Knife Knights were born of the love of mystery.

A decade ago, Ishmael Butler—the architect of the groundbreaking but long-disbanded hip-hop group Digable Planets—was preparing at last to emerge from years of near-complete silence. He unveiled his new outlet, Shabazz Palaces, in the summer of 2009 through a pair of self-released EPs, surrounding his hyperlinked verses with webs of psychedelic textures and refracted rhythms. From the start, confidentiality seemed essential: Butler wanted Shabazz Palaces to stand on its own strength, not his outsized reputation, so he adopted a nom de plume for himself.

The Chicago born & raised rap artist / songwriter Lando Chill has been making waves & turning heads in the deep Southwest, calling Tucson, Arizona his current musical home base of operation. Even whilst growing up in a choir & theatre orientated background due to his mother, music wasn’t a prerogative until, by chance, he was cast in a University of Arizona Film School short in 2013 & tasked to lend his voice. From that point on, Lando has been on an enthralling journey through music, touring the country in 2015 & developing new records with his band, comprised of Chris “Deep Greasy” Pierce and Andy “Lasso” C.  The blend of art and emotion puts them creatively in a league with artists like Gil Scott Heron, J. Cole, and The Roots.

All ages.