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Digable Planets Forum / Dig Plans / new book |
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| mizdaq Member |
# Posted: 22 Jul 2007 17:53:30 » Edited by: mizdaq it seems that every few months us fans are kept going by some morsel of digable-related information, a guest spot here, a solo live show there. but the latest one is a book: "check the technique" has just been released and is at a bookstore near you. its author brian coleman wanted to present the missing liner notes of about 30 classic hip-hop albums of the 80s and 90s 'golden age'. thankfully he included digable planets, but opted for reachin' rather than blowout comb. at first this may seem an incongruous choice, given that blowout comb is widely regarded as better, (even voted the best hip hop album of all time by a blogger) but when u settle into the chapter, it becomes apparent that this was the right choice, as it gives us the insight into the origins of digable. i can't recommend this highly enough. it's an amazing read, and full of the kind of info i've been starved of since 1993. it's not only notable for being a book (digable fans last found a book about their heroes in '93's bost-bop hip hip, a publication i've never been able to find) but also for the fact that ishmael talks about his days as a umass minuteman and the group's first incarnation (minus irving and vieira) which are things you wouldn't know unless you're a hardcore fan, or happened to read a '91 copy of rolling stone or a '94 copy of slam respectively. coleman's narrative is perfect, he wisely allows the artist to speak for themselves as much as possible, which is wonderful when ish and knowledge are on the record. it's unfortunate that ladybug isn't interviewed, and that is perhaps the only criticism of a wonderful appearance of digable-related literature. it lays the origins of the group correctly, for once, and in great detail. how else would you have known that c-know released a single in 1989, or that the origins of sundays ode pacifics were the vibe butterfly got when he was returning home to his flatbush room after all night parties on a saturday night. the topics of their abstract lyricism are illuminated and much much more. ish's final words as he describes 'examination of what' stick in your head. "i wanted to be abstract. people might not learn more than what they knew before, but they'll learn something DIFFERENT. elevate, relate, enlighten." that's the mantra of the man. check this out if you want to learn more about the slickest hip-hop group of all time. from the age of 14, hearing digable in the autumn of 93, i knew they were monumental and that one day they would get the respect and critical attention they clearly deserved. it's finally coming to pass. now does anyone have any news on this 'album'?? wtf!? |