Healthy Distrust, A - Sage Francis > Reviews > The future of America is secure...

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Refreshing change
Disadvantages:	Some tracks in the middle

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I'll admit when I was at college I loved hip-hop and Rap, but then I started getting bored, all these people talked about was how tough they were, how much money they had, and how many women theyhad. Talent was covered over with obscenities. This pretty much left a bad taste in my mouth for hip-hop.

Years later I happened to come across Sage Francis. A rapper, who honed his craft through slam poetry contests and battle raps had made the step to sign up with Epitaph records, a punk label. Available to listen to was his most well known song 'Makeshift Patriot' a song that has been passed about through the Internet and word of mouth alone.
'A Healthy Distrust' is Sages first release on Epitaph.

"This is the heartbeat of the Sage" opens up the album 'The Buzz Kill' (beat Renimator) totally awesome way to start off the album, with this sample of what sounds like a voice over on an educational film. Also it's kind of ironic, as although it has nothing to do with Sage Francis, it sounds like it's talking about Sage's rapping and his values. Sage comes in "I used to think that rappers had it figured out." A good beat which includes Sage ripping on radio. The voiceover total makes this song, an excellent way to open the album.

'Sea Lion' is a track featuring singer Will Oldham (of folk group Bonnie Prince Billy) opening and closing the track, the beat (by Alias) gentle plays through accompanied by the haunting voice, that remind me a little of Radioheads Thom York. On paper it seems a bit of a strange combination, but it works really well.
What I like about Sage is that his lyrics are so smooth and sound is so well thought out.
The song features a sample of a young Sage playing with a tape and his mom giving instructions on how to work it. (Sage began rapping when he was 8 rapping into a tape recorder).
Favourite line is Sages opening "Ma, Ma - look what I did Ma. Look what I did to my hands, I broke 'em, you gave me the stone, gave me the chisel, didn't say how to hold 'em."

'Gunz Yo' is a satire 'gangster' track that has the whole style of a beat (by Dangermouse of Gorillaz and Dangerdoom fame) that you hear on all chart rap acts. The whole song is pretty sarcastic that you get a lot with Sage tracks - 'tragically ironic, suckin' off each others gats & pistols' the track is funny, if you realise it's a parody, which on first listening you might not. The track is topped of with gunshots, and Uzi's going off into the background like you're listening to a 50 Cent song, except you know… good.

On 'Escape Artist' (beat Alias) Sage cuts completely loose rapping at super speed, not really a track I like, but seems to have a lot of love amongst his fan base, maybe that was why it was the first music video he did.

'Product Placement' (Beat Alias) is a cool laid back hip hop track that has properly deliberate trippy feel to it, which goes along with the lyrics such as "Off to the bathroom to sniff another line." and closing the song off "my absolute obligation to never do anything bad."

'Voice Mail Bomb Threat' follows this is simply an amusing interlude of some crazy bastard threatening to kill Sage and calling him generic. What's amusing is the music put in the background by Sage's Non-Prophets partner Joey Beats.

'Dance Monkey' the beat is slick club tune by Daddy Kev, this song follows a different formula to the other tracks having a chorus, which rips into rap songs that are designed for the club scene. The lyrics are so tongue in cheek "she loves repetitive songs that keep playin' you know the repetitive songs that keep playin'" basically the whole song is worth quoting.

Sun vs Moon is a song you might want to miss if your religious as Sage has a small bit of ripping on him/her and then proceeding to say 'God's not a WOMAN! He's a bitch. I don't really know what this songs about. It starts off giving the impression it's a battle on stage of some sort (rap battles?), then it goes on about God. Song ends with a prank call (not sure if it's recorded specially?), which is so stupid it's funny.
Personally I can love or hate this track depending what mood I'm in.

'Agony in her body' (Beat Controller 7) moves cooler through with what sounds like castanets. Slick lyrics, drags a bit though.

'Crumble' (beat Sixtoo, guitar and drums Alias) is a slow track with piano playing, which is quite depressing "tell them bitches in the rough who think that love comes with diamonds". Then suddenly towards the end the piano pumps up and the guitar and drums kick, which then using the same tune that 'Crumble' ends with takes us to ....

'Ground Control' (beat Sixtoo) has a good beat, mixed in with beeps which does make me think that if ground control has beeping noises in that's what it would sound like. A good well paced song that stays in line well with the beat.

Lie Detector Test (beat Reanimator) is a chilled out laid-back song that gives you the feeling that Sage is just sat back somewhere busy watching people rushing about. Favourite line "In the world where the girl's got retro tattoos and all I've got is a gut and Velcro black shoes" because I feel it just sums when you feel pretty average about yourself. This track is probably my second favourite on the album.

And my favourite is 'Bridle' (beat Varick Pyr). If you've every heard the term emo-rap, this is what it sounds like, the song opens up with Barry White "Sometimes a girl, will come and go" this song is so good it's a shame it's so short. A good track for wannabes to steal the lyrics and post them in their myspace account like they came up with it themselves. "Out of spite, the lightning strikes him twice, he's peaking out on the pike, and cheating life, peeling out on the lawn" totally beautiful words.

'Slow Down Gandhi' (beat by Reanimator) is a track taking Sage back to what made him a name in the first place, with a political attack. The beat is almost day dreamy to start off, before it kicks in. Attacks are in throughout the song attacking patriotism, the Iraq war and the people who voted for everyones favourite president "It's the same who complain about the global war, But can't overthrow the local joker that they voted for."

'Jah didn't Kill Johnny' ends with a tribute to Johnny Cash, in a country music sort of song, with guitar (played by Tom Inhaler) and harmonica (by Nathan H) play. This song sounds like it was a lot of fun to make, not to be taken too seriously though. "Holler at ya boy. Life is easy".

Sage is a machine of sarcasm, references, double meanings and political attacks, that even if you listen to it hundreds of times you might hear something new, case in point writing this review has made me love this album so much more, because I applied my self to listen to what the tracks where saying at such a deeper level
Good album, good eye opener for those who think hip-hop is all homophobic and shallow. Bit disappointed that Joey Beats isn't featured on any tracks, but I guess that is saved for Sage and Joey's group Non-Prophets. If you're not into hip-hop, look across the Internet it's full of reviews saying stuff like 'I don't normal like stuff like this but...'

Sage Francis has the ability to make you laugh, make you cry and make you mad at the injustices in this world. With such intelligence, wit and talent the future of American hip-hop is indeed secure.