Hip-Hop Visionary Ishmael Butler on Finding Freedom in Music

About this episode

Isa Nakazawa interviews Grammy-winning rapper Ishmael Butler about his unique musical style and personal insights influenced by astrology.

This week, Isa Nakazawa sits down with Grammy-winning rapper and producer Ishmael Butler. Known for his work with the groundbreaking 90s hip-hop trio Digable Planets and the hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces, Ishmael’s music has always felt like it exists in its own dimension, merging jazz, philosophy and a kind of sonic world-building that feels both deeply rooted and completely otherworldly. In this episode, Isa talks to Ishmael about how his Cancer sun and Pisces moon help him navigate this push and pull in both his music and personal relationships.

People in this episode

Host: Isa Nakazawa

Guest: Ishmael Butler

Topics covered

• hip-hop
• music
• freedom
• astrology
• personal relationships
• creativity

Keywords

• Ishmael Butler
• hip-hop
• music
• astrology
• Digable Planets
• Shabazz Palaces
• freedom
• creativity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Digable Planets, Shabazz Palaces

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