The pair anonymously self-released two EPs, Eagles Soar, Oil Flows and The Seven New in 2009 before becoming one of the few hip-hop acts to be signed to the Sub Pop label and releasing its debut full-length album, Black Up to wide critical acclaim in 2011. Black Up was listed #1 in Seattle Times music columnist Andrew Matson's "Local Top #10" of 2011. The duo released its second album, Lese Majesty, on July 29, 2014. The album was first premiered at Seattle's Pacific Science Center Laser Dome in April 2014. In February 2016, Butler announced that the duo were working on a new record, which Butler described as being about "our relationship with devices. Not just our reliance on technological devices, but the ways they make us live and present and manipulate yourself." In April 2017, Sub Pop announced the July 14 release of Shabazz Palaces' third studio albumQuazarz: Born on a Gangster Star. This was followed two weeks later with the announcement of Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines, the group's fourth album and "monozygotic twin" to Gangster Star, scheduled for simultaneous release along with a short film directed by Nep Sidhu, and a limited-run book illustrated by Joshua Ray Stephens. Shabazz Palaces curated part of the program for the Dutch Le Guess Who? festival.
Collaborations
Shabazz Palaces frequently collaborate with and remix other artists, in the latter case often reinventing entire tracks. Notable collaborations are the supergroup WOKE, formed with Flying Lotus and Thundercat. To date WOKE have released one single, "The Lavishments of Light Looking", featuring George Clinton. Shabazz Palaces have also contributed to numerous Theesatisfaction and Porter Ray releases. Chimurenga Renaissance is a project led by Maraire, in collaboration with guitarist Hussein Kalonji and with contributions from Butler. The project released a mixtape, Pungwe, in 2012, and published it as an album on March 5, 2013. They released their full-length debut albumriZe vadZimu riZe on March 25, 2014. Two EPs followed: Kudada Nekuva Munhu Mutema on February 3, 2015, and Girlz With Gunz on February 5, 2016. Shabazz Palaces are part of Black Constellation, a collective of visual artists, fashion designers, and musicians. The group has hosted "Black Weirdo" parties in Seattle, Toronto, New York and Minneapolis. They are also featuring on Battles' 2012 remix albumDross Glop; charged with remixing the track "White Electric", and collaborated on the track "IZM" on Battles' 2019 album Juice B Crypts.
Style and influences
Butler notes that the work of Shabazz Palaces differs from his previous work stylistically. He cites his primary influences as "abstract", pulling from podcasts and mixtapes. Butler attributes the use of African percussion and jazz overtones to his family's musical preferences.
