"We try to make sounds that are nice to listen to," understates Digable Planets' lead poet and rapper, Butterfly... The Digable Planets' debut Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time And Space) is a hip-hop dreamscape, weaving a space-travelin' groove with a lilting, peaceful vibe infused with everything from jazz to psychedelia. But the Digable Planets intentions go much further than that. Their seemingly lighthearted insect names reflect a fervent belief in the strength of community. Their ethereal, playful poetry reveals an unfailingly conscious and intelligent take on the ways of our world... We feel that every person individually is a planet. Being planets we each have the ability to set up our planet any way we want to, keeping in mind we have to co-exist in the solar system that is society. Digable is just the adjective that describes us as individuals, our music and sound. A lot of people would say this music is different, weird, not in the mainstream of hip-hop, because we're not. But we live and hang, we do the same things that any hardcore group might do - this music is for the kids in the streets first, because that's what we are. The difference is, we've had exposure to things have shaped the way we make our music... We want everyone to know that, no matter who you are and where you're from, you can reach new dimensions, not just in music but in your life... Education can change the world, and music is an offspring of education. If you really listen to the words and analyze what's said you can gain knowledge..." Listen to the album, cont'd below...
About "The Rebirth Of Slick," Butterfly shares: "The song parallels the jazz and hip-hop cultures. In its heyday, jazz had its vernacular and clothes; similarly, we have our own styles, art, attitude, plus a language that's almost incomprehensible if you're not part of it. Unless you come from a hip-hop background where you love and appreciate it, you may not even know that the cats in the Bronx that made up this music have never made any money off it. The pioneers aren't even being acknowledged. That's what "Rebirth of Slick" is about, it's in the poetry of the song." A copy of the full, original Press Kit are available below with lots more insight and inspiration from the album...
