Black Up is the debut studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by Seattle-based Hip Hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 duo Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces

Shabazz Palaces are a Seattle-based hip-hop collective, led by Ishmael Butler aka 'Palaceer Lazaro' and multi-instrumentalist Tendai Maraire, son of Mbira master Dumisani Maraire...

. It was released on 28 June 2011 in the United States on Sub pop

Sub Pop

Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...

. The album was produced by "Knife Knights.plcrs at Gunbeat Serenade Studio in Outplace Palacelands."

Reception

Black Up received considerable critical acclaim; many commented on the experimental song structures and intricate lyricism. Review aggregator Metacritic gave the album a normalised rating of 82%, indicating "Universal Acclaim". Metacritic included Black Up in its "Midyear Report: The Best Music of 2011 So Far."

Track listing