Panacea

The Washington, D.C. duo Panacea merges classic rhyming techniques with soul-infused productions, earning nods to iconic acts such as the Roots, Gang Starr, and A Tribe Called Quest. Born and raised in D.C., producer K-Murdock had previously collaborated with R&B vocalists Bilal and Raheem DeVaughn prior to connecting with Philadelphia MC Raw Poetic. The seamless match between Poetic’s relaxed delivery and Murdock’s soulful instrumentals prompted them to form a partnership. After Poetic relocated to D.C., Panacea emerged and introduced their first release, the EP Thinking Back, Looking Forward, in 2003 through the Los Angeles-based Glow-in-the-Dark label. Late in 2005 Glow-in-the-Dark disclosed a co-release pact for the duo’s debut full-length with the forward-thinking Rawkus imprint. Ink Is My Drink appeared the following year, led by the single “Starlite.”