Episode 22: Ishmael Butler on Lightnin’ Rod’s “Hustlers Convention” (1973)

Episode notes

The album: Lightnin’ Rod: Hustlers Convention (1973)

Ishmael Butler aka Butterfly of Digable Planets aka one-half of Shabazz Palaces joined us to take us on a trip back to the blaxploitation era and one of the greatest soundtracks-in-search-of-a-movie: Hustlers Convention, the spoken word/funk album by Jalal Nuriddin of The Last Poets. Backed up musicians that included Kool and the Gang, Eric Gale and others, Hustlers Convention took listeners on a trip into the world of pimps, players, police and other street characters in a vivid, cinematic story that would go onto inspire rappers the world over.

More on Lightnin’ Rod and Hustlers Convention

• Documentary about the album and other street poets of the early ’70s.
• Graeme Thompson’s story about the album for The Guardian 
• Red Bull Music Academy’s feature on the album.

More on Ishmael Butler

• Oliver’s profile of Shabazz Palaces for Bandcamp.
• Tim Larew’s interview with Butler for Pigeons and Planes.
• Twitter for Shabazz Palaces | Instagram for Shabazz Palaces

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Hustler’s Conventionunless indicated otherwise):

• ”Sport”
• Digable Planets: Reaching’”The Rebirth of Slick”
• Curtis Mayfield: Superfly “Superfly”
• ”Hamhock’s Hall Wa Big”
• ”Spoon”
• ”The Shit Hits The Fan Again”
• ”The Break Was So Loud It Hushed The Crowd”
• ”Sentenced To The Chair”
• ”Brother Hominy Grit”
• Shabazz Palace: Lese Majesty “Forerunner Foray”
• Dr. Dre: Deep Cover “Deep Cover Feat. Snoop Dogg”
• Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx”Heaven & Hell”

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