Ishmael Butler was well known to hip-hop fans before his latest hip-hop collective "Shabazz Palaces" began to make waves beyond their Seattle headquarters. Butler was formerly part of Digable Planets and Cherrywine, and along with making music, he’s also got a new gig: A&R rep for Seattle-based label Sub Pop.
What’s he looking for in the groups he’s scouting? "Courageous artists, independent-thinking artists," Butler told Billboard. "Artists that aren’t relying on trends or superficial things to get noticed, artists that are more musically inclined rather than image inclined, artists that are hard workers and … cool."