He’s been in the music industry for 20 years, but Shabazz Palaces leader Ishmael Butler has never warmed to the promotional aspects of the job. His group isn’t signed up with MySpace, Twitter, or Facebook, and biographical details about the members are sparse. Answering the Georgia Straight’s phone call while relaxing at home in Seattle, the rapper, also known as Palaceer Lazaro, says that he’d rather let fans focus on the songs.

“The music obviously takes precedent over us as people and individuals,” he explains. “It’s not any attempt to be mysterious or hide, or some kind of gimmick. It’s just a choice that we made.”

His unwillingness to talk about the creative process has meant that the veteran MC, who first made a name for himself as a member of the Grammy-winning rap outfit Digable Planets, has frequently become frustrated during interviews. “The shit gets so clichéd and repetitive,” he complains, the irritation rising in his voice. “People asking you the same question they’ve seen you answer somewhere else. Sometimes it just seems like a lazy thing that’s going on with a lot of people writing [about] music.”

Given Butler’s unconventional approach to promotion, it’s only fitting that his songs are similarly unique. On Shabazz Palaces’ recently released debut LP, Black Up, the MC and his collaborators concoct a psychedelic blend of dense rhymes, chopped-up samples, and shuddering, brittle beats. “An Echo From the Hosts That Profess Infinitum” is just as bizarre as its head-scratching title would suggest, with robotic moans that give way to herky-jerky rhythms and a dissonant, tropical-infused breakdown. On the ominously lurching “Free Press and Curl”, Butler challenges listeners: “Don’t compare my beat with his”—as if there were any danger of that.

In typically unpredictable fashion, Shabazz Palaces opted to release Black Up through Sub Pop, a company best known for rock and folk signings like Nirvana, Fleet Foxes, and Iron and Wine. Butler says that the partnership has been smooth.

“It’s just a good record company that’s had experience selling records for a long time,” he enthuses. “It’s been awesome. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

He adds that Sub Pop takes a hands-off approach with its artists, and this suits the restlessly creative Butler well. While Shabazz Palaces’ oddball avant-rap stylings have gained a devoted following in the blogosphere, it’s hard to imagine the group ever challenging Lil Wayne or Kanye West for chart supremacy, since its sound is hardly designed for commercial viability.

“It might be different, but everybody has a right to make their own choices,” he says of the outfit’s singular approach to music-making. “It’s just surprising that people make the same choices as everyone else when they don’t have to.”

He adds that Shabazz Palaces’ sound isn’t easily conveyed by hyphenated genre tags. So how does the MC describe his music to new listeners? Pausing briefly to consider, Butler replies bluntly, “I don’t.”

Shabazz Palaces plays Fortune Sound Club on Saturday (August 27).