{"id":2044,"date":"2017-07-14T00:23:05","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T00:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/?p=2044"},"modified":"2017-07-14T00:23:05","modified_gmt":"2017-07-14T00:23:05","slug":"review-shabazz-palaces-quazarz-born-on-a-gangster-star-quazarz-vs-the-jealous-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/14\/review-shabazz-palaces-quazarz-born-on-a-gangster-star-quazarz-vs-the-jealous-machines\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Shabazz Palaces &#8211; Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star + Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_2047\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2047\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2047\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/14\/review-shabazz-palaces-quazarz-born-on-a-gangster-star-quazarz-vs-the-jealous-machines\/shabazz-palaces\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?fit=2100%2C2100&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2100,2100\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Victoria Kovios&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 6D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Shabazz Palaces&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1492968990&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Shabazz Palaces&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Shabazz Palaces\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Shabazz Palaces&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?fit=747%2C747&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2047\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/shabazz-palaces-promo.jpg?w=1494&amp;ssl=1 1494w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2047\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shabazz Palaces<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Shabazz Palaces has been one of the more engaging acts in hip hop ever since their debut landed in 2011. The group\u2019s unique dynamic, incorporating the enigmatic lyrics\/flow of Ishmael Butler with low-key reverb-heavy beats accentuated by exotic instrumentation from Tendai Maraire, make them an enjoyable oddity that\u2019s always worth looking out for. Ishamel\u2019s own esoteric lyrical sensibilities always seem to find ways to resonate with listeners as, despite their generally cryptic nature, reflect very real concerns about mankind\u2019s relationship with itself, technology, and even modern rap music. These views are taken to an even greater ambitious extreme on the group\u2019s latest musical outing, the double album release <em>Quazarz: Born on a Gangaster Star<\/em> and <em>Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines<\/em>: a pair of releases about an interstellar alien sent as an ambassador to a caricatured version of America and feeling judgmental about the state of everything.<\/p>\n<p>Ishamel\u2019s usual societal hang-ups are as present as ever, but they\u2019re given an increased emphasis thanks to the nature of the concept. The alien Quazarz is mostly representative of the root of his own views on technology, modern rap music, etc. while another version of himself with the expected moniker of Palaceer Lazaro acts as the alien\u2019s sole human contact. Sympathetic to Quazarz\u2019s gripes, he becomes a cypher for his own venting and how we experience his critiques of the so-called \u201cAmurderca\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"747\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kCf2JrICz9Y?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Palaceer\u2019s own personal life and how it relates to the bigger narrative is just as much a focal point of the concept as the whole alien conceit. In a handful of songs on first disc, we get a sense of Palaceer\u2019s life on Earth and some of the interesting aspects as well as the mundanities of it as presented in the tracks \u201cFine Ass Hairdresser\u201d and \u201cThe Neurochemical Mixalogue.\u201d The latter portrays a sort of romantic setting from the point of view of an observer telling the crowd to get together with that special someone they all love, while the former has him engaging in some philosophical dialogue about the state of life with (presumably) a hairdresser. In addition, \u201cThat\u2019s How City Life Goes\u201d is a nice little mood piece that just mumbles the title over and over again through in the back half, complimented by a quiet synthetic bass riff and simple drums. Meanwhile on the second disc, the tracks \u201cEffeminence\u201d and \u201cJulian\u2019s Dream (ode to a bad)\u201d seemingly convey Palaceer\u2019s feelings about certain relationships of his, missing his mom and also an important lover in his life. That\u2019s just one facet of this rather dense release.<\/p>\n<p>The dissatisfaction with trap rap and mainstream hip hop is of equal importance, made somewhat clear in the first few tracks of the first disc, with \u201cSince CAYA\u201d introducing us to Quazarz as a seemingly omnipresent figure with a great deal of importance within the universe. \u201cWhen Cats Claw\u201d and \u201cShine A Light\u201d both display Quazarz\u2019s perception of most rap music as hollow and vain, with the latter focusing on exposing the fakeness of such rappers, hence the title. On the second disc, this motif gets brought further to the spotlight as Quazarz becomes more central to the presentation of the concept. \u201cGorgeous Sleeper Cell\u201d poses the question of \u201cGod, who came first? The rapper or the trapper?\u201d as it also questions why the ability to buy diamonds and weed are now an accepted measure of \u201crealness.\u201d Other frustrations of his involve the vanity of modern society as expressed in \u201cSelf Made Follownaire\u201d (Well-known nobodies. A murder mouth with no body. Self-loathing narcissist. Body-sized icons). This is on top of the earlier track \u201cParallax,\u201d an interlude of sorts which has Quazarz in communication with his own species, as the track name-drops the brands Gucci, Louis, Prade, and Dolce &amp; Gabbana: brands that have been referenced in that particular order by rappers like Meek Mill, Twista, and even Kreayshawn.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"747\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PAeby61WvHQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The centerpiece of the album, and also easily the best track between the two, is the single \u201c30 Clip Extension\u201d. The lyrics depict Quazarz presumably lecturing the Palaceer and contain a very ominious vibe as they seem to bounce back and forth between multiple tones of voice. The first verse repeats the phrase \u201cGhost. Writers\u201d in between observations about the genre and its purveyors, and these become clearer in the second verse. The voices begin to unsubtly repeat the phrase \u201cYour favorite rapper\u201d in between critiques of prominent trends in mainstream rap (His jaws clinched in a xanax glow (Your favorite rapper)\/ He&#8217;s a chauvinist with feminine vanities (Your favorite rapper). He&#8217;s puffing out his tattooed chest (Man, look at your favorite rapper)). It\u2019s a fantastic tune with some clever observations and wordplay, accentuated by a sort-of numbing beat accentuated by a hazy pseudo-guitar melody that puts the listener in a delirious headspace like they\u2019re just about to come down from a bad hangover. It is easily one of Shabazz Palaces\u2019 best tunes from both a lyrical and musical front.<\/p>\n<p>While on the subject, the music and beat selection here is as offbeat and minimal as ever, incorporating the expected high degrees of reverberation as well as a mixture of soothing and ominous electronics where appropriate. The usage of various other bits of instrumentation also helps flesh out the vibe of each track, such as on \u201cSince CAYA\u201d which features some unnerving warped synths complimented by bass guitar courtesy of none other than Thundercat. \u201cWelcome To Quazarz\u201d shows off Maraire\u2019s own mbira talents to accentuate the afro-futurist vibe of Quazarz\u2019s home world. The warbled alien-like synths permeate much of the records like on \u201cThe SS Quintessence\u201d, which sounds like teleporting through multiple worlds and dimensions, or \u201cSelf Made Follownaire\u201d which is prominently driven by a very breathy percussion track with the snare hits sounding like they are being played in reverse.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"747\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6TWNaMRlNj8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In addition to these moody experimental pieces, a handful of tracks have a much quirker and occasionally serene tone to them. \u201cEffeminence\u201d is particularly sentimental in its production, as well as \u201cLove In The Time of Kanye\u201d with its lullaby-like melody. \u201cJulian\u2019s Dream (ode to a bad)\u201d is the quirkiest song on the record with its bouncy bass and breathy vocals, and probably the most beautiful sounding track is the aforementioned \u201cShine A Light\u201d, which is built off an excellently used sample of Dee Dee Sharp\u2019s \u201cI Really Love You\u201d and complimented with frequent collaborator Thadillac\u2019s lush auto-tuned vocals.<\/p>\n<p>While the record is quite strong in several respects, occasionally the concept of the record can get a little muddied by the dense multi-layered perspectives presented. While mysterious and abstract lyrics and presentation are a given with Shabazz Palaces, because of the nature of the story here, it can occasionally become disorienting to figure out what precisely is going on and who exactly is delivering these various monologues about relationships, the burdens of technology, and trap rappers. The voices blur together into one entity often, which seems to occasionally undermine the purpose of having the concept be this elaborate. Despite this minor gripe, the two <em>Quazarz<\/em> albums represent the most ambitious releases yet from the Seattle duo and a perfect example of why they continue to be one of the most eccentric duos in current hip hop. Don\u2019t pass up these albums at all.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Verdict:<\/em><\/strong><em> Buy it. Join the fanbase. Join us. Join us. Join up.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines are available from Sub Pop Records on CD, vinyl, cassette, digital download (iTunes, Bandcamp, etc.) and streaming services.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[Note: A copy of both albums was provided by Sub Pop Records for the purpose of this review.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shabazz Palaces has been one of the more engaging acts in hip hop ever since their debut landed in 2011. The group\u2019s unique \n<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/14\/review-shabazz-palaces-quazarz-born-on-a-gangster-star-quazarz-vs-the-jealous-machines\/\"> [...]<\/a>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2045,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[522,524,518,520,515,516,295,514,517,523,521,519],"class_list":["post-2044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-30-clip-extension","tag-effeminence","tag-experimental-hip-hop","tag-ishmael-butler","tag-quazarz-born-on-a-gangster-star","tag-quazarz-vs-the-jealous-machines","tag-rap","tag-shabazz-palaces","tag-shabazz-palaces-quazarz-review","tag-shine-a-light","tag-since-caya","tag-thundercat"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.surrealresolution.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/quazarz-review-thumbnail.png?fit=1152%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8GYHU-wY","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2044"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2051,"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044\/revisions\/2051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surrealresolution.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}