Search - Panacea :: Ink Is My Drink

Panacea draws a beautiful masterpiece with "Ink is My Drink"

Dante Eglin | Houston, TX | 11/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the late 1990s, independent hip-hop record label Rawkus Records received extensive exposure and flourished within the rap scene, bringing to the limelight several then-underground artists such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common and Pharoahe Monch. Socially conscious hip-hop gained momentum, fueled by Rawkus-backed compilations such as The Lyricist Lounge, which also had a worldwide tour and inspired the MTV sketch show The Lyricist Lounge Show.



Founders Brian Brater and Jarret Myerin were forced to close shop in January 2004, after creative differences between the label and Geffen Records, which had sought a more mainstream target approach after acquiring Rawkus from MCA Records in 2002. After inking a new circulation deal this year with RED Distribution, an independent branch of Sony BMG Music and the leading "indie" distributor in the United States, Rawkus is on track to resurrect the underground hip-hop movement.



It is fitting, then, that the label is home to the debut album Ink is My Drink from Panacea, a duo consisting of producer K-Murdoch and emcee Raw Poetic. The group, originally from Washington, D.C., follows the successful formula created by The Roots, utilizing a live band to produce a smooth, fluid debut LP that massages ears with socially conscious, intuitive grooves.



Having produced for r&b talents along the likes of Raheem DeVaughn, W. Ellington Felton, and Bilal Salaam, K-Murdoch layers Ink is My Drink with funk horns, orchestral strings, and eclectic guitars that create a continuous soundtrack for Raw Poetic to step up to his lyrical podium, weaving short-stories about life, love and hip-hop culture.



Indeed, Ink is My Drink more fittingly is described as a soundtrack, rather than simply as an album, as K-Murdoch's soundscapes recreate the underground D.C. vibe, while Raw Poetic's allegories drive home his points without the side effect of overly hammering the listener.



While Panacea has been described as following in the steps of A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul, the distinct chemistry between K-Murdoch's production and Raw Poetic's urban libretto more resembles a duo such as GangStarr or the perhaps the successful combo of producer Pete Rock and emcee CL Smooth.



Such chemistry allows for Ink is My Drink to strap listeners in for a rhythmic journey similar to 2004's Connected, the soulful collaboration between producer Nicolay and rapper Phonte, a duo collectively known as "The Foreign Exchange".



A mini-excursion in itself, the opening track, "Trip of the Century" shifts through a various loop of sounds all within three minutes. Launching with a 1970s inspired soul groove, the track quickly bursts into a rapid percussion loop highlighted by loud horns before settling back into a funk-inspired outro.



Relationship struggles are tackled on "Coulda Woulda Shoulda", while doubters and naysayers are handled on "Reel Me In". Raw Poetic preaches morality lessons on "Steel Kites" when he lectures, "Before you pick up guns.../ Pick another product to sell / Pick up your people like fam when they not doing well / Like mothers at funerals when they going through hell."



On the infectious, saxophone-laced "Pulse", he introspects about the thumping heart of the streets. "But love makes a march like a month when it starts / And you march to the rhythm of the heart / To the pulse, to the beat to the street / To the movie as a child / And find that you even got a style that is wild / Flourishing through nourishment / following your purpose is the pulse so these ideas I never circumvent."



In the mold shaped by the introductory track, "Starlite", the final track, returns to the dreamy, mystical mood of the intro track, with a spacey, above-the-clouds melody echoed by a subway train clicking down a railway. K-Murdoch launches an upbeat drum break that Raw Poetic leaps on, ripping the track with a rapid-fire performance that brings the album to a conclusion that serves to leave even the most devoted backpacker fan jaded with bliss.



While the elegant, magnetic beats provide consistency, at times K-Murdoch's transitions often have a stiff segue between tracks. Though he impressively handles his content and thematic range, Raw Poetic often fails to switch up his cadence and verbal patterns, leading at times to a stagnant delivery of keen lyrics.



At slightly over 47 minutes, the album's brevity is a slight detractor, yet also a welcome change of pace from the formulaic filler approach of two or three skits, radio/club single, for-the-ladies cut, and requisite "for all the dead homies" track. Nevertheless, Ink is My Drink stands as a significant player in Rawkus' resurrection of the indie rap pastures.



It is only fitting then that the group's name defined is a supposed cure to disease or solution to dilemmas. Ink is My Drink stands as an exemplary prototype to return socially conscious and culturally refreshed music to the forefront of the hip-hop scene."

Check it out...

justin d. baron | joplin, mo | 05/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Think about all the times you read a review of some new hip-hop album where the writer gave it five stars and said, "This is the REAL hip-hop!" and "All TRUE heads will dig on this," usually sandwiched between some image-induced self-commentary on why they don't like crunk and why this particular stylistic preference is somehow in keeping with the one true spirit of hip-hop.



Then, pulled under by these pseudo-religious pronouncements, you buy the album. After all, you're a true head, too. The album turns out to be just another average, decent-but-not-great early-'90s throwback.



Not so here. Panacea dropped a really good album. The production style is not entirely unfamiliar ---influenced by classic breaks, frosted with strings, guitars. There is a slightly melancholic pull to some of the loops, but without being overly emotional or sappy. As mentioned elsewhere, there are occasional sped-up soul samples. Think somewhere in between Primo and Dilla: more adventurous than the first, but not as loose as the latter.



Lyrically, it's on point. You got your standard round of subects--- girls, war, etc., but it's really not that derivative...just good. He works best when he's going fast, but not at the sacrifice of thoughtfulness (he's not bad when it slows down, either, don't misunderstand). There's good singing on some of the choruses, appropriately moving when it needs to be.



Again, this is one of the albums that is as good as all the high ratings it receives. It's unlikely you'll be disappointed should you decide to give it a chance (and a serious listen).



"

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE....AMAZING...CAN SOMEONE SAY GRAMMIES?

A. Moore | 10/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS CD IS A MASTERPIECE!!! I was forgetting for a moment there what pure, genuine, authentic songs were nowadays. The music world was becoming the movie world: trite and indifferent. But Panacea's INK IS MY DRINK adds a new light to a darkened situation. Never has a CD captivated and invigorated my interest so much that I listened to it at least three times in three hours in such a long time; the last time I heard such good music was when Marvin Gaye's album "What's Goin' On" was a hit. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY GREAT MUSIC!!! With sure to be hits like PULSE, INVISIBLE SEAS, STEEL KITES, AND BASICALLY ALL OTHER SONGS ON THE CD, EVERYONE should have a cd this wonderful. The catchy excellent beats are complimented by extraordinary and super original rhymes by Raw Poetic and K-Murdock. This is the beginning of a new era in music and has reminded me why music exists in the first place - it is an art, a way of expression, and a way of life. If Panacea were my lifeline, I would live forever because this CD is absolutely amazing. GET IT ALREADY!!!! I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE GRAMMYS!!!! GO PANACEAAAAAAA...I am forever touched by such outstanding music. GOOD GRIEF THIS IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!"