Sage Francis Albums (3)
'Human the Death Dance'
Release Date 1/1/2007
Tracks 16
Label Epitaph
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It's unfortunate that the hype machine behind Sage Francis' second effort for the Epitaph label totally missed the breakthrough factor and decided to sell it as "his most personal record to date." Pound for pound, Human the Death Dance may be his most personal effort, but it's also an incredibly well-built full-length -- even when it borrows from a handful of genres -- and it's arguably his best lyrical effort, undoubtedly his best production-wise. While it's good news that the Sage Francis faithful are getting to peer into the man's head with this "personal" effort, Death Dance begins with a helpful crib sheet ("Underground for Dummies") that suggests newcomers are welcome here, too, and maybe even desired. When he delivers "You wanna promo copy buddy/You can download the tracks," it's not entirely clear whether he would have designed the world this way. He's cool with it, though, and declares "This is hip-hop for the people/Stop calling it emo," as if he's done with being pigeonholed, sick of being sold only to those "in the know." And really, why shouldn't he be? Any audience can appreciate the greatness of the organic blues beat producer Buck 65 lays on "Got Up This Morning." Sage's lyrics on the cut are equally smart and creative, with literary references thrown about in a flirty conversation between the protagonist and a sultry siren who just might be the Devil ("She asked 'What would Bukowski do?'/Don't go there!/He would make you his Mom"). Brilliant underground hip-hop producers Odd Nosdam ("Underground for Dummies") and Alias ("Keep Moving") both turn in great constructions, and composer/trumpeter/odd choice Mark Isham offers two elegant and sinister tracks ("Good Fashion" and "Waterline") that prove why he's the one who the film industry calls when they want slick 21st century noir. The truly personal numbers that close the album come after earning the listener's trust and patience, and the Isham/Francis connection comes from work for Hollywood, more signs that the man is ready to connect. In the end, the claim "his most personal record to date" becomes as important as "the one with the most black on the cover" or "the one with the most producers." What matters is that Death Dance works hard to immerse any listener in another world where angst, darkness, dark humor, ambition, the itch to create, and the hunger for all things creative demand attention. That this is the world in Sage's head is secondary. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Independent rap phenom Sage Francis could have spent his entire career in the underground, winning dozens of poetry slams and collecting battle MC awards at least once per year. But his voice needs to be heard by more hip-hop fans, not simply because he's a gifted rapper but also because he's provocative and intelligent. It's no surprise that the increasingly diversified Epitaph label signed him, but it's also no surprise that Francis hasn't mellowed with his new contract. In fact, since his first solo record for Anticon, he's grown fiercer and gained more ammo (courtesy of the political situation circa 2004-2005). The beats (never a highlight previously) are not only cleaner than his eight-track days, but also bigger and better, contributed by some of the best producers in the sub-underground: Sixtoo, Danger Mouse, Alias, and Reanimator among others. Overall, the Sage may be polemical on a level like few other than Dead Prez, but he also has a metaphysical side matched by few other than Jeru tha Damaja. (Has any other rapper ever imagined a battle DJ match between the Sun and the Moon?) The combination is effective, since commentary often ages better when it's delivered on multiple levels. Unlike political firebrands KRS-One and Rage Against the Machine, Francis speaks in metaphor so much, and indulges in abstract disassociation so frequently, that although listeners won't learn any lessons immediately, they also won't be bludgeoned over the head with his ideas. On "Gunz Yo" he doesn't simply decry gun violence, he investigates the symbolism of weapons, from the gun to the phallus to the tongue. He also finds much compelling material from his social life; "Agony in Her Body" nakedly explores the dichotomy of sex and violence, then the next track, "Crumble," reaches a higher point of romantic catharsis with a bone-rattling breakdown at the end contributed by Sixtoo. Only one thing about A Healthy Distrust is frustrating: Francis is an artist who places every concern under a microscope, and although his perspective is interesting, its power would benefit immensely from a larger frame of reference. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sage Francis is something of an enigma wrapped inside a mystery wrapped inside a slam poet wrapped inside a rap MC. In other words, it's difficult to say in which way, exactly, Personal Journals should be classified, but considering how qualitative are its returns, it hardly matters. Already a battle champion (he won both the 1999 Superbowl Battle and 2000 Scribble Jam competitions) and a nationally ranked slam-poetry contestant, the self-defined "self-referentialist" Francis finally dropped this debut full-length with the support of his spiritual compadres and fellow rap revolutionaries in Anticon, and like the music from that collective, Personal Journals vigorously pushes back battlements and erases musical dividing lines. At any moment, you may find yourself unexpectedly confronted by gritty street hip-hop ("Climb Trees," "Pitchers of Silence"), gonzo reportage ("Personal Journalist"), what probably comes closest to spoken-word ("Inherited Scars," the live reading "Hopeless," "Runaways"), emotionally intense autobiography ("Different"), even cockeyed rock music ("My Name Is Strange," with six-piece backing band AOI), and then a more free-form and indefinable performance art (the superb "Broken Wings," halfway between rap and a touching sort of metaphysics, or the gothic, multiple-personality "Eviction Notice"), for lack of a better term. The soundscapes that his team of producers came up with are every bit as unorthodox and superlative. That the album could appeal to rap heads and arty, alternative types alike is a testament to the high caliber of Francis' personal journalism. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide
