Raw Poetic gives out his “Digits” on his new single.

Raw Poetic & Damu The Fudgemunk by Earl Davis

MC/Lyricist Raw Poetic (aka Jason Moore) shares a new single, “Digits,” from his forthcoming album, Space Beyond The Solar System, out December 9th on 22nd Century Sound. It follows lead single “A Mile In My Head,” which features legendary saxophonist Archie Shepp “soaring above a simple piano melody…with [Irreversible Entanglements‘ Luke] Stewart’s bass driving it forward alongside a boom-bap beat and several smooth productional flourishes from Damu” (The FADER). “Digits” is immediate, with Raw Poetic’s vocals spitting over an atmospheric beat and keys. “‘Digits’ is basically about moving through the digital ages, yet being unfazed by it,” says Raw Poetic. “I like being an average joe. I like doing things in an organic way. So while the sound rides and moves into this unique digital format, we still give you what’s true to us.”

 
Listen to “Digits” by Raw Poetic
 

Although Space Beyond The Solar System could be considered a concept album by its outcome, its inception started from a string of experiments between Moore and frequent collaborator/producer Damu the Fudgemunk. These initial sessions had no specific direction but became the catalyst for what would become a prolific wave of Raw Poetic projects; five of which have been released since 2020. At two hours, absorbing Space Beyond in its entirety may be overwhelming for most, especially in the present day, but Raw and Damu are very aware of this. With a total of over 40-plus years experience between the vocalist and producer, the two of them went down memory lane taking every influence and experience in their personal histories to extract ingredients for a groundbreaking statement. Space Beyond The Solar System is their most comprehensive environment to date.

The creation of Space Beyond sparked a conversation between Raw and Damu about their creative chemistry, with Raw likening their direction to a “space beyond the solar system.” His comment was a eureka moment for the two artists, giving their wandering efforts a sense of definition that was needed. “I think we’ve been exploring music beyond our limits for a few years,” says Raw Poetic. “It’s hard to tell where we’ll land, but we are constantly pushing our way out of the norm. Hence the title, ‘Space Beyond the Solar System.’ It’s just to say, this is new territory for us. Where the sky was once the limit, now it’s just the start.”

Raw Poetic will head overseas to headline the Jazz Cafe in London April 1, 2023. More European dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

 
Listen to “A Mile In My Head” (Feat. Archie Shepp) by Raw Poetic
 
Pre-order Space Beyond the Solar System

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Raw Poetic brings us “Sunny Water” ahead of his new album out March 18th.

Photo by Earl Davis

Raw Poetic announces Laminated Skies, his official debut solo album out March18thonDef Pressé, and presents its lead single “Sunny Water.” Produced by Raw Poetic (aka Jason Moore) alongside friend and frequent collaborator Damu The FudgemunkLaminatedSkies was recorded during the sweltering summer heat of 2019 at Windom Road Studio in Brentwood, Maryland and features guest musicians Pat “P” Fritz (PanaceaArchie Shepp) on guitar and Irreversible Entanglements’ Luke Stewart on bass. Damu’s production adds a tapestry of instrumentation, including live and programmed drums, strings, vibraphone, kalimba, melodica, vinyl scratching, and synthesizers. With Moore pulling musically from myriad genres, the multidimensional work draws inspiration from several sources, including spirituals and Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible Man. Today’s single, “Sunny Water” is a serene introduction to Laminated Skies, swirling in hypnotic haziness. 

Watch Video for Raw Poetic’s “Sunny Water”

Moore was born in Philadelphia to a rich family legacy. Both of his parents were members of the original Black Panther Party and his uncle is legendary jazz musician Archie Shepp. Before eventually settling in Northern Virginia, Moore was raised in the Washington Metropolitan area, and both Philly and DC have played a major role in his artistry. By college, Moore had founded Restoring Poetry in Music aka RPM, and became the lead MC in Panacea(Rawkus). Formed by producer/beatsmith Kyle Murdock, the duo released five albums before disbanding on a high note in 2010. Throughout his career, quality has remained synonymous with Raw Poetic’s reputation: just see the resume stacked with national tours; further collaborations with K-DefBlu, and Kev Brown,; airplay on MTV,VH1 and BET, spins on Sirius/XMGillesPeterson Worldwide FM/BBC 6 Music; syncs on the Showtime series Shameless, Weeds, and more.

Following 2020’s Ocean Bridges, Moore’s highly praised collaborative effort with his uncle Archie Shepp and Damu The Fudgemunk, Laminated Skies is his sixth solo album and his first official release for a label. It’s also his most personal album to date. “I still can’t fully describe what kind of album this is so I’ve now reserved myself to telling people it’s a ‘Jason’ album,” says Moore. “I wanted to tell people what the hell is going on through my head sometimes; how I feel as a guy from Northern Virginia. Sometimes it’s invisible, other times invincible. Sometimes loved, sometimes hurt. Once we got started mixing and matching ideas, well… it became something that I am very proud of.

Damu elaborates: “I’m extremely proud of what we did on this album. When Raw asked me to get involved I was amped. I’ve watched Raw become a producer over the last ten plus years, teaching himself how to record and lay tracks. His production style is so unique, free and different from mine that I soak up a ton of inspiration from collaborating this way. With both of us usually exclusively perceived as hip hop artists (which we don’t mind), ‘Laminated Skies’ feels like a victory for us to show our appreciation while creating honest art, but escape the box without actually making a formal announcement. It’s easily one of the best things I’ve been a part of.

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll feel sunny if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.] 

Jazz legend Archie Shepp, rapper Raw Poetic, and DJ Damu the Fudgemonk combine for “Tulips.”

Photo by Jason Moore

Archie SheppRaw Poetic, and Damu The Fudgemunk have released a new single, “Tulips,” from their forthcoming collaborative album, Ocean Bridgesout May 22nd on Redefinition Records. Following its urgent lead single, “Learning to Breathe,” “Tulips” opens with a quiet array of keys, growing with bursts of saxophone and Raw Poetic’s emotive lyrics. “During the studio session, the spontaneous music that would later become ‘Tulips’ was the second idea we laid down,” says Damu The Fudgemunk. “It would set the vibe for much of the recording that followed. Raw Poetic’s lyrics really illustrate the deeper meaning behind the ‘Ocean Bridges’ album title on this tune.” Raw Poetic adds: “I let the spring vibe name the song, and the flower that bloomed was a tulip. Sometimes you gotta let the music spell it out.”
 

Listen To “Tulips” by Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic, and Damu The Fudgemunk – 
https://youtu.be/Hf2MdTRX_7U

Initially conceived after Jason Moore (aka independent, underground rapper Raw Poetic) attended an event with his mother at the Kennedy Center honoring his uncle – legendary saxophonist, Archie Shepp – Ocean Bridges intends to signify a bridging-of-the-gap in their family’s story and a re-establishing of the connection between young and old in their general community.

Entirely improvised, Ocean Bridges was intentionally created without any direction, resulting in a finished product with natural energy, a conversation of ideas that transcend genre. The album blends live improvised music, jazz, hip-hop, and many other musical directions into a one-of-a-kind sound. It was recorded with a live ensemble – Archie Shepp (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, wurltizer), Raw Poetic (vocals, raps, lyrics), Earl “Damu the Fudgemunk” Davis (drums, vibraphone, vocals, turntable scratching), Pat Fritz (guitar), Aaron Gause (wurlitzer, synthesizer), Luke Stewart (acoustic bass, electric bass), Jamal Moore (tenor sax, clarinet, bongos, percussion), and Bashi Rose (drums, percussion) – in August 2019 between Washington, DC and Northern Virginia, Ocean Bridges fuses different musical concepts to adapt in a hip-hop format – all of the instrumentation is accompanied by vocals. 
 

Listen To “Learning to Breathe” (Extended Mix) – 
https://youtu.be/LUirEpnXves

Watch Video For “Learning to Breathe” (Album Mix) – 
https://youtu.be/iVIqsYJ9okw

Pre-order Ocean Bridges  
https://soulspazm.ffm.to/oceanbridges

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you split.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]