ... (on them bitches)
Still they come to love how we act (clown)
Still they push they laws up against our stacks (when we in town)
We put our bird grease on how we please you
We up in jail before we let a pig talk greasy
Diamonds we talk, stay grindin' and try to walk the walk
... harder than your bibles
We steppin' out
In "Sparkles," Shabazz Palaces paints a picture of a night out on the town, celebrating their success in the face of adversity. The lyrics suggest that the world has not been kind to the singer and their community, but they have managed to accumulate wealth through "macking and stacking cream," and now they are ready to flaunt it. The use of the phrase "steppin' out" emphasizes the idea of confidently moving forward despite obstacles.
The singer also acknowledges the harsh realities of their environment, with lines like "Times we live are crazy, everyone's money hungry." However, they still express a sense of defiance and pride in their accomplishments. The mention of "cousins and my niggas home from prison" highlights the struggles of the Black community, particularly in regards to the criminal justice system.
The repeated phrase "we stepping out" not only represents the act of physically going out, but also signifies a larger meaning of breaking free and moving forward. Overall, "Sparkles" is a song about perseverance and celebrating despite the odds.
Line by Line Meaning
We steppin' out
We're going out and about
The world has been down on me
I faced a lot of difficulties in the world
Waiting for this all we
We've been eagerly anticipating this moment
Macking and stacking cream
We're hustling and making money
Tonight I'm on the scene
I'm present and visible tonight
Planning on getting so clean
I plan to look my best
Only to sparkle the car
My intention is to enhance the appearance of the car
Everyone's where we are
Everyone is where we're at
My baby's on my arm
I'm with my significant other
We got the stop(?) and junks
We have the thing that makes us stand out
Super slick shit is bomb
Our style is amazing
I know we looking tough
We appear confident and unaffected
You won't be looking too much
You won't be scrutinizing us for long
There go my niggas, what's up?
My friends are here, what's going on?
Another rap for us
We're rapping again
Turn up the sounds enough
Increase the volume
It's going down and plus
It's happening and even more
It's shiny man, with velvet and diamonds and stuff
It looks amazing with the smooth texture and sparkling jewels
High and sophisticated, to celebrate that we made it
It's upscale and elegant, to celebrate our success
Always the beat will save us
The rhythm of the music will keep us going
Niggas and all you ladies
Men and women alike
Buckets of new Mercedes, fuck it just fill your flavor
There are plenty of brand new Mercedes cars, choose your favorite
Times we live are crazy, everyone's money hungry
The world is chaotic and everyone is chasing money
I think that's poppin' ugly, baby just say you love me
I feel like that's a negative trend, but let's focus on love instead
I know we all struggling to make something out of nothing
We're all trying to create something from nothing
What's up to all my cousins and my niggas home from prison
Greetings to all of my relatives and friends who were released from prison
Hustlin' and straight what is it? Do your dance how you get it
We're hustling and staying on track, do what you need to in order to succeed
We live life in that rhythm, they takin' don't you givin'
We live according to the rhythm of life, they're taking from us and we're not giving up
So we take it don't you play, how we so fly as nothing
We take what we need and don't play around, we're effortlessly cool
They try to break our backs (and our riches)
They try to defeat us and take away our wealth
All we did was lean with the ... (on them bitches)
All we did was relax and let them do their thing
Still they come to love how we act (clown)
Nonetheless, they appreciate how we behave (fools?)
Still they push they laws up against our stacks (when we in town)
Still, they enforce laws to try and take our money when we're around
We put our bird grease on how we please you
We put our unique style on display to charm you
We up in jail before we let a pig talk greasy
We'd rather go to jail than let a police officer disrespect us
Diamonds we talk, stay grindin' and try to walk the walk
We talk about diamonds but still work hard to achieve our success
... harder than your bibles
We hustle harder than the religious texts you follow
We stepping out you coming? We stepping out you coming?
We're going out, are you joining us?
Contributed by Logan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.