{"product_id":"shabaka-hutchings_of-the-earth_2026_dif","title":"Of The Earth","description":"\"Of the Earth\" was entirely written, produced, performed, and mixed by Shabaka. This deeply personal album establishes him as a new instrumentalist\/producer and reveals the full extent of his musical talent, connecting his dance creations with Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming to the textured and complex sound world of his recent solo projects (\"Perceive its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace\", \"Afrikan Culture\"). Rhythms and loops created on portable devices during his travels serve as the foundation for the blossoming of choral flute melodies. Electronic rhythm sequences sketch a history of diasporic progression, while lyrics contextualize the album's lyrical framework. Shabaka raps on the album: \"I had never rapped before, but I was inspired by André 3000's courage in exploring new dimensions with boldness and sincerity; I decided to find my voice on this album.\" After a voluntary break from the saxophone, Shabaka ended it in mid-2025 with a performance at the tribute concert for South African percussion master, Louis Moholo. This album marks his grand return to recording after a year and a half without playing the saxophone, and a reflection on what his experience with the flute revealed to him about the future of his relationship with that instrument. Shabaka explains the initial inspiration for the album: \"D'Angelo's 'Brown Sugar' was the first CD I ever bought and it sparked a lasting curiosity about the emotional possibilities offered by a self-produced and performed album. This record is my celebration of creative freedom. Before the pandemic, I only knew how to play clarinet and saxophone and knew nothing about music production (or the transverse flute), which made this project a real learning experience and a reflection on the music that resulted.\"","brand":"Shabaka Hutchings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56564637139288,"sku":null,"price":23930954.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0898\/4943\/0360\/files\/5056818806889_dc87ae88-a445-434d-9914-130db9c863d9.jpg?v=1769712598","url":"https:\/\/vinyles.com\/en-us\/products\/shabaka-hutchings_of-the-earth_2026_dif","provider":"Vinyles.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}