Sage Francis

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Sage Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island notable for his style blends of varying tone and delivery with subject matter that focuses on intricate sequences of widely varying imagery, metaphors, the occasional pun, absurdism, word play often in the form of phonetic mix-ups and rhetorical excursions, and pop culture references, while including touchstones of traditional hip hop such as storytelling and self-promotion.  He has compiled a mixtape series dubbed "Sick Of", containing seven installments (five officially).
QUICK BIO TABLE
BIRTH NAME: Paul Francis
BORN: Miami, FL
ORIGIN:  Providence, Rhode Island
OCCUPATION: Emcee
YEARS ACTIVE: 1996-present
LABELS: Strange Famous Records.
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BIO  Born Paul Francis in 1977 in Miami, FL, Sage Francis spent most of his youth in Providence, RI. Interested in the poetic side of rap, Francis has been rhyming since age eight, later winning the Superbowl Battle in Boston in 1999 and the Scribble Jam in Cincinnati in 2000 and 2001 (the last under the name of his "metal" alter ego, Xaul Zan). After graduating from Dean College in Massachusetts with an A.A. in communications and from the University of Rhode Island-Kingston with a B.A. in journalism (where he started the now-defunct group Art Official Intelligence), Francis worked on releasing his solo records. Always an outspoken and political rapper and a strict vegetarian, he started the Sick Of Waiting... mixtape (then form into "Sick of" mixtape series) in 1996.  In 2000, on his independent Strange Famous Records released Still Sick...Urine Trouble, and continued with Sick of Waiting Tables (2001), Sick of Waging War (from 2001, and containing the single "Makeshift Patriot," recorded exactly one month after the September 11 attacks on New York), Sickly Business (2004), Still Sickly Business (2005), and Sick of Wasting (2009).  He also released one album on Anticon in 2002, Personal Journals, and was signed in 2004 as the first rap artist on Epitaph Records, which issued his highly anticipated A Healthy Distrust in 2005. Two years later he was working with composer/trumpeter Mark Isham on the soundtrack for Pride and Glory starring Edward Norton. Two tracks from these session ended up on Francis' own 2007 full-length, Human the Death Dance. Sage Francis is one half of the Non-Prophets (Joe Beats is the producer and DJ), who first recorded the 12" Drop Bass/Bounce/I Keep Calling on their friend's Emerge Records in 1999. A full-length album on Lax Records, Hope, came out in 2004. Marisa Brown, All Music Guide.

DISCOGRAPHY

Sick of Waiting... (1996)
["Sick of" mixtape series]
Label: unknown
Purchase (not available)
Album cover: not available
(released as a compact cassette)
Sick of Waiting... is the first installment of Sage Francis’s “Sick of” mixtape series released in 1996.  The album is unavailable to purchase since only a few bootleg audio double sided compact cassette copies were made by the artist.   This is the first mixtape that started the “Sick of” series.

Track List
Side A
1. Drop Bass
2. Bounce
3. I Keep Calling
4. Untitled Canadian Recordings Feat. ADeeM, Buck 65 and Sixtoo
5. Intuition Featuring Metropolitan
6. I'm Afraid Featuring Sole

Side B
1. Final True School Session Introduction (90.3 WRIU)
2. Narcissist (90.3 WRIU)
3. Human Blowtorch Battle Blurb (90.3 WRIU)
4. The NYC Freestyle (DJ Unknown mixtape #23)
5. Sage Vs. The Underground Kid Battle Part 1 (90.3 WRIU)
6. Sage And Adeem Freestyles And Verses Part 1 (88.9 WERS, True School Thursdays)
7. I'm Not A Hater (DJ Unknown mixtape #21)
8. Dj Unknown Bong Hit Shout Out (How Classy)
9. Whore Mongers (a rejected verse for DJ Unknown's mixtape #24...how classy)
10. Sage Vs. The Underground Kid Part 2 (90.3 WRIU)
11. Majority Rule (90.3 WRIU)
12. Last True School Session Outro (90.3 WRIU)

Still Sick... Urine Trouble (2000)
["Sick of" mixtape series]
Label: Strange Music Records
Purchase: unavailable

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Still Sick… Urine Trouble is the second mixtape in Sage Francis' "Sick of" mixtape series released on Strange Music Records . It is currently out of print, and will most likely remain that way.  Sage chose to discontinue this mixtape along with Sickly Business (2004) and released Still Sickly Business (2005), a best of compilation of the two mixtapes with several new tracks included.

Track List
1. The Time of My Life
2. Majority Rule feat. Hook
3. Backpacker
4. Slug & Sage Freestyle Part I
5. Eye of the Tiger
6. Strange Famous Radio Rhyme
7. All Word No Play
8. Life Is What Distracts You from Death
9. Freestyle
10. Whore Monger Sing-Along
11. Sage & Sixtoo
12. Mullet
13. Come Come Now
14. Her Schlag
15. Apathy & Sage Freestyle Part I
16. KFC
17. Slug & Sage Freestyle Part II
18. Live Recording of EDAN with AOI at the Met Cafe
19. Strange Famous Spoken Word
20. The Short-Necked Giraffe
21. Andy Kaufman

Sick of Waiting Tables (2001)
["Sick of" mixtape series]
Label: Strange Famous Records
Purchase

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Sick of Waiting Tables is the third mixtape in Sage Francis' "Sick of" mixtape series released on Strange Famous Records in 2001.    

Track List
1. Iceland Radio Intro/ Vital Signs
2. Drop Bass (1999)- Ft. Vocab & Dj Perseus, produced by Joe Beats
3. Who's Crying (2001) - Live at Bill's Bar, Ft. Dj bad JOKE
4. Rewrite (1997) - AOI
5. Day Grows Old (2001) - Ft. Slug
6. Narcissist (1999) - live on WRIU
7. Emperor's New Clothing (2001) - produced by Panki of the Molemen
8. Orphanage Freestyle Pt.1 (2001) - live on the Break of Dawn Radioshow
9. Intuition (1999) - Ft. Jaysonic
10. When Freedom Rings snippet verse/ Whip It (2000)
11. Follow Me snippet verse (2001) - Produced by PNS scratches by DJ MF Shalem
12. Gun Gods (1998) - Ft. Louie Rankin
13. Sage and Clokworx on 88.9 WBRU/ Sage, Phes, and Vocab on 90.3 WRIU, 1999
14. The Best of the Underground Kid Battle (1999) - 90.3 WRIU
15. I Apologize (2000) - Ft. Sole
16. Trite (2000) - produced by Alias
17. Oliver Twisted (2001) - produced by Acree
18. Testimony (2000) - Ft. Sixtoo and Sole
19. I keep calling (1999) - produced by Joe Beats and Dj Perseus
20. Respect the broccoli cock (1999) - Reject Whoremonger verse
21. Swedish Fish (2001) - produced by DC and DJ Danja
22. Orphanage Freestyle pt.II (2001) - ft. Aesop Rock, Illogic, Slug, Sage, Blueprint, Eyedea and Abilities
23. Bounce - Live AOI recording @ the MEt Cafe
24. MC Shut Up - Live freestyle on Iceland Radio

The Known Unsoldier "Sick of Waging War" (2001)
["Sick of" mixtape series]
Label: Strange Famous Music
Purchase

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The Known Unsoldier "Sick Of Waging War..." (also known simply as Sick Of Waging War) is the fourth mixtape in Sage Francis' "Sick of" mixtape series on November 30, 2001. Features the famous track "Makeshift Patriot" recorded exactly one month after the September 11 attacks on New York. 
   
Track List
1.  Commercial Radio Advice Intro
2. Narcissist, 2002
3. Mourning Aftermath, 2002
4. Makeshift Patriot, 2001
5. Freestyle Confession, 1999
6. Can I Kick It?, 1997
7. Hang Time (Bang Bang Boogie), 2002
8. Mutiny, 1997
9. I'm Gonna Getcha, 2002
10. Mermaids Are SeaSluts, 2000
11. Embarrassed, 2002
12. Inner Conflict, 1999
13. How To Write A Political Poem, 2001
14. This Is Not A Dis Freestyle, 1998
15. AOI Jam. 2000
16. I'm Not A Hater, 1998
17. Question Their Motives Freestyle, 1999
18. Cafe Girl
19. Not What I Am
20. Dirty Mac
21. The Write, 1996
22. Love Letters From Hell Outro

Personal Journals (2002)
Label: anticon
Purchase

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Personal Journals is the debut album by Sage Francis, released on April 16, 2002 on anticon. It is Sage Francis' first album released on a label other than Strange Famous Records, following the self-released “Sick Of” series of mix albums.

Track List
1. Crack Pipes      
2. Different     
3. Personal Journalist     
4. Inherited Scars     
5. Climb Trees     
6. Broken Wings     
7. The Strange Famous Mullet Remover     
8. Smoke And Mirrors     
9. Message Sent     
10. Eviction Notice     
11. Pitchers of Silence     
12. Specialist     
13. Hopeless     
14. Kill Ya Momz     
15. Black Sweatshirt     
16. Cup of Tea     
17. My Name Is Strange     
18. Runaways

Hope (2003)
[Non-Prophets]
Label: Lex Records
Purchase

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Hope is the debut album by the hip hop duo Non-Prophets, released on Lex Records in October 2003 (see 2003 in music).

Non-Prophets is a pairing of lyricist Sage Francis and beatmaker Joe Beats. In early 2004, they toured the United States on Sage Francis' infamous "Fuck Clear Channel" tour.

The duo came to people's attention with their first effort, the "Drop Bass" b/w "Bounce" 12" single on Emerge Music in 1999. The follow up release came in 2000 as the "All Word, No Play" vinyl single.

Shortly after the Non-Prophets singles caught a buzz, Sage verbally committed to the then up-and-coming label anticon. for the release of his first solo album. Until Personal Journals' official unveiling in 2002, Francis self-released his "Sick Of" series which included Non-Prophets material.

Around the same time Beats created his first compilation of instrumentals, Reverse Discourse. Here Joey introduces his unpaused/uninterrupted style of producing. With Sage's help the album saw the light of day on his label, Strange Famous Records. Today, the two are established as soloists.

Hope was something of a deliberate attempt by Sage Francis to move away from the weighty and introspective style of his previous album Personal Journals and make a record which acknowledged and paid homage to the classic hip-hop the duo listened to while growing up, including but not limited to Nine, Fu-Schnickens, Y'all So Stupid and Black Sheep.

Track List
1. Intro
2. Any Port
3. Damage
4. That Ain't Right
5. Disasters
6. Fresh
7. Mainstream 307
8. Mill
9. Spaceman
10. Xaul Zan's Heart
11. New Word Order
12. Tolerance Level
13. Cure
14. Outro / Bounce (hidden track)

Sickly Business (2004)
["Sick of" mixtape series]
Label: Strange Famous Records
Purchase: unavailable

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Sickly Business is the fifth mixtape in Sage Francis' "Sick of" mixtape series released in 2004. It is currently out of print, and will most likely remain that way. Sage chose to discontinue this mixtape along with Still Sick... Urine Trouble (2000) and released Still Sickly Business (2005), a best of compilation of the two mixtapes with several new tracks included.

Track List
1. The Masters Are Back (Non-Prophets)
2. The Failure Disc 2 #6
3. Love, Love, Love
4. Stuck" (featuring Slug)
5. Garden Gnomes
6. Killing Time
7. Alternatives to College
8. Souvenir (A.O.I.)
9. Threewrite (Non-Prophets)
10. Tree of Knowledge
11. 1996 Verse
12. Doomage (featuring Slug and Brother Ali)
13. My Girl Was a Groupie
14. Lost Verse of the Mainstream (Non-Prophets)
15. My Head
16. Worlds of After Verse
17. Jesus in a Bowl of Germs
18. Kiddie Litter
19. Killing Muslims
20. Sandpaper Gloves (A.O.I.)
21. 1995 Medley
22. Underbite Ben

Still Sickly Business (2005)
["Sick of" mixtape series]
Label: Strange Famous Records
Purchase

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Still Sickly Business is a "best of" compilation of tracks from two of Sage Francis' previous mixtapes, Still Sick... Urine Trouble (2000) and Sickly Business (2004), and a few new tracks released in 2005.

Track List  
1. Hey Bobby (remixed by Sumone, cuts by DJ Stumpy)
2. Time of my Life redux (prod and cuts by MF Shalem B)
3. Locksmith (snippet verse from a Macromantics song, produced by Joker 70)
4. My Head (prod by Jel, feat Sole)
5. Andy Kaufman (prod by Joe Beats)
6. Love Love Love (feat Anonjondoe, prod by Joe Beats, cuts by DJ Mekalek)
7. Stuck (feat Slug, prod by Ant)
8. Garden Gnomes (prod by Danger Mouse)
9. Come Come Now (prod by Joe Beats)
10. Strange Famous spoken word (live on 90.3 WRIU)
11. Back Packer (AOI live at the Met Cafe)
12. Killing Time (live on 90.3 WRIU)
13. Eye of the Tiger (prod by MF Shalem B, feat. Joe Beats and Shalem on vocals)
14. Damage 96 - (live on 90.3 WRIU)
15. Doomage (prod by MF Doom, feat Slug, Brother Ali and Joe Beats on vocals)
16. 99 Rappers (live at Rock the Bells, CA)
17. Pen to the Gun Fight (live at Dedbeat, UK)
18. Majority Rule (prod by Joe Beats)
19. Threewrite (prod by Joe Beats)
20. Life is What Distracts You from Death (live on 90.3 WRIU)
21. KFC (N8 Ball)
22. WhoreMonger Freestyle (live on Kevin Beacham's radio show)
23. WhoreMonger (prod by Joe Beats)
24. Mullet (live at the Met Cafe, Providence)
   
   

A Healthy Distrust (2005)
Label: Epitaph Records
Purchase

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A Healthy Distrust is the second studio album by Sage Francis and the first of his three record deal with Epitaph Records released on February 8, 2005. Will Oldham is featured on the song "Sea Lion".

Track List
1. The Buzz Kill - produced by Reanimator
2. Sea Lion - produced by Alias
3. Gunz Yo - produced by Danger Mouse (Guitar and vocals by Will Oldham, co-written by Will Oldham)
4. Escape Artist - produced by Alias
5. Product Placement - produced  by Alias
6. Voice Mail Bomb Threat - produced by Joe Beats
7. Dance Monkey - produced by Daddy Kev
8. Sun Vs Moon - produced by Reanimator
9. Agony In Her Body - produced by Controller 7
10. Crumble - produced by Sixtoo (Additional guitar and drums by Alias)
11. Ground Control - produced by Sixtoo
12. Lie Detector Test - produced by Reanimator
13. Bridle - produced by Varick Pyr
14. Slow Down Gandhi - produced by Reanimator
15. Jah Didn't Kill Johnny - Guitar by Tom Inhaler, harmonica by Nathan H.

Human the Death Dance (2007)
Label: Epitaph Records
Purchase

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Human the Death Dance is the third studio album by Sage Francis, released on Epitaph Records on May 8, 2007. The title of the album is also the title of a poem by spoken word artist Buddy Wakefield, who is signed to Francis' record label, Strange Famous Records. Excerpts of this poem, performed by Wakefield, appear at the end of the tracks "Hell of a Year," "Keep Moving," and "Black Out on White Night."

In the months leading up to the release of the album, Sage Francis released a number of promotional videos online. These included a video of Bernard Dolan in an Evel Knievel costume whilst attacking his fridge, a sound clip of "Underground for Dummies" over a video of Jack White recording the White Stripes album, Icky Thump, and a sound clip of "Clickety Clack" over a video including a clip of Star Wars kid.

An instrumental version of the album was sent out with pre-orders placed before 5:00 PM on April 23, 2007, from the online store of Strange Famous Records.

The Mark Isham produced "Water Line" appears at the the end of 2008's Pride and Glory starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell.

Track List
1. Growing Pains Intro (Snippets of childhood raps arranged by Sage Francis)
2. Underground for Dummies (producer Odd Nosdam)    
3. Civil Obedience (producer Mr. Cooper; cuts by Reanimator)
4. Got Up This Morning (producer Buck 65; J olie Holland - Fiddle and vocals [arrangement by Tom Inhaler], Nathan Harrop - Harmonica)
5. Good Fashion (producer Mark Isham)    
6. Clickety Clack (producer Alias;     Intro synth by Christopher Sneddon, Intro includes part of Holy Sonnet 10 by John Donne)
7. Midgets and Giants (producer Alias)     
8. Broccilude (producer Sixtoo; Vocal sample arrangement by Sage Francis and Bernard Dolan)
9. High Step (producer Ant; Outro vocal performed by Bernard Dolan)
10. Keep Moving (producer Alias;    Outro vocal performed by Buddy Wakefield)
11. Water Line (producer Mark Isham)     
12. Black Out on White Night (producer Big Cats!; Jolie Holland - vocals, outro vocal performed by Buddy Wakefield)
13. Hell of a Year (producer Kurt SP; Outro vocal performed by Buddy Wakefield)
14. Call Me Francois  (producer Miles Bonny; Scratches by DJ Orator)
15. Hoofprints in the Sand (producer and scratches Reanimator)
16. Going Back to Rehab (producer Tom Inhaler; Acoustic, Electric & Bass Guitar and Piano - Tom Inhaler, Violin - Laura Escudé, Live drums - Scott Begin, Scratching and Drum Programming - Reanimator, Intro and Outro vocals - excerpts of PCP Poetry by Bryan Lewis Saunders)

Sick of Wasting (2009)
["Sick of" mixtape series]
Label: Strange Famous Records
Purchase

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Sick of Wasting is the fifth mixtape in Sage Francis' "Sick of" mixtape series. It compiles un-released songs and demos from 1996-2009. On June 4, 2009, the official track listing, as well as a pre-order and the first single were released on StrangeFamousRecords.com. The whole mixtape was released for free download on June 16, 2009.

Track List
1. Strange Fame (2009)
2. S.A.G.E. Bastard (Produced by Buck 65, 2009)
3. I Trusted You (Beat by Buck 65, 2009)
4. Needle (Beat and scratches by Buddy Peace, 2009)
5. House of Bees (Feat B.Dolan, beat by Buck 65, 2009)
6. Jaw of Steel (Beat and scratches by Reanimator, 2009)
7. If I Go To Hell (Demo, 1997)
8. Conspiracy To Riot (Beat and scratches by Reanimator, 2008)
9. Be A Star (Beat by Buck 65, 2007)
10. Sea Legs (Feat. B.Dolan and Sleep, scratches by Buddy Peace, additional vocals by Jared Paul and Curtis Plum, beat by Apheus, 2009)
11. Flashback '96 (Home Recording, 1996)
12. Masturbate Your Brain (AOI Demo, 1997)
13. SFR Pays Dues (Feat. B.Dolan and Prolyphic, 2008)
14. Pump (Beat and scratches by Buddy Peace and Reanimator, 2009)
15. Revenge of the Ogre (Interlude w/ Trinity)
16. Who Farted? Pt.1 (Courtesy of Xaul Zan w/samples from "Heartbeats" by The Knife)

Li(f)e (2010)
Label: ANTI-
Purchase

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Li(f)e is the fourth studio album by Sage Francis. It was released on May 11, 2010 on ANTI- record label. The album encompasses themes in an impassioned and timely critique of cultural hypocrisy and organized religion.  Production for the entire album is credited to Brian Deck.

Track List
1. Little Houdini 
2. Three Sheets To The Wind 
3. I Was Zero
4. Slow Man 
5. Diamonds And Pearls 
6. Polterzeitgeist 
7. The Baby Stays
8. 16 Years
9. Worry Not 
10. London Bridge 
11. Love The Lie 
12. The Best Of Times [official video]

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