"I don't have a God complex, you got a simple god"

[boki]

Tumbleweeds at the ready, lads and asses, boki's starting a thread...

Anyway, it's been a while since we (or rather about 3 of us) shared our favourite Sage Francis quotes with the world and now that he's got another album out for us to pick from ('A Healthy Distrust' on Epitaph), I think it's time for a thread.

So, who's feelin' it?  The new album's a corker, and hopefully the combination of it being on a well-known label with the appearances of Will Oldham and Dangermouse will bring him some wider recognition.  Good to hear him working with Sixtoo again ('Crack Pipes' was definitely one of the standouts on 'Personal Journals') - must check out some of his other work 'cos I only know of the stuff he's done for Sage.

[chand]

'Life's not a bitch, she's just sick of being personified'

Not sure how well the new album is doing, Epitaph is a fairly well-known label but mostly to fans of Warped-touring punk bands, I actually bought 'A Healthy Distrust' out of the 'contemporary metal/hardcore' section.

It is a very good album though, definitely one of my favourites of the year so far.

[boki]

'Not sure how well the new album is doing, Epitaph is a fairly well-known label but mostly to fans of Warped-touring punk bands, I actually bought 'A Healthy Distrust' out of the 'contemporary metal/hardcore' section.

Yeah, this is why I think it'll reach a bit further.  When Epitaph put 'Slow Down Ghandi' up for download there were a lot of positive comments from fans of the label's usual output who said they wouldn't normally listen to hip-hop.

[rjd2]

He has a loyal enough underground fanbase but I doubt that it will attract many new people.
Anyway back to the matter on hand.
"don't live for the moment -- live for the constant
die for what's right or get killed by your conscience"
Also why do so many people dislike him? These are negative comments I have heard people say about him
"He's an arrogant twat who thinks he is superior to black rappers"
"He is way to serious, also like Aesop he chooses quite boring beats"
The album is super by the way.
oh have you heard Help by the way?

[chand]

Also why do so many people dislike him?

Well a lot of hip-hop devotees have beef with 'backpack' hip-hop; it's viewed as unnecessarily arty and lacking in jiggyness. 'Personal Journals' was derided for being soppy and introspective and not bumping enough. But the Non Prophets record was an album steeped in reverence for 'proper' hip-hop and full of old-fashioned braggadocio. 'Backpack' rappers are viewed as a bit worthy and preachy.

In terms of seriousness, I'd say Sole is probably more earnest than Sage, he gets a lot of stick too.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

Complete newby to Sage Francis, here, but I must say the new album is decent. Very good, I'll be seeking out more from him. Which other records by him would you reccomend?

Now, what is 'backpack'  hip hop? And Non Prophets? Was that a group he was (is?) in?

As for favourite quote... I do like the title of this thread, but the one that stood out for me was (probably misquoted) "God's not a woman, but he is a bitch", also "She left me for dead, but Death didn't want no sloppy seconds".

Nice.

Edit : Oink.me says Non Prophets = Sage & Joe Beats.

[chand]

Yeah, Non-Prophets is a more straight-up hip-hop act, it's a different side of Sage really, less personal, more concentrating on battle rhymes and ego. Lots of fun though.

'Backpack' is an annoying term to refer to non-gangsta hip-hop which is considered a bit earnest; stuff like Mos Def and Blackalicious and Kweli, 'conscious rappers'. People refer to Sage's stuff as 'emo' hip-hop. Whatever that is.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

Yeah, Non-Prophets is a more straight-up hip-hop act, it's a different side of Sage really, less personal, more concentrating on battle rhymes and ego. Lots of fun though.

'Backpack' is an annoying term to refer to non-gangsta hip-hop which is considered a bit earnest; stuff like Mos Def and Blackalicious and Kweli, 'conscious rappers'. People refer to Sage's stuff as 'emo' hip-hop. Whatever that is.

Ah, yeah. Put me down as a fan of 'backpack' hip hop then. Would you include Common / Dead Prez / Immortal Technique in there? I've found their stuff be very good, if verging on preachy.

[chand]

Yeah, probably those as well. It's not a very well defined term.

I keep meaning to get some Immortal Technique, just listening to the tune you posted in the SDJ thread.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

He's very good. Get a hold of the Revolutionary records (Vol 1 & 2).

If you can get access to the Oink.me tracker, they're on there, if not, I'll post a yousendit later on, if you like.

[boki]

I'm gonna have to note down some of these names.  I'm not a big follower of hip-hop, 'cos I've never heard much that I can really connect to.  Any recommendations along the lines of Public Enemy?

[dan dirty ape]

''I blame my hate mail on typographical errors/Correct the misspellings and then send out thankyou notes for the love letters"

I love the guy primarily for his multifaceted nature. To deride him for being an 'emo' MC (which seems to mean nothing more than that he occasionally raps about his own emotional frailties, which doesn't really wash in the.erm..rap 'game') is to ignore the braggodocio, ten-puns-per-sentence stuff he does on the Non Prophets LP and the incisive Bush-baiting state of the political world analysis on stuff like 'Makeshift Patriot' and 'Hey Bobby'. He's completely in his element doing all those things, and whatsmore he's a very, very good freestyler. Plus he's rapped over a cutup of the Super Mario NES music which instantly scores points with me.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

So yeah, this was one of the best gigs of my life.

Sage played her last night, and 'my spine is still tingling'. He's so animated live, it's insane. He did that old rap cliche (as he said) whereby he freestyles about whatever the audience take out of their pockets. He ended up ripping up, eating and spitting back out, someone's fiver. We all lapped it up. He played all my faves too (Hopeless, Sealion, Makeshift Patriot etc.) but not 'Runaway'.

Seriously so good to see live, the entire band (I'm not sure who they are, Da Vinci on 'beats' and some weird looking dude on guitar, who impressed the hell out of me) blew me away.

Since I've replied in here, I've got a shit load of his stuff, some AOI, Non Prophets and solo material. It's all good. NP is better for commercially acceptable styled raps, as I'm sure you all know.

He's the man, man.

[Mr Colossal]

You can add me to the  'fans of the sage' list- i didn't notice this thread...

Shame his tour is of the 'Wales is not recognisable or worthy' variety, I would have looked forward to seeing him this week, but unfortunately i can't make it to Brizzle on friday.

I think Sage hate is just a result of jealousy- him along with dälek have been welcomed into the 'intellectual' music community with open arms, cited as the future of hip hop, leaving the rest feeling a little bitter.

Any recommendations along the lines of Public Enemy?

Oddateee whose currently touring with dälek may be worth a look in- he's got a commanding  voice and stage presence that grabs your attention and makes you wan't to listen. His new songs made a better impression on me than those on 'Steely Darkglasses' , reminded me a bit of Chuck D / Zack De La Rocha...

Dälek have recently produced his new album they told me its turned out great, and are currently trying  get somebody to release it.

[Paul's Boutique]

I think Sage hate is just a result of jealousy- him along with dälek have been welcomed into the 'intellectual' music community with open arms, cited as the future of hip hop, leaving the rest feeling a little bitter.

Ah yes, the 'intellectual music community'. What is it and how do I get an invite?

Seriously though, that sort of condescending attitude is partly what winds people up about Sage and his cohorts - the source of the alleged 'bitterness'. I don't know what the future of hip hop is, but I doubt it's a whiny white guy gazing into his navel and sprouting "quirky" pseudo-profundities at 100 mph.

My main gripe with the Anticon community is best summed up by this quote from Allmusic.com:

From Allmusic.com review of Sole's Selling Live Water:

Like most Anticon records, Sole's Selling Live Water plays a disingenuous trick on the listener by selling itself as high-concept when it's really hip-hop Dada. For all its dense, breathless wordplay and thick, stewy production, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there's a surfeit of content here, threads to untangle, layers to peel through. The disappointing reality is that all these five-dollar words and murky sonic tapestries are impressionistic at best, a fact that wouldn't be in the least bit troubling were Sole's more lucid moments not filled with blazing rhetoric in deference to some sort of hidden insight.

For the record, I have no less than 4 Sage LP's. No doubt I "don't get it", but I can't imagine I'm missing anything that revelatory.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

I see what you're saying there about the pretentiousness attitude that could come with this sort of artist (due to the way their regaurded by fans, usually.) Sage was the least pretentious person you could ever hope to see on-stage, for the record.

I'm a fan of nice wordplay and puns, but I like depth to music, and in Sage's (and dalék's to a lesser extent) I find that.


Anyway, here's a link to the vid for Escape Artist. After re-listening, I have to say Personal Journals is far beyond A Healthy Distrust, which at the moment, seems to have too many 'filler' songs. They're probably grow on me though.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

He has a loyal enough underground fanbase but I doubt that it will attract many new people.
Anyway back to the matter on hand.
"don't live for the moment -- live for the constant
die for what's right or get killed by your conscience"
Also why do so many people dislike him? These are negative comments I have heard people say about him
"He's an arrogant twat who thinks he is superior to black rappers"
"He is way to serious, also like Aesop he chooses quite boring beats"
The album is super by the way.
oh have you heard Help by the way?

Sage has become my pretty little artist of the year. To say I'm a fan would be similar to using any other word to define 'obsessive.'

[rjd2]

He has a DVD out at the moment as well.