Digable Planets
is a Grammy Award-winning American Alt Hip Hop group based in New York City, composed of Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler (from Seattle), Craig "Doodlebug" Irving (from Philadelphia), and Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira (from Washington, D.C.). They were backed by Silkworm, who later embarked on a solo career under the name King Britt.
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DIGABLE PLANETS TICKETS
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The Roots Picnic: The Roots, Queen Latifah, Common & Digable Planets Tickets 6/29 | Jun 29, 2024 Sat, 8:00 PM | | Digable Planets Tickets 7/13 | Jul 13, 2024 Sat, 6:30 PM | | Digable Planets Tickets 8/8 | Aug 08, 2024 Thu, 8:00 PM | | Digable Planets Tickets 8/10 | Aug 10, 2024 Sat, 8:00 PM | |
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History
Career
Digable Planets' fusion of
jazz and
hip hop received excellent reviews and solid sales with the release of its debut album,
Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
, in 1993, which was certified
gold by the
RIAA. The album's lead single, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," in 1994 became a crossover hit, peaking at #15 on
Billboard magazine's singles chart, earning gold certification by the
RIAA, and winning the
Grammy award for
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Its second album,
Blowout Comb
, was released in
1994 (see
1994 in music). The novelty of the group's jazz/hip-hop fusion had passed, leading to disappointing sales. The trio soon broke up due to creative differences, as well as the deaths of both of Ladybug's parents due to unrelated illnesses. However, a retrospective album
Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles
was released in 2005, which included previously unreleased recordings.
The Planets played at BB King's in Times Square, NYC on 10/8/2008 and announced that a new album would be released in 2008.
Breakup
Butler established a hip-hop/blues act called
Cherrywine; after failing to release a solo album "Ishmael Since 1999." Cherrywine's album
Bright Black
was released in 2003 to a lackluster reception. He also starred in the short films "I am Ali" and "We Deliver." Silkworm has an established solo career under the name
King Britt, and occasionally partners with
The Roots' Ahmir-Khalib “
Questlove” Thompson. Doodlebug is now known as
Cee Knowledge and tours with a band called
Cee Knowledge & the Cosmic Funk Orchestra that released two albums in limited edition on FarmHouse Records. Ladybug, now known as Ladybug Mecca, has also embarked on a solo career, releasing an album Trip The Light Fantastic in 2005 on her label Nu Paradigm Entertainment with her partner Nkosi Gray. Ladybug Mecca has also guest appeared on Legacy/Sony's Billie Holiday Remixed & Reimagined Album. Remixers include Tony Humphries, DJ Logic, Nickodemus & Zeb, Jazzy Nice, Organica, and many more. Roland Richards and Ladybug Mecca liven up “Spreadin' Rhythm Around” with a “hip-hop meets swing” anthem. In 2008 Ladybug Mecca has lent her talent to eMC (Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth, Stricklin) on the title track "The Show" and
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien's 11thour Album on the song "I Got You". April 1, 2008 marks the release of her collaboration with the likes of Legendary producer Prince Paul, Chali 2na (Jurrasic 5), Ursula Rucker, Scratch (The Roots) and Wordsworth (eMC) on Baby Loves Hip Hop's The Dino-5 Children's CD which is a " Book on Tape" through Ropeadope Records. Ladybug Mecca is the voice of Tracey Triceratops, the leader of The Dino 5 as well as the "interrupting child". She is also wrapping up her second solo project to be released in 2008.
In February 2005 the trio reunited and embarked on a reunion tour, with a compilation album released on
October 15,
2005.
The group announced another reunion tour in February 2009 with performance dates in March and April of 2009. In a statement released on March 19, 2009 on the group's MySpace page, Butterfly reported that the Digable Planets Summer Reunion tour is off.
Butterfly has a son named Jazz from a previous relationship with
Coko of
SWV.
According to the Digable Planets' Official MySpace page, maintained by Butterfly, Lady Bug Mecca was not able to continue as a member of the DP's due to contract issues and poor management.
Discography
Albums
- Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
(1993)
- Blowout Comb
(1994)
- Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles
(compilation) (2005)
Singles
- "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" (1992)
- "Where I'm From" (1993)
- "Nickel Bags" (1993)
- "9th Wonder (Blackitolism)" (1994)
- "9th Wonder (Slicker This Year) Mad Slicker Remixes" (1994)
- "Dial 7 (Axioms of Creamy Spies)" (1995)
Trivia
- The Digable Planets' single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" was sampled by West Coast/Hyphy Movement artist E-40 for his song "Yay Area" on his 2006 album, My Ghetto Report Card
.
- "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" was featured in the 2007 drama Freedom Writers
.
- Tide is featuring "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" in a summer 2009 TV commercial to promote its laundry detergent formulated to work with cold water.