Digable Planets - Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)

Digable Planets deliberately disavowed the toughness of hip-hop culture: the trio's leader called himself Butterfly, his foil Ladybug purred like Eartha Kitt, and they produced hooks out of lines like "We're just babies, man." Despite occasional flashes of sorrow (like the pro-choice recitation "La Femme Fétal"), the group's happy and laidback on this debut, with tracks made out of old jazz records and finger-snaps, and words that draw on 50s hipster slang. Reachin' spawned the Grammy-winning single "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," and after this album, their joyous Blue Note-and-black-lights bounce lost some of its novelty. --Douglas Wolk Amazon.com

Digable Planets-Reachin (A New Refutation of Time and Space)

I could not fall asleep tonight without first writing this review.See, there I was just listening to this album for about the billionth time when I decided that this album is indeed my favorite hip hop album and I mean of all time;this album is my all time favorite album out of every single hip hop album i've heard and I mean I had the tribe to contend with but hands down this is the best hip hop album I have ever heard in my life.It is as beautiful as the Mona Lisa,this is my favorite Hip Hop album of all time,Ever!Ever!Ever!Even though it has nothing to do with this album but a side note I also came to the conclusion that my all time favorite Rock and Roll album is: Led Zeppelin-How The West Was Won.My favorite Experimental album:The Soft Machine-BBC Sessions.My favorite book:On The Road-Jack Kerouac.My favorite writer and poet:Jack Kerouac.Color:Green.Favorite Jazz Album:John Coltrane-A Love Supreme.Favorite Movie:The Kid (Charlie Chaplin's)
Favorite Actor:Charlie Chaplin
-The End February 6, 2008

THIS WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAVE FOR '93

this album was a sigh of relief at the time along with MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS. i was tired of the west coast stuff by this time. then i hear this bass solo on this night mix. at first i thought it was some straight ahead jazz thang, and then i heard WE LIKE THE BREEZE FLOW STRAIGHT OUT OF OUR LIDS...............and i was like whahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. i was hooked from then on. this album was like coke instead of kool aid at dinner for me. it is a jazzy, breezy, and flowing brand of hip hop that i had not heard before. yes, they were obviously inspired by ATCQ, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT in that they seem to dig deeper...........into the planet. from beginning to end i love it.......though it wanes a bit in the middle. at the end it picks back up where the first couple of songs began. i hated that they broke up when they did. i think that they could've done some groundbreaking things in hip hop. i wonder what they could've done had they started their own label and had all the control that they desired. January 25, 2007

10 Stars (The Best Hip-Hop Album I Own)

Yes, indeed, the title says it all. Many reviewers may think that that's a bold statement, but yo, it is what it is. Digable Planets IS hip-hop. Listening to this album, and their follow up "Blowout Comb", just gives me a feeling that I just dont get listening to other hip-hop records. DP gives me a feelin that I dont even get from the greats: Biggie, Jay, Nas, Pac, etc. I think the main reason is because their sound is just so different. Not only is this hip-hop, this is MUSIC!! The way DP brings the world of hip-hop with jazz is just genius. I love the beats, the instruments, their lyrics, their flow, and their voices. I just hate that I slept on these cats back in 93-94, but hey, it wasnt entirely my fault. The west coast had the game locked back then. But yo, I'm elated that I finally woke up, albeit 12 years later.
I love the follow up, "Blowout Comb" (the album that actually turned me on to DP; I heard Blowout Comb first) but I would have to say that "Reachin" is slightly better. The two albums are different to me. "Reachin" is just "feel good", jazzy hip hop, and "Blowout Comb" is "chill", jazzy hip hop. I prefer "Reachin" cause, even though I'm a laid back cat, I rather "feel good" than to "chill". "Reachin" is #1 for me as far as hip hop goes, and "Blowout Comb" is 1A.

1) It's Good To Be Here--9.5/10- What a way to get things jumpin off
2) Pacifics--9.5/10- This track is "red hot"
3) Where I'm From--10/10- My favorite joint on the album. It just feels so good.
4) What Cool Breezes Do--10/10- So chill, i love the instruments
5) Time and Space--8/10- didnt feel it initially, now i love it!
6) Rebirth of Slick--10/10- this joint is just classic like that
7) Last of the Spiddyocks--9/10
8) Jimmi Diggin Cats--8.5/10
9) La Femme Fetal--9/10-This isnt a song, it's just like a poem to a cool beat. Butterfly gets deep on this one.
10) Escapism--10/10- i love it. so funky, yet so chill
11) Appointment at the Fat Clinic--7/10
12) Nickel Bags--10/10- you'll be high off DP after this joint
13) Swoon Units--10/10- "Run and tell yo mama bout this"
14) Examination of What--9/10 January 21, 2007

1 of a kind

just listen.

just listen again.

let it sink in

good positive vibes
mathematics
love peace, freedom January 5, 2007

4.5 stars: They could have ruled if there wasn't a group called A Tribe Called Quest.......

Tribe ruled jazz rap, so there was little room for late comers. Digable had some good joints though and great mc chemistry.

Top Joints:
New York
Last of the Spiddyocks
Cool Like Dat (CLassic)
Escapism (Gettin' Free)
Nickel Bags of Funk (CLassic)
Swoon Units December 25, 2006

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