Ranked #153 in the Soul Strut 200

The jazzy, intellectual hip hop trio Digable Planets lit up the MTV buzz bin in 1993 with the snappy rap track "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)". Their catchy brand of watered-down beatnik rap appealed across the spectrum. It's the type of hip hop KRS One warned us about. In order to get more street cred, the crew stretched out by given birth to a militant afrocentric opus that ended up alienating a large portion of their hacky sacking, collegiate hippie fan base.  On Blowout Comb, Digable Planets expanded their sound and incorporated elements of soul, funk, and psychedelia all the while adopting a more sinister edge. It wasn't quite Public Enemy territory, but it was enough to make the mainstream uncomfortable. The lead off single "9th Wonder (Blackitolism)" failed to gain any traction and the album sank like a rock eventually causing the group to split up. Over the years, the album would be rediscovered and applauded for its clever use of crate digger classics, controversial elements, and artistic execution.

Related Threads