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Listen: Shabazz Palaces Returns With 'Shine A Light'

Shabazz Palaces was born for a time like this. At least, that's the initial impression after listening to the group's newly released single, "Shine a Light (feat. Thaddillac)." A lyric video accompanies the announcement of a forthcoming album, Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star, set to be released via Sub Pop on July 14.

The follow-up to the experimental hip-hop group's 2014 album Lese Majestyis set to feature, "in body or spirit," The Strokes' Julian Casablanacas, Thundercat, Gamble and Huff, Loud Eyes Lou, Fly Guy Dai, and more, according to a press statement written by Ishmael Butler a.k.a. Palaceer Lazaro. The announcement unfolds like a mystical allegory as it tells the tale of Quazarz, a sentient being who finds himself among the "ethers of the Migosphere here on Drake world."

"What's good? — the kids ask. What does it even mean and what does it even matter? Who is behind these choices? We are all of us sitting under a waterfall of all. This. S***. But it's the excess that is casting us into ruts."

See the full tracklist and tour dates below:

"Since C.A.Y.A."
"When Cats Claw"
"Shine A Light" (Feat. Thaddillac)
"Play"
"Dèesse Du Sang"
"Eel Dreams" (Feat. Loud Eyes Lou)
"Parallax" (Feat. The Palaceer Lazaro)
"Fine Ass Hairdresser"
"The Neurochem Mixalogue"
"That's How City Life Goes"
"Moon Whip Quäz" (Feat. Darrius)
"Federalist Papers"

Shabazz Palaces:

05-13 Seattle, WA - Upstream Music Fest + Summit 2017
08-16 Portland, OR - The Star Theater
08-18 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
08-19 Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theatre
08-20 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
08-23 Austin, TX - Mohawk (Outdoor Stage)
08-24 Dallas, TX - Club Dada
08-25 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
08-26 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
08-27 Charleston, SC - Music Farm
08-28 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
08-30 Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
08-31 Detroit, MI - El Club
09-02 Montreal, Quebec - Theatre Fairmount
09-05 Boston, MA - The Sinclair
09-06 Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
09-07 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
09-08 Washington, DC - Black Cat
09-11 Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
09-15-17 Chicago, IL - Riot Fest at Douglas Park

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Rodney Carmichael is NPR Music's hip-hop staff writer. An Atlanta-bred cultural critic, he helped document the city's rise as rap's reigning capital for a decade while serving on staff as music editor, culture writer and senior writer for the defunct alt-weekly Creative Loafing.