In the ’94 Grammys, Digable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)“ beat out Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s massive hit “Nuthin but a G Thang“ for best rap performance by a duo or group. Stylistically and sonically, Digable Planets were radically different from The Chronic’s West-Coast gangsta rap.
Digable Planets —comprised of Butterfly, Ladybug and Doodle Bug — were dreaded-up, bohemian blippies (black + hippies), rapping over jazz and funk beats. And, they were effortlessly cool. This sense of “cool“ may be a little outdated, I concede. But confidence, which Digable Planets clearly had in their laid-back attitude, mellow delivery, positive lyrics and swag, never gets old.
An article in Rolling Stone by Keith Powell raved that DP’s music “is everything hip-hop should be: artistically sound, unabashedly conscious and downright cool. And Digable Planets is the kind of rap act every fan should cram to understand.“ So get up and turn up “Cool Like Dat.”