PHOTO: PATRICK O BRIEN
Ishmael Butler returns as Shabazz Palaces with new album, It’s a Style Sport
Rapper, producer, and musician Ishmael Butler has announced his eighth album as Shabazz Palaces, It’s a Style Sport, and released new single, "Ahh World (I Won The Alpha Bet)".
It’s a Style Sport follows the sibling mini-albums Robed In Rareness released in 2023 and Exotic Birds Of Prey released in 2024. Lead single “Ahh World (I Won The Alpha Bet)” sees Butler chronicle his "rise to excellence" from a fantasy-inspired third-person perspective, ultimately focusing on him staying grounded in his own honour.
Butler has built a significant career over three and a half decades with his Shabazz Palaces project, having collaborated with the likes of Flying Lotus, Thundercat, George Clinton, Clipping, Battles, Oneohtrix Point Never, Animal Collective and his son Lil Tracy, as well as tours with Radiohead, TV On The Radio and Ms Lauryn Hill. It’s a Style Sport sees him continue working with guest artists, including Marquette Miller, Thaddeus "Thaddillac" Turner, Evan Flory-Barnes, Gerald "Tugboat" Turner, Kassa Overall and Carlos Overall.
It’s a Style Sport artwork
It’s a Style Sport is released on 23 October via Sub Pop
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