Sage Francis moves easily between spoken word and hip-hop in search of a way to come at the world 'from new angles'
By Chris Nixon
For The San Diego Union-Tribune
March 3, 2005
From the Holy Ghost preachings of Southern Baptist ministers to the beat poets' roving beatnik spirit, the spoken word benefits from the immovable force of rhythm and rhyme. So it makes sense that hip-hop and spoken-word poetry – two urban forms of verbal expression centered around beats and poetry – go hand-in-hand and artistically feed off each other.
Coffeehouses gave birth to spoken-word poetry in the 1990s, while dance parties set off the hip-hop revolution in the late 1970s. Spoken word emerged from an intellectual perspective, with a wider vocabulary and a broader range of topics. Hip-hop emerged from the dance-oriented party vibe, always maintaining the beats, the rhymes, the heartbeat.
The best hip-hop invokes the gray matter much like spoken word does, and the best poetry implies beats and rhythms. For the past decade, spoken-word poetry and hip-hop lived in two different worlds, but coexisted in the same universe.
Hip-hop MC and spoken-word artist Sage Francis tries to differentiate between the two art forms (in his own tongue-in-cheek style): "That's easy. Spoken word is spoken word. Some spoken word can have a hip-hop appeal, but it is not accompanied by music. There's all different kinds of spoken word. All different kinds of hip-hop. Wait ... this isn't easy at all."
A foot in two worlds
Despite forming two decades apart, both movements led to a form of hybrid artist: Saul Williams, muMs the Schemer and Francis to name a few. While poets like Williams and muMs occasionally venture into hip-hop territory, Francis makes his home there.
"The poetry environment allowed me to explore different subject matter and come at it from new angles," says Francis via e-mail, because he never does phone interviews ("I hate putting something to my ear in order to talk to someone who I can't see").
"It helped me develop as a writer being around different kinds of people and reading in front of new crowds," continues Francis. "Just by being heavily involved in the poetry scene, it leaked into what I talked about in my rap songs and the way I worded them."
Since he was 8 years old, Francis has been kicking rhymes and honing his skills. His words led him to the emerging slam poetry scene in the late-'90s, and he ranked among the best at the National Poetry Slam competition. Along with his two solo releases, Francis has also recorded and toured with as part of the hip-hop duo Non-Prophets and the Art Official Intelligence collective, developing fans in the underground hip-hop scene.
Living in the age of hip-hoprisy
Released in early February 2005 on Epitaph Records, Francis' latest album, "A Healthy Distrust," begins with a documentary voice-over stating: "You are listening to the heartbeat of the SAGE." Taken from a 1950s film by IBM promoting a military computer called SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment), the quote serves two purposes. First, the snippet satisfies the hip-hop standard of name dropping through spliced sound clips. More importantly – for those who understand the clip's original meaning – the quote sets the stage for Francis' highly political stance echoed throughout the album's lyrics.
In contrast to the current bling-bling rap culture, Francis marches along the thin line between spoken word and hip-hop, angrily condemning political complacency and violence.
"People should have a healthy distrust of all authority and the institutions all around them," writes Francis. "They should question why things are the way they are, who is responsible and how they fit into that puzzle. Most people have fallen right back into their comfortably uninformed seating assignment. It doesn't matter if they trust the government or not, because they are programmed to feel helpless and that makes them complacent in whatever situation they are given."
All the way live
Francis slams down his rhymes with passion and conviction, a practice that has shredded his vocal chords. During his fervent live performances, he's backed by a quintet called the Sol.iLLaquists of Sound – Tom Inhaler on guitar, DJ Divinci, MC Swamburger and vocalists Alexandra(h) and Tanya.
While explaining his reasons for not doing phone interviews, Francis says, "I have polyps on my vocal cords so I am staying away from using my voice except for when I am on stage with a mike in my hand. It's a very serious problem that I had checked a couple days ago. The doctor recommended I stop the tour. That's not an option for me. I did have to cancel a couple shows though in order to heal up a bit.
"The shows were so intense and crazy that I blew my vocal cords out," continues Francis, who performs at 'Canes in Mission Beach tomorrow. "I am currently trying to build myself back up to a good performing voice. Until then, I am all blood and guts on stage."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Five with the right rhyme schemes
Hip-hop and spoken-word poetry have rubbed elbows since slam poetry burst into public consciousness in the 1990s. Sage Francis made his mark in both genres.
Here are five artists Francis cites as performers he pays attention to, either from a spoken-word background doing hip-hop or MCs that write rhymes that could be recited in coffeehouses. It is said that artists are our cultural "canaries in the coal mine," so listen up:
SAUL WILLIAMS
Background: Williams rocked the slam poetry scene with his intricate lyricism and his intense live performances as the scene gained national exposure.
Latest release: "Saul Williams" (Fader Label, 2005)
Lyrics: Nah, I wasn't raised at gunpoint and I've read too many books / To distract me from the mirror when unhappy with my looks / And I ain't got proper diction for the makings of a thug, though I grew up in the ghetto and my niggas all sold drugs / And though that may validate me for a spot on MTV or get me all the airplay that my bank account would need / I was hoping to invest in a lesson that I learned when I thought this fool would jump me just because it was my turn – from "Talk to Strangers" on "Saul Williams"
SOLE
Background: Coming straight out of Portland, Maine, MC Sole helped create one of the mainstays of the East Coast indie hip-hop, the Anticon collective.
Latest release: "Selling Live Water" (Anticon, 2003)
Lyrics: I've been doing this for too long to keep / Singing the same song / This is another one of those happy moments not made for anyone / I don't rap in bumper stickers, I'm witty with 40-liners / Every breath is a chorus, sing along if you're still breathing / I've got gods, I've got issues – from "I Don't Rap in Bumper Stickers" from "Bottle of Humans"
JARED PAUL
Background: Jared Paul is a social worker from Providence, R.I. (same hometown as Sage Francis). He is the director of the Providence Youth Slam and has been a member of the Providence Slam Team (5th at nationals in 2003) for the past four years.
Latest release: Featured on the "Sickly Business" compilation (Strange Family Records)
Lyrics: Z is not for 'Zion' or 'Zachariah,' it's for 'Zenith' / If you and I sacrifice our surplus so everyone has what they need / Then we can reach it / Now they say that at poetry slams and protests / You are preaching to the choir / And that our real goal should be to get the ideas presented in this forum to the outside world / But you are not the choir / I don't believe you are working as hard as possible / I don't see us doing everything that we can / Evolution has to move faster than this – from "For Roger"
SLUG
Background: As one half of Minneapolis-based duo Atmosphere, Slug brings hard introspective rhymes and a heady take on the world.
Latest release: "Seven's Travel's" (Epitaph, 2003)
Lyrics: In the days of kings and queens I was jester / They treat me like a god or they treat me like a leper / You see me move back and forth between both / I'm to find a balance / I'm trying to build a balance – from "Trying to Find a Balance" on "Seven's Travels"
SWAMBURGER
Background: Born Asaan Harazshi Brooks in Chicago before making Orlando, Fla., his home, Swamburger oozes smooth rhymes sans pimpin' street lingo. His words hark back to the days of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul while his beats reside on the R&B side.
Latest release: "Roots of Kin" (Eighth Dimensions, 2003)
Lyrics: Dedicated to my mother and her mother / Daughters and sisters across the globe / I give respect in order to get respect – "Womanside" from "Roots of Kin"
– CHRIS NIXON
