Drew Pitt January 3rd, 2020 - 11:10 AM
Music streaming has done a lot of bad, to ignore the way that it has hurt small, independent artists would be callous and non-representative of the musical landscape as a whole. But when it comes to the realm of music education and literacy, there is perhaps no tool more useful than music streaming.
Beyond the obvious pop megastars, one could argue that the artists who have benefited most from streaming were the under recognized musicians of years past. In the past, most people would have simply walked by their records, leaving them to collect dust until they grew so cheap that one might grab them on a whim. Now, if anyone recommends an album to someone they’re likely a mere few clicks away from being able to check it out and determine if the record is worth their time.
Digable Planets is one of those acts that has benefited greatly from streaming. In the past they were popular, no doubt, but their unique stylings kept them from blowing up into superstardom. Today, people are more likely to rightfully recognize Digable Planets, and in particular their breakout album Blowout Comb as one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time, even if they never did capture a platinum hit.
Given the prolific output of the members post-Digable Planets, particularly Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, who is half of psychedelic rap group Shabazz Palaces it’s a miracle that this concert is happening at all. That it is happening at a venue as small as the Lodge Room is even more miraculous. If you have any love of hip-hop and are in the LA area you need to get tickets to this immediately, shows like this are exceedingly rare.
Location: The Lodge Room
Address: 104 N Ave 56 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90042
