Photo courtesy of Sub Pop

The arrival of Shabazz Palaces — necessary, evolutionary — has been a long time coming. In mid-2009, Philly-based DJ King Britt posted effusive praise for the band on his blog, along with a single-leaked track. Soon after, a pair of EPs packaged in brown cardboard sleeves adorned with embroidered patches surfaced in boutiques around Seattle and an artfully minimalist Shabazz Palaces website started selling MP3s. There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no Tumblr, no YouTube. No biographical info, no backstory. Just the music: Sparse, chain-rattling rhythms, traditional African percussion, and synthy, other-dimensional soundscapes backing one of hip-hop’s most distinctive voices. Calling himself Palaceer Lazaro, the rapper flowed elegantly on universalisms — struggle, disappointment, courage, triumph.

Local media picked up the meme and discerned the voice: Palaceer Lazaro was Seattle native Ishmael Butler, better known as Butterfly, lead MC and producer for Grammy-winning boho hip-hop outfit Digable Planets.

Butler has remained low-profile. No photos, no interviews. Still no web presence. For awhile, the EPs offered the only answers. In January 2010, Shabazz Palaces played their first Seattle show — a swirl of smoke and strobes and bass, Butler shrouded in a turban and stunner shades. He worked the mic from behind an MPC player, pressing beats on the fly. His buttery flow was flawless.

Late last year, after months of critical buzz and word-of-mouth buildup, Shabazz Palaces signed to Sub Pop Records, Seattle’s indie-rock powerhouse, as the first hip-hop band on the roster. Hive recently spoke with Butler about the linear evolution of Shabazz Palaces and the stress around talking about yourself in the first person.

It seems like the end of Digable Planets was as much creative evolution as it was a reaction to outside forces — label mishandling, interpersonal disagreement. Same with Cherrywine — whether or not you wanted to continue the project, the public and the label didn’t know what to do with it.

Each case is different, but I think what you’re saying is true. It’s gotta be, because whatever your situation is, you’re not going to be in total control of it. What might have been unique about the Digable thing is that, in terms of the music business, we all learned that this is the way it goes. And I mean that every relationship that you had that ended, you might have wanted to end it, but there’s been times when you were the one that didn’t want to end it. But at the end of it all, you learn something — about yourself, about other people, of course — but just about life and the way that the world goes.

All of which seems different now that you’re at Sub Pop. This must be the best label relationship you’ve had yet.

I’d be surprised if any artist has had a better one. Sub Pop is a very unique and powerfully real resource. It has its own personality that it’s maintained, principles that have remained throughout and it’s exemplary at what it does. It’s just awesome. I remember when I saw Fleet Foxes; you realize where you are in terms of that label.

After being relatively quiet, media-wise, in the early stages in Shabazz, you’re out in the open more now.

That’s the thing when I’m talking about the music: It’s hard to put a code to things that just can’t be coded. When a lot of people try to do it, it is a little bit self-absorbed. It is a little bit dishonest. It is a little bit misleading. To be like that makes me feel embarrassed. That’s why when people ask me certain things, I’m like, “I don’t know, man.” I get that self-conscious feeling like I’m doing something wrong, y’know?

Talking about it in the first person?

Right. Talking about it like, “I am an authority on this,” when I know that you get ideas, man, you don’t know where those motherfuckers come from. And just because they come to you and you can do something with it, even the subsequent ideas that happen after the initial one … like first of all, what lead up to the initial one? Do you have any idea about it, really? No, you don’t. That chain of events that leads to a product, some cats can do it. Some cats can see it from that place to the end and talk about it. I’m just not that guy. And people mistake it for this attempt at “being mysterious,” but it’s really not that.

People are used to artists who love to talk about themselves.

And beyond that, in defense of the artist, it became, “Look man, this is what you have to do!” If you want the success of this thing to be what you dream of … as cats we don’t got dreams of success. And even when we do, we realize, “Okay, it’s just a dream.” Just like the time you dreamt you could fly and you landed in a Corvette. That ain’t what happened either!

Speaking of dreams, do you remember how or when you came up with the name Shabazz Palaces?

It might sound wild but I have no idea. I could probably estimate the year, maybe, but other than that, no. And there’s a bunch of weird stuff, man, like coincidental things that are not that deep into it. It’s not something I want to talk about, but it’s also not something that’s very hard to see. People when they want to talk to me, they kind of break it down, like “This: Digable.” And then “This: Cherrywine.” But it’s all in the same pot. It’s linear. I won’t even say it’s linear; it’s just all concentrated into this same kind of thing. So it’s wild.

A feeling.

At the end of the day, we offer up something. This is it. And then, once cats consume it, it makes feelings. And then inside of those is where you can find the substance of everything.

Shabazz Palaces debut album Black Up is out June 28.