by JM Lane

Created on: February 12, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

I will 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

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