Raw Poetic is a rapper, musician, producer, and beatmaker based in Washington, D.C. His insightful lyrics, melodic flows, and live instrumentation form an organic blend of jazz, rock, soul, and hip-hop. First making an impact during the 2000s as part of the rap group Panacea, he launched his solo career early in the following decade, releasing a string of self-produced, self-recorded albums as well as collaborations with Damu the Fudgemunk, Kev Brown, and K-Def. Raw Poetic and his uncle, jazz great Archie Shepp, released the acclaimed Ocean Bridges along with Damu in 2020. Some of the album's cast also contributed to 2022's Laminated Skies, which was mainly written and performed by Raw Poetic and executive produced by Damu. The expansive yet focused two-hour opus Space Beyond the Solar System was released later in the same year.