Their Majesty

Yes, technically speaking, Shabazz Palaces is a rap group. But that sort of classification is about as accurate as calling Bitches Brew a jazz record or Captain Beefheart a rock star. Sure, it gets you in the right galaxy, but it does nothing to describe the bizarre constellation of fractured beats, warped vocals and occult imagery the group has formed during their six years together.

The Seattle-based duo’s lead voice — Ishmael Butler (formerly of Digable Planets) — has often used “abstract” to describe the Shabazz Palaces sound, which might be best interpreted to mean that nothing he and producer Tendai Maraire craft is concrete.

Butler and Maraire cryptically released two EPs before emerging from hiding in 2011 with their shadowy full-length Black Out. Their latest, 2014’s Lese Majesty, has seen the group plunge deeper into abstraction: Maraire’s mutated psychedelia moves between bangers like “#CAKE” and woozier, atmospheric interludes while Butler delivers lines like “blackness is protracted and abstracted by the purest.”

On stage, the group has been known to bring in live percussion and other instrumentation from Maraire’s native Zimbabwe to further evoke the otherworldly feel of their records.

Better still, the group chose a worthy opener to guide us into the Shabazz Palaces world in THEESatisfaction singer SassyBlack, whose eastern-inflected vocals and space-funk sound orbits in the same sonic constellation.

Sassy Black and Porter Ray join Shabazz Palaces 8:30 pm Saturday, Jan. 30, at WOW Hall; $12 adv., $15 door.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!