Fresh off the Spaceship

What is the Black Constellation? If you know, you'll want to listen to this podcast. If you don't, you'll want to listen, too. Fresh off the Spaceship tells the story of the highly influential yet scarcely documented artist collective that has included such varied musical acts as Shabazz Palaces, THEESatisfaction, Ya Tseen and Porter Ray. Hosted by KEXP's Larry Mizell Jr. and Martin Douglas, each episode in this 10-part series will take listeners on an audio journey connecting the stars of the Constellation, shedding light on their art and their ethos along the way. New episodes will be released weekly starting March 18, 2022. Find out more at KEXP.org/fresh-off-the-spaceship. Watch a video version of the trailer and explore more work from the artists of the Constellation on KEXP's Fresh off the Spaceship YouTube playlist.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/freshSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the inaugural episode of Fresh Off the Spaceship, co-hosts Larry Mizell Jr. and Martin Douglas guide you through the big question: “What is the Black Constellation?” We dive into what the collective represents, as well as the music and art it encompasses – from Shabazz Palaces and Stas THEE Boss to Porter Ray, OCnotes, Ya Tseen, and more. We hear from the artists themselves as well as reflections from Larry and Martin as Black journalists covering the Seattle music scene. Throughout the podcast we explore the Constellation’s ideas about collaboration, intuition, ritual, self-determination, legacy, and the continuum they practice in. Listen to a playlist of music from the episode and read the transcript on KEXP.org.  Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/freshSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ishmael Butler is a renaissance artist who has lived many lives. You may know him from the Grammy-award winning hip-hop trio Digable Planets or the mysterious force behind the critically acclaimed Shabazz Palaces. But he doesn’t just use his powers to innovate and reinvent himself – he spreads love and inspiration as a teacher and guide to his artistic family. In his art and lifting up the Black Constellation, he’s helped put a beacon on Black art in Seattle. On this episode, we explore Ishmael’s journey from the West Coast to the East Coast and back again. Through all his stylistic reinventions and his current artistic life as lynchpin of Shabazz Palaces, son of the Central District and under-heralded hip-hop visionary. Listen to a playlist of music from the episode and read the transcript on KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/freshSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following the break-up of Digable Planets and a return to Seattle, hip-hop visionary Ishmael Butler begins his rebirth with a new project called Shabazz Palaces. From selling handmade copies of his CD to local record stores to signing with Sub Pop and touring the world with the likes of Radiohead, Butler finds new life and sounds that inspire a new generation of rappers. In the second part of Butler’s story, hosts Larry Mizell Jr. and Martin Douglas dig deep into his work as Shabazz Palaces and breakdown his lyricism, influence, and the familial bonds that stretch throughout the Black Constellation. Listen to a playlist of music from the episode and read the transcript on KEXP.orgSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/freshSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stasia Irons, aka Stas THEE Boss, is an agent of change, a self-fulfilled prophecy of art as a means of embracing Blackness and queerness. Through her early days as half of the Sub Pop-signed hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction through her solo work, Stas has always been “ahead of her time.” But Stas isn’t content to be looked back on as an innovator – she boldly and correctly asserts that her work deserves its recognition now. On this episode, Stas and her Black Constellation family reflect on her artistic journey, her heartbreaks, and the philosophies that made her one of America’s most gifted and slept-on rappers and producers. We also hear reflections on the term “Afrofuturism,” the burden of being the first in an artistic movement, and the spiritual and familial continuum she and the Constellation all work within. Listen to a playlist of music from the episode and read the transcript on KEXP.org.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/freshSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.