Insects stick together and work for mutually beneficial causes," Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets once commented in Essence Magazine. Following that concept, Butterfly, Doodlebug and Ladybug joined together and formed Digable Planets in the early 90s, bringing a new vibe to hip-hop. Following their recent reunion tour is Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles, a collection of rarities and greatest hits that is a great reminder to fans that the group is one of the special bands to emerge from that fertile time period.

With their 1993 debut, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), and their follow up album Blowout Comb the band introduced their literate lyrics, honey-smooth flow and vibrant arrangements. When the group took a hiatus to work on solo projects, they were sorely missed. No other group combined elements of funk, psychedelia and hip-hop in the same way and the trio brought jazz into the fold, giving a new soul to an old sound. As the Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles anthology clearly illustrates, Digable Planets set a standard back in the 90s for a generation of soul poets and producers alike.

Tour Dates

10/29 New Orleans, LA Voodoo Festival

10/30 Las Vegas, NV Vegoose

10/31 San Antonio, TX Engine Room

11/01 Dallas, TX Gypsy Team Ballroom

11/02 Lawrecne, KS Granada Theater

11/03 St. Louis, MO Blue Note

11/04 Chicago, IL Metro

11/05 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig

11/06 Cinnicanti, OH Bogart's

11/08 Providence, RI Living Room

11/09 Burlington, VT Higher Ground

11/10 Cambridge, MA Middle East

11/11 Baltimore, MD Sonar

11/12 Ashville, NC Orange Peel

11/13 Carsboro, NC Cat's craddle