Towards the end of the 1980s, hip-hop went through some major transgressions. As the sun began to set on the Afrocentric vibe popularized by groups like Public Enemy and Poor Righteous Teachers, and the “new jack swing” era of Teddy Riley and Father MC began to fade out, two distinct branches of rap music began to emerge.
One branch, often labeled “gangster rap,” exploded onto the mainstream radar and could not be ignored by MTV or the general public. On the west coast, NWA were the poster boys for this new sub-genre, making both Compton and jherri curls household names in middle America. On the east coast, innovators like Gangstarr and Eric B & Rakim inspired a gritty, descriptive form of storytelling, a style later mastered on albums such as Notorious BIG’s classic debut, Ready to Die.
The other branch, which took on the label of “conscious rap,” had its own imprint on the mainstream around this time. West coast artists like Del the Funky Homosapien and Souls of Mischief, and east coast legends A Tribe Called Quest brought to life a more laid back, poetic style that spoke less about street life and more about matters of the mind and soul.
For some time, both of these branches found life on radio and TV. However as the nineties progressed, the drama, charisma and ironic pop marketabilty of gangster rap, pushed conscious artists to the back, or in some cases completely off the map.
To this point, only a few rappers and producers have found a way to bridge the gap between these two branches that evolved over a decade ago. But as time passes, the parallell lines of Hip Hop seem to be intersecting more and more frequently, and artists are now picking fruit from both branches of the tree.
Panacea, the DC duo comprised of emcee Raw Poetic and producer K-Murdock, is the shining example of this versatility. After talking with them, one single word pops into mind… refreshing.
Refreshing, because it’s rare to speak with an emcee who isn’t vibing on other emcees of the time, but instead finding influence from bands like the Strokes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Regina Spektor, Jimi Hendrix and Radiohead. Refreshing, because it’s rare to speak with a producer who listens to classical composers and credits video games like Final Fantasy as a main source of inspiration.
Panacea’s upcoming debut LP, Ink is My Drink (to be released June 27th), should be on your radar, and more importantly should be one of the most anticipated Hip Hop albums to drop this year.
The reason: these heads are different. They bring something fresh to the table that has been sorely lacking from rap music over the past several years: the ability to talk to the common person on a level that is genuine and easy to relate to. Whether on the phone or on wax, you get the feeling that these are some guys you know. They present an easy going demeanor, combined with an intelligent sensibility few contemporaries posses.
Hip Hop can be a difficult game to understand. Often times the artists who spin the most imaginary fairy tales of expensive cars, beautiful women and mansions on the hill, scream phrases like “keep it real” the loudest. Unfortunately, this reality is one shared by very few of their urban listeners. Ironically, “bling” rhymes seem to be less about reality and more about an escape from reality. Hood tales are galvanized, and the youth are encouraged to “get rich”…or “die trying,” in pursuit of the American dream.
But for a group like Panacea, “keeping it real” seems to be a different kind of animal. Hood tales are formed by a combination of reality and creativity. In this context, reality is presented as issues of everyday life and matters of the mind. Simply put, these guys don’t front. There is no mask needed to convey hood credibility. The credibility they muster appears to come from the most organic and essential root of Hip Hop: love for the music, love for the people and actual alignment of the rhyme and the beat.
Panacea was originally formed back in 2000 with Raw Poetic and four other friends. Unfortunately, the group soon dissolved, and Raw Poetic took to another project with the group RPM (Restoring Poetry in Music). In 2003, producer K-Murdock, aka MOOD, was seeking an emcee to collaborate with and was introduced to Raw Poetic through a mutual friend. Raw’s steady lyrical flow matched up perfectly with K-Murdock’s dreamy soundscape beats, and the rest was history.
The duo resurrected the name Panacea and began to record. The first product of this union was the song Birdfeather, a laid back, infectous cut that speaks of inner city existence without going through the checklist of a typical hood anthem. On the track, Raw Poetic spits, “I could rap about the guns and stuff, yeah, I could rely on the consciousness, but thats a fable…” The crazy thing about Birdfeather is that it was recorded back in 2003, yet it sounds as fresh as any Hip Hop song I’ve heard recently. The collaboration inspired more songs and eventually led to the formation of an EP titled Thinking Back, Looking Forward. After signing with Los Angelas-based label Glow-In-The-Dark Records, the group began to focus energy on their full-length venture.
The difference between what you hear on the EP and what you will hear on Ink is My Drink is substantial. On the EP tracks, Raw Poetic often brought pre-written lyrics to beats that K-Murdock had already crafted. The fact that these two entities blended together seamlessly speaks volumes about the chemistry and talent these guys have when making music. However, this time around the production is stepped up and the arrangement of songs is being built from the ground up to surround Raw Poetic’s lyrics. In other words, there is much more craftsmanship this time and less cut and paste.
The group just wrapped up production on the video for their first single off the new album, Starlight. The track is creative yet danceable, and should provide a great introduction to the album. It is set to be released in late April, and followed-up with another gem called Pulse.
Another aspect that sets Panacea apart from many in their genre is the fact that, when playing live, the group performs as a band complete with guitarist, keyboard/trumpet player and drummer. In a DC hip-hop scene that finds club promoters holding biases against allowing rap shows at their venues, Panacea is aided by their versatility. Having a band has allowed them to jump on the bill with local indie-rockers and other experimental acts that traditionally don’t include a hip-hop group in their show lineup. The band has also played live with hip-hop veterens like Rahzel and Little Brother, and have plans to play some future shows with The People Under the Stairs and Time Machine.
While you’re on the net checking out Panacea, make sure to take a glance over their other project, RPM. I was absolutely blown away. There is defintely something special brewing with these guys down there in DC. An energy in the music you can feel. In a scene where some hip-hop acts are struggling to find an identity (being somewhere in between the east coast and down south), Raw Poetic and K-Murdock have theirs clearly stamped out. Experimentation and creativity.
Check for anything with these guys’ imprint on it, and next time you hear the phrase “keep it real,” you may want to re-evalute your interpretation of its definition. Hip Hop is coming full circle.
For more on Panacea, visit http://www.colorfulstorms.com/ or http://www.gitdrecords.com/.
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June 20th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Note to self. This piece, this vignette, this essay is excellent. Exude stronger esteem levels because this is something people will like, especially decent writers like Transmute and Thursday. Anticipate compliments frequently, I AM SOMEBODY. Yes, Mr. Harris you are. EARLY & OFTEN!!
June 28th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
First and foremost I must applaud Mr. Harris for paying homage to some of the 90’s most respectable and somewhat lost treasure, such as the Poor Righteous Teachers and the infamous Father MC. What I really what to know is, “Where is he now”? If someone finds the “Father” please do an article so that his lost children can be found but I digress. More importantly, I truly enjoyed the concise historical journey detailing HIP HOP’s transition from its teenage years into its often disappointing adulthood. Furthermore, it is always mentally satisfying to have a journalist/ historian comment on the pro’s and con’s of modern urban music. I feel the author did a great job executing balance as no one thing can have good with out evil and vice versa. Kudos Mr. Harris…..Kudos.
Respectfully § Chaday Nuwa §
P.S. Don’t forget to find the “Father”:???:
July 2nd, 2006 at 6:06 pm
Great article. I’ve been listening to Ink is My Drink non-stop.
I saw RPM open for Ozomatli — Raw Poetic performed a song with Ozo.
November 8th, 2006 at 10:41 pm
Panacea is dope…Glow In The Dark Records is killin it right now. Also peep Time Machine. Great write-up Mr. Harris:wink: