As an avid music fan and record collector I am flooded with music every single day of my life. While this is heaven on earth for my sonic obsessed soul it does have its minor repercussions. After listening to a profusion of hip hop albums, my ears whirling and sucking in sounds at a mile a minute, I begin to notice how similar a lot of these artists sound. This new group out of Seattle sounds exactly like this other new group from Florida-- and they both sound like Little Brother-- and so on. It's almost as if after awhile everything coming out nowadays is just melting together sonically and the independent hip hop scene, like its mainstream counterpart, is beginning to get a little redundant.
Despite this trend (that happens every generation and in every genre) there are artists out there pushing the envelope and making music that captures listeners spirits and touches their core. There are MCs, groups, and bands still constructing masterpieces on a budget that would blow the world away if they had the chance. They are just a bit harder to find through the muck. So, allow me to wipe away the mud and introduce to you-- Restoring Poetry in Music (R.P.M.).
Straight out of our nations capitol, Washington D.C., Restoring Poetry in Music, also known as R.P.M., is a five piece hip hop band consisting of one MC (Raw Poetic), a lead guitarist (Patrick Fritz), a man on the keyboard and trumpet (Aaron Gause), bass (Adam Hopkins), and drums (Mark Fundog or Jon Laine). Fused together, these artists form one of the most refreshing hip hop ensembles making noise today. Equipped with a cool, laid back demeanor that seep from the instruments of the background band, front man Raw Poetic lashes out labyrinths of language that send listeners on a smooth journey through the 4th dimension of rhyme.
If you are reading this and are allowing "The Roots" of skepticism wrap around your mind-- stop now. This is not another group spreading black thought on their quest for love. R.P.M., with their funky Jazz-Rock wrapped circus of sound is all original, all organic, and all too invigorating. Whether is be 'Poetry Bum' from their 2004 record, Dream Awake, the band's opus that first grabbed my ear and never let go, or the new single 'Less is More' from their new digital released album, Pyramids in Moscow-- Restoring Poetry in Music accomplishes exactly what their moniker exudes. A much needed renovation.
The more scholarly hip hop connoisseur might already know Raw Poetic from his other amazing project with producer K. Murdock, Panacea, who have already released two remarkable albums in 'Ink is my Drink' and last years underrated release 'The Scenic Route.' But, even if you don't know Raw Poetic just yet, Restoring Poetry in Music is a fantastic place to start. If you are a fan of music that can make you relax, sounds that can touch your heart and soul, original music that bleeds essence, or just a hip hop fan that just loves "that good shit," RPM...
