Jazz-hip-hop pioneers Digable Planets have announced their long-awaited return to Japan for a concert tour.

The trio—Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Craig “Doodlebug” Irving, and Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira—burst onto the scene in 1993 with the Grammy-winning hit “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat).” Armed with jazz samples and lyrically poetic, message-driven rhymes, they brought a fresh breeze to the early-1990s hip-hop landscape.

Their debut album Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was lauded for tackling deep social themes, including the realities of urban life, and achieved commercial success with RIAA Gold certification. The subsequent album Blowout Comb presented a spiritual and artistic work centered on Black Liberation, exerting a profound influence on later hip-hop generations and Afro-Futurism.

From the 2000s onward they pursued solo projects, but regrouped as a group in 2015. Since then they have performed around the world and released the live album Digable Planets Live in 2017. With dynamic live performances featuring live instrumentation and polished staging, their work has continued to receive renewed acclaim.

Even thirty years after their debut, they continue to energize the scene with genre-defying creativity and messages, so don’t miss the chance to experience their innovative sound and groove in a real, live setting for a precious night!

Note: The meet-and-greet originally scheduled has been canceled due to the artists’ circumstances. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was looking forward to it and appreciate your understanding.