When hip-hop trio Digable Planets emerged in the early ’90s, their memorable moniker raised eyebrows. What, exactly, did it mean? The name sprang, they explained, from the notion that “every individual is a planet.” But the unique worlds that their tracks mapped out were not insular ones, and the Planets were primed to connect with audiences weary of the aggressive posturing of gangsta rap. Filled with literate lyrics, honey-smooth flow, and inventive arrangements, their early albums redefined hip-hop and set standards for the generation of soul poets and innovative producers that followed. Musically, they incorporate elements of funk, samba, and psychedelia into their street-savvy hip-hop; jazz, in particular, played a pivotal role. Although Digable Planets dissolved in 1996, they came back together in 2005 to begin work on their first album in over a decade and play a number of well-received live dates (including Lollapalooza 2005), and began work on their first album in over a decade.