Panacea

The Scenic Route

[Rawkus/Glow-in-the-Dark; 2007]

Styles: hip-hop
Others: Little Brother, A Tribe Called Quest, Black Star

If Rawkus is attempting to recapture the spirit of its late-’90s heyday (before a gruesome implosion that expedited hip-hop’s Diddy-fication), it’s got a promising find in D.C.-based Panacea. Emcee Raw Poetic and producer K-Murdock aren’t exactly Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek, but Panacea imbue their sophomore album, The Scenic Route, with an infectious blend of street-corner philosophizing and Native Tongues-inspired charm. Raw Poetic flows like a poor man’s Gift of Gab or early-era Common, but without those emcees’ instinct for one-liners or manipulation of syllables. Instead, he’s frequently so low in the mix that what he says between hooks becomes irrelevant. The real showpiece here is the shape-shifting, kaleidoscopic production of K-Murdock. One minute he’s doing his best 9th-Wonder impersonation with a soaring soul sample (“Bubble”), the next minute he’s taking you on a tour of the universe at trip-hop speeds (“Between Earth and Sky”). Panacea just want you to enjoy the ride no matter where it goes.

1. Intro 2. The Scenic Route 3. Flashback to Stardom (ft. Raheem DeVaughn) 4. Pops Said 5. Epiphany 6. Between Earth and Sky 7. Bubble 8. Square 1 9. Blue Ice 10. Walk in the Park 11. Aim High 12. Katana 13. One Shine 14. Outro

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