Shabazz Palaces are Ishmael Butler, formerly of Digable Planets and Cherrywine, and percussionist Tendai Maraire. Ishmael provides the group’s vision and vocals, while Tendai employs ancient instruments from his homeland Zimbabwe.

They deliver sincere and radical lyrics that fluctuate between afrofuturism and surrealism, over beats that make use of glitch music, funk, minor-key jazz, deep soul, psychedelia, industrial music, ambient music, and mbira sounds. They structure their songs to often highly transform the 16-bars/chorus/repeat form of hip hop. Their music won them the first ever Music Genius award from The Stranger in 2010.