Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
| Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Studio album by Digable Planets | ||||
| Released | September 27, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1992-1993 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop, jazz rap | |||
| Length | 56:35 | |||
| Label | Pendulum/Elektra Records 61414 |
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| Producer | Butterfly Shane "The Doctor" Faber Mike "Launching An Attack" Mangini |
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| Digable Planets chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone |  [2] |
| Robert Christgau | (A)[3] |
Reachin (A New Refutation of Time and Space) is the debut album by alternative hip hop group Digable Planets. It was released on September 27, 1993, by Pendulum/Elektra Records. The album was produced solely by Digable Planets' Butterfly and features raps by each of the group's members[4]. There are no guest performers on Reachin', but the production is heavily sample based. Butterfly samples artists including Kool & the Gang, James Brown and Herbie Hancock to provide the album with funky and jazzy beats. The lyrics tend to cover a wide scope of subject matter including the right to abortion ("La Femme Fetal"), the coolness of Digable Planets ("Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)") and the similarities between cannabis and funky music ("Nickel Bags")[5].
The single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" became a hit in 1993, breaking into the Top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[6]. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1994. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1993.
In 1998, this album was listed in the The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums[7].
In 2008, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) was ranked number 62 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop[8].
The song "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) was used for a Tide commercial in 2009.
The album is broken down track-by-track by Digable Planets in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.[9]
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer(s) | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It's Good to Be Here" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 2 | "Pacifics" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 3 | "Where I'm From" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 4 | "What Cool Breezes Do" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 5 | "Time & Space (A New Refutation Of)" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 6 | "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 7 | "Last of the Spiddyocks" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 8 | "Jimmi Diggin' Cats" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 9 | "La Femme Fetal" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 10 | "Escapism (Gettin' Free)" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 11 | "Appointment at the Fat Clinic" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 12 | "Nickel Bags" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 13 | "Swoon Units" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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| 14 | "Examination of What" | Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini | Digable Planets |
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[edit] Album singles
| Single information |
|---|
"Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"
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"Where I'm From"
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"Nickel Bags"
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[edit] Album chart positions
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | ||
| 1993 | Reachin' [A New Refutation of Time and Space] | 15 | 5 |
[edit] Singles chart positions
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Tracks | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1993 | Rebirth of Slick [Cool Like Dat] | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Where I'm From | - | 60 | 7 | 41 | |
| Nickel Bags | - | 93 | 12 | - | |
- Rebirth of Slick [Cool Like Dat]
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[10] | 81 |
[edit] References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Rolling Stone review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ AllMusic: "Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)"
- ^ Robert Christgau review: "Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)"
- ^ Billboard.com: Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) - Digable Planets
- ^ Rocklist.net: The Source 100 Best Rap Albums & Singles
- ^ Stereogum: VH1’s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs
- ^ Coleman, Brian. Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1993". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1993. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
