Episode 081: Sage Francis

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This episode, we have a truly great conversation with Sage Francis. Rising up out of the battle-rap and poetry slam scenes in the late 1990s, Sage first came to many fans’ notice with his incredible 2002 debut album Personal Journals. That started a non-stop grind of running his own record label while putting out five albums and doing countless tours over the next eight years. After 2010’s Li(f)e, he took a four-year hiatus from recording and touring — one that ended with this year’s Copper Gone.

We talked to Sage (who was in the midst of a European tour) about what he does and doesn’t owe his fans, how he makes ideas rhyme, what it took to get through hard times and make a comeback, and tons more.

Tracks featured in this episode:

1. Sage Francis, “Pressure Cooker”
2. The Supremes, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”
3. Sage Francis, “Vonnegut Busy”
4. Sage Francis, “Make Em Purr”
5. Sage Francis, “Three Sheets to the Wind”
6. Sage Francis, “ID Thieves”
7. Sage Francis vs. Akrobatik, “Super Bowl MC Battle, 1999”
8. Sage Francis, “The Place She Feared Most”
9. Non Prophets, “That Ain’t Right”
10. Non Prophets, “New Word Order”
11. Sage Francis, “Gun Gods”
12. Sage Francis, “The Best of Times”
13. Sage Francis, Vine 8/15/13
14. Sage Francis, “Cheat Code”
15. Sage Francis, “Jah Didn’t Kill Johnny”
16. Sage Francis, “Makeshift Patriot”
17. Non Prophets, “Disasters”
18. Sage Francis, “Vonnegut Busy”
19. De La Soul, “Can U Keep a Secret”
20. Sage Francis, “Once Upon A Blood Moon”
21. A Tribe Called Quest, “Electric Relaxation”
22. Sage Francis, “Vonnegut Busy”
23. De La Soul, “Eye Patch”
24. Sage Francis, “Say Uncle”
25. Sage Francis, “Dead Man’s Float”
26. Modest Mouse, “Float On”
27. Sage Francis, “Dead Man’s Float”
28. Non Prophets, “Damage”
29. Sage Francis, “MAINT REQD”
30. Fat Boys & The Beach Boys, “Wipe Out”