Ishmael butler son
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Ishmael Butler
“I can’t explain it with words / I have to do it” may be Ishmael Butler’s personal mantra. It’s a bit ironic, given that he has made a career as a rapper, painting vivid pictures with words. The lyric comes from a song he released with the avant-garde Seattle hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces in 2011, nearly 20 years after he won a Grammy with the jazz-inflected, alternative hip-hop group Digable Planets. Butler has spent decades making music that pushes the limits of what hip-hop says and sounds like — but words can only do so much. Throughout his career he has created lush sonic environments meant to make us feel something, too.
Part of the long history of creative visionaries raised in Seattle’s Central District, Butler says his grandparents left the South for the same reasons as many Black people: “for exploration and work opportunities at Boeing.” The family left Louisiana for Bremerton before taking root in Yesler Terrace, Washington state’s first public housing complex — also the first racially integrated development in the U.S. They eventually bought a house i
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Ishmael Butler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ishmael Butler | |
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Ishmael Butler in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ishmael Reginald Butler |
| Also known as |
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| Born | (1969-07-03) July 3, 1969 (age 55) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | |
| Children | Jazz Butler |
Ishmael Reginald Butler (born July 3, 1969) is an American rapper, record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his work with such groups as Digable Planets in the 1990s and Shabazz Palaces in the 2010s.
Early life
Butler was born in 1969 in Seattle. His father, Dr. Reginald Butler, was a historian of African American culture and an esteemed professor at the University of Virginia. He first forayed into music by playing the alto saxophone in his middle school jazz band. In 1987, he graduated from Garfield High School and moved to Massachusetts to enroll in college.
Career
In 1989, Butler dropped out
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Ishmael Butler
American rapper
Musical artist
Ishmael Reginald Butler (born July 3, 1969) is an American rapper, record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his work with such groups as Digable Planets in the 1990s and Shabazz Palaces in the 2010s.[1][2][3]
Early life
Butler was born in 1969 in Seattle. His father, Dr. Reginald Butler, was a historian of African American culture and an esteemed professor at the University of Virginia. He first forayed into music by playing the alto saxophone in his middle school jazz band. In 1987, he graduated from Garfield High School[4] and moved to Massachusetts to enroll in college.[5]
Career
In 1989, Butler dropped out of college and moved to Brooklyn, where he recorded a demo of hip hop tracks which was eventually delivered to the Pendulum Records executive, Ruben Rodriguez. In 1992, Butler auditioned for Pendulum Records with his friends, Craig Irving from Philadelphia, and Mary Ann Vieira from Washington, D.C, forming Digable Planets.[5] Digabl
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