Paul "Sage" Francis (born November 18, 1976 in Miami, Florida) is a hip-hop… Read Full Bio ↴Paul "Sage" Francis (born November 18, 1976 in Miami, Florida) is a hip-hop artist based in Providence, Rhode Island.
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.
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.
Question Their Motives Freestyle
Sage Francis Lyrics
Hi, good evening everyone,
out there in rapper world
sitting at home
next to your stereos
with a blank tape and a cassette deck
(you want me to do somethin' and then throw it up to you)
massaging the pause button, sure
(I'll get you into the mood or whatever)
alright, OK
as long as I can get rowdy son
I have entered
this wonderful world of politics
where white collar tricks got me on a proper fix
till they want me to talk about
hollow tips, ganja hits and vodka sips
they got sick of topics like the apocalypse
so I start to mix lots of sh suggested by outsiders
who should get off on the(?) open their mouths wider
I'd rather go down on the vagina of little Kim
during her period
then be forced to make a joke of my existence
and be a silly kid
who never questions the placement and purpose
of each Egyptian pyramid
I'll stick to eccentric epics
and construct another Iliad
turn on my television and channel Homer
ward off the evil spirits
with some incense and candle aroma
that's not as sellable as a vandalist persona
so to hell with them
I'm a tough guy
watch me crush this can of soda
Rrrr tin is putty in my hand
I'ma continue to sit over til everybody understands
that sincerity is sincerely lacking in show biz
talking about walking a route of evil
giving your ho HIV's
I'd rather be having you walk the avenue of insight that my flow gives
when an MC records records question his motives
when a DJ plays that record question his motives
see you don't understand
I know kids who say they're addicted to sex
when in actuality they're addicted to sexual images
masturbating
their brain in intellectual scrimmages
inside of every conceptual lyricist is a thug rapper
and in every gun-clapper there is a metaphycisist
heads listen to this knowing there is truth in the sarcasm
but who's hearts spasm
when they hear us execute arts to the maximum potential
blast an instrumental
find a self professed freestyle king
and ask him to get mental
confiscate his writing utensil
dental records link the teeth marks he left biting his pencil to his crab actions
another fraud is identified
now when there are ciphers he is no longer let inside
he shall remain an outsider
feel the pain of a pariah
if you've got a closed mind
then I'll open your brain wider
say hi to your jock writin' counterparts
as I rip your town apart
with people you consider confidants
after my mantra starts
bask in my nonchalance
and creates a relaxing ambiance
as I drip wax on your body parts
the rapture hardly stops
I capture hardy's(?) hearts with a spatula cause it's probably hot
catapult some ish
to Milosevic
till he stops acting like such a bitch
trying to make cultures switch
and that'll end the sorrow
inside of Denver Colorado
servin' secrets you do not know
ADM spit a hot flow
out there in rapper world
sitting at home
next to your stereos
with a blank tape and a cassette deck
(you want me to do somethin' and then throw it up to you)
massaging the pause button, sure
(I'll get you into the mood or whatever)
alright, OK
as long as I can get rowdy son
this wonderful world of politics
where white collar tricks got me on a proper fix
till they want me to talk about
hollow tips, ganja hits and vodka sips
they got sick of topics like the apocalypse
so I start to mix lots of sh suggested by outsiders
who should get off on the(?) open their mouths wider
I'd rather go down on the vagina of little Kim
during her period
then be forced to make a joke of my existence
and be a silly kid
who never questions the placement and purpose
of each Egyptian pyramid
I'll stick to eccentric epics
and construct another Iliad
turn on my television and channel Homer
ward off the evil spirits
with some incense and candle aroma
that's not as sellable as a vandalist persona
so to hell with them
I'm a tough guy
watch me crush this can of soda
Rrrr tin is putty in my hand
I'ma continue to sit over til everybody understands
that sincerity is sincerely lacking in show biz
talking about walking a route of evil
giving your ho HIV's
I'd rather be having you walk the avenue of insight that my flow gives
when an MC records records question his motives
when a DJ plays that record question his motives
see you don't understand
I know kids who say they're addicted to sex
when in actuality they're addicted to sexual images
masturbating
their brain in intellectual scrimmages
inside of every conceptual lyricist is a thug rapper
and in every gun-clapper there is a metaphycisist
heads listen to this knowing there is truth in the sarcasm
but who's hearts spasm
when they hear us execute arts to the maximum potential
blast an instrumental
find a self professed freestyle king
and ask him to get mental
confiscate his writing utensil
dental records link the teeth marks he left biting his pencil to his crab actions
another fraud is identified
now when there are ciphers he is no longer let inside
he shall remain an outsider
feel the pain of a pariah
if you've got a closed mind
then I'll open your brain wider
say hi to your jock writin' counterparts
as I rip your town apart
with people you consider confidants
after my mantra starts
bask in my nonchalance
and creates a relaxing ambiance
as I drip wax on your body parts
the rapture hardly stops
I capture hardy's(?) hearts with a spatula cause it's probably hot
catapult some ish
to Milosevic
till he stops acting like such a bitch
trying to make cultures switch
and that'll end the sorrow
inside of Denver Colorado
servin' secrets you do not know
ADM spit a hot flow
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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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