#6 Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

This was probably one of the biggest surprises for me this year. I used to really like Digable Planets back in the days, but that group and it's members disappeared to the back of my mind and I haven't thought the least bit about what they are up to nowadays. And then this album popped up. Butterfly from Digable Planets returns as Shabazz Palaces and give us one of the most interesting hip hop records in quite a while. I admit that I totally missed out on the two EP's he'd previously released so I was really taken by surprise. Take one part Dead Prez and one part Flying Lotus and you're coming quite close to the sound of Black Up. It's one of those records that actually manages to feel futuristic and classic at the same time. Jazz for the space age.