Seattle experimental hip hop duo Shabazz Palaces has been changing the game since 2009 with their forward-thinking approach. Composed of Ishmael Butler (formerly of the jazz rap group Digable Planets) and multi-instrumentalist Tendai “Baba” Maraire, the duo is known for pairing electronic elements with experimental song structures and impressive lyricism. Their debut album, Black Up, released in 2011 on Sub Pop and received widespread critical acclaim, grabbing the No. 1 spot on the Albums of the Year list from Gorilla vs. Bear and garnered an 8.8 score from Pitchfork. The second album from Shabazz Palaces, Lese Majesty, also unanimously won over critics and landed at No. 6 on Billboard’s Rap Album Chart. On June 14, the duo simultaneously released their third and fourth studio albums, Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines, respectively.