Noted for his intense flow and sharp wit, Francis has won acclaim both as a freestyle battler and as an unapologetic, intellectual lyricist. Francis uses a broad emotional palette to address a wide range of personal, cultural, and political issues. His unconventional style and persona have given him crossover appeal, but at the same time alienated some hip-hop listeners.
Prior to embarking on a full-time career as an MC, Francis displayed his skills in slam poetry. During the late 1990s, he recorded his first demo tape (1996), fronted the now defunct Providence hip-hop band Art Official Intelligence, and hosted a weekly slot on independent radio station WRIU (the "True School Session"). He also formed the Non-Prophets and released a 12” (Drop Bass/Bounce/I Keep Calling, Emerge Records, 1999), following up in 2003 with their first full-length offering, Hope. Francis is a contemporary of underground hip-hop artists such as Slug, Eyedea, Sole and the anticon. collective. He is also loosely affiliated with the vague underground hip-hop super-group The Orphanage.
As a solo performer, Francis won the MC battle at the 2000 Scribble Jam, and in 2001 he came close to repeating as champion (semi-finalist) while performing as his "metal" alter ego, "Xaul Zan". Francis released his first proper solo album, Personal Journals, on Anticon. in 2002. He toured with a live band on the Live Band Dead Poet Tour to support it. Francis subsequently became the first hip-hop artist to sign with Punk label Epitaph, agreeing to a three-album deal. His first album for Epitaph, A Healthy Distrust, was released in early 2005 and was followed up with Human the Death Dance in 2007.
One of Francis' best-known tracks is "Makeshift Patriot", a commentary on the American media recorded one month after the September 11, 2001 attacks which he released on the internet as an MP3 as well as a limited edition 7" single.
In February 2005 Sage dropped his second full length album on the originally punk label Epitaph, it was widely regarded as the best underground hip hop album of the year by critics and fans alike and featured heavily political tracks such as "The Buzz Kill" and "Slow Down Gandhi" and more personal material like that more similar to that of his debut 'Personal Journals' such as 'Bridle' and a few heavily satirical comments on the modern day rap and urban scene such as the satirical comment on youth gun culture 'Gunz Yo'.
Sage has helped to set up the Wiki KnowMore.org which is described as a 'way to keep tabs on the some of the biggest and most dangerous businesses in the world'. He is a vegetarian and also chooses to abstain from drugs and drinking, though doesn't label himself as "straight-edge" because he believes "you shouldn't define yourself by what you don't do."
Sage has set up his own label and signed some of who he claims to be his favorite artists of the moment such as Buck 65 and Proplyphic and Reanimator named Strange Famous (which shares his initials) with which he released his most recent work 'Human the Death Dance'
This album was released in May 2007 and takes a step away from the heavily political 'Healthy Distrust' and heads back to the more personal lyrics of 'Personal Journals' and comments on modern culture. The album features cameos from many Strange Famous artists such as Buddy Wakefield, Buck 65 and Reanimator.
In 2010 Sage released his fourth full length album Li(f)e (the title coming from the famous quote from 'The Cure' on the Non-Prophets album Hope "Life is just a lie with an f in it and death is definite"). The album was extremely well received and one particular single off of the album 'The Best Of Times' received extensive air play on the popular British radio station Radio 1. After Sages Li(f)e tour Sage has stated that he will no longer be doing tours but will still be releasing albums and other materials, instead he will be doing select gigs throughout each year.
On 3 June 2014, Sage released his fifth studio album 'Copper Gone'. It is the first official studio album after Sage Francis announced his hiatus, which lasted for four years.
Not What I Am
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is this hip hop or a starbucks coffee shop
This is xaul zan, I'll show you how I do it in my neck of the woods
It's like...
You don't have to write a poem
I guess I just hate MCs who act like they're groggy
Grab the microphone
I got a right to be cocky
The girlies want me bad
Throw my blows and hockey dads give me herpes
I'll be mad
You turkeys lolly-gag, emitting the worst stench
I got your mommy gagged
And she's sitting on my workbench
Handed her a wrench
I let her work my nuts a bit
To have her thirst quenched
Yeah I let her take another sip
For the fuck of it I freaked the funk on 45s
Silly suckers think I'll sit just listening to all their jive
I'm the sort of guy to cook your family fix for dinner
I'll make your daughter cry when she wakes up
With some fingers in her
Listen to lynyrd skinner
I'll sell your pretty heart
Now let's tittyfuck while I get naked like iggy pop
She sees my mini-cock
She wants no small man
Runnin around the city block, yellin out...
It's Xaul Zan!
I sip from a tall can and take big gulps
The dodgeball champ, I'm the reason why your kid sulks
Feeding the shit out adults
Ripping the deeds to your house
And I'ma fuck you in your face till you bleed out your mouth
Smooth, not what I am
Rough....Xaul Zan
Smooth, not what I am
Rough....Xaul Zan
In the beginning of the song, Sage Francis is being insulted and dismissed as a terrible rapper by someone who is claiming to be better than him, Xaul Zan. Xaul Zan brags about his sexual prowess, violence, and his disregard for societal norms. He describes himself as someone who is rough around the edges, contrasting with the smoothness that Sage Francis exhibits in his raps. Xaul Zan doesn't care about writing poetry or creating a message, he just wants to be seen as the life of the party and the coolest guy around.
The song can be interpreted as a commentary on toxic masculinity and the glorification of violence and misogyny in hip hop culture. Sage Francis, who is known for his socially conscious and introspective lyrics, takes a jab at MCs who perpetuate negative stereotypes and promote harmful behavior. Xaul Zan represents the worst of hip hop, someone who prioritizes ego and machismo over artistry and empathy. The final line of the song, "Smooth, not what I am / Rough....Xaul Zan", is a clear statement on what type of rapper Sage Francis does not want to be, and what type of rapper Xaul Zan represents.
Line by Line Meaning
Fuck this sage francis faggot shit
I dislike Sage Francis's music
Is this hip hop or a starbucks coffee shop
I question whether this is real hip hop or just watered down commercial music
This is xaul zan, I'll show you how I do it in my neck of the woods
I am Xaul Zan and I will demonstrate how I make music in my area
You don't have to write a poem
You don't have to put too much effort into making music
I guess I just hate MCs who act like they're groggy
I don't like MCs who pretend to be something they're not
Grab the microphone
Take control of the situation
And resuscitate the life of the party
Revive the fun and energy of the event
I got a right to be cocky
I am entitled to be arrogant due to my skills
The girlies want me bad
Women are attracted to me
Throw my blows and hockey dads give me herpes
I engage in violent behavior and end up getting STDs from older men
I'll be mad
I will become angry
You turkeys lolly-gag, emitting the worst stench
You people are wasting time and bothering others with your unpleasant smell
I got your mommy gagged
I have your mother tied up and unable to speak
And she's sitting on my workbench
She is sitting on my place of work
Handed her a wrench
I gave her a tool to pretend she's fixing something
I let her work my nuts a bit
I let her touch my genitals
To have her thirst quenched
To satisfy her sexual desires
Yeah I let her take another sip
I allowed her to continue her sexual activities
For the fuck of it I freaked the funk on 45s
For fun, I played funky music on vinyl records
Silly suckers think I'll sit just listening to all their jive
People mistakenly assume that I will listen to their nonsense
I'm the sort of guy to cook your family fix for dinner
I am the type of person who would hurt your loved ones
I'll make your daughter cry when she wakes up with some fingers in her
I will sexually assault your daughter and cause her emotional pain
Listen to lynyrd skinner
I enjoy listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd
I'll sell your pretty heart
I will destroy what you love
Now let's tittyfuck while I get naked like iggy pop
Let's engage in a sexual act while I strip down naked like Iggy Pop
She sees my mini-cock
She notices my small penis
She wants no small man
She does not desire a man with a small penis
Runnin around the city block, yellin out... It's Xaul Zan!
I am running around the neighborhood shouting my name
I sip from a tall can and take big gulps
I drink from a large can and swallow a lot of liquid
The dodgeball champ, I'm the reason why your kid sulks
I am good at dodging balls and I am the reason why your child is unhappy
Feeding the shit out adults
I am giving a hard time to grown-ups
Ripping the deeds to your house
I am stealing your home ownership documents
And I'ma fuck you in your face till you bleed out your mouth
I will assault you and cause you serious injury
Smooth, not what I am
I portray a smooth persona, but my true nature is not smooth
Rough....Xaul Zan
I am a rough person named Xaul Zan
Smooth, not what I am
I am not actually as smooth as I come across
Rough....Xaul Zan
I am a rough person named Xaul Zan
Contributed by Chase G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cheche Garcia
on Buckets Of Silence
I never held a funeral for that big part of me that died.
I need to put these thoughts to rest. i need to find a peace of mind.
I need to piece my mind, find a piece of mind to rest in.
need to find someone to confide in, and with the rest i need to start restin'.
needless to say, i couldn't hide.
fifteen grown men shouldn't cry.
Cheche Garcia
on Message Sent
I've got some letters inside of my drawer
that should have been stamped and delivered
One is addressed to my ex
it says I'm the type of kid who can't be lived with
One is addressed to my friends
it says I'm a mess so y'all can't visit
One is addressed to myself
but I don't know what personality or hand to give it