Inspirational underground hip-hop artist, Sage Francis, joins Chris to discuss music as a teacher, the resonance of truth, cultural shifts, and the magic of writing.
Sage Francis is CEO of Strange Famous Records, and half of the Epic Beard Men. He is widely considered one of our generation’s greatest lyricists. His gifted wordplay creates vivid narratives to instigate as well as inspire, often deriving from an accumulation of public disdain and personal turmoil. Dubbed the forefather of Indie Hop, Francis originally earned worldwide acclaim in the 2000s by winning highly coveted titles in the MC battle circuit. At the advent of file-sharing, Francis’ unique brand of music spread like wildfire and he gained a cult following. In 2005 Sage Francis was the first hip-hop artist signed to Epitaph Records and soon became one of the highest selling independent artists of his genre. Sage Francis has returned to releasing music independently and has a podcast in the works. For more info check out StrangeFamousRecords.com
Hip-Hop Origins
Chris invites Sage Francis to take a deep dive into his early life and upbringing, particularly zooming in on the aspects of his life which brought him to discover hip-hop music, and the inspiration which arose to begin creating his own rhymes at such a young age. Trading stories of being the black sheep of their small towns growing up, Chris and Sage Francis spend some time sharing their hip-hop origins.
“I didn’t like my surroundings where I lived, so that was me being able to jump into a whole other realm. Hip-hop was not just the teacher, but it was my comic books, it was my adventure stories, it was everything.” – Sage Francis
It’s never too late. Inspire yourself to follow your passion and dreams by using applied awareness, on Ep. 116 of The Indie Spiritualist
Truth Resonates (10:35)
Speaking to the myriad new genres spiring out the hip-hop scene, Sage Francis and Chris discuss the difference between personal preference in music taste, and the deeper truth of an intentional, authentic message. While Sage Francis and Chris may prefer more classic, old-school hip-hop jaunts compared to the more obscure, modern tracks on the cutting edge of rap, they recognize that behind the genre, truth and authenticity are the key ingredients everyone resonates with.
“I think if a younger demographic cares about art, and they hear someone speaking their truth, it resonates. It happens in every craft. What doesn’t resonate is when you know someone is blowing something out of their horn that they haven’t experienced.” – Sage Francis
Find out how deeply truth, honesty, and authenticity resonate, by tuning into ‘A F*ckup’s Guide to Self Help,’ on Ep. 369 of Mindrolling
The Shift, & The Magic of Writing (28:31)
In ‘as above, so below’ fashion, Chris and Sage Francis relate the massive cultural shifts we’ve seen across the planet in regards to race, gender, and sexual rights, to the current shift we are seeing in hip-hop in regards to misogyny and sexism. Viewing the changing narratives as opportunities for growth, they explore how to heal the world through standing up to injustice and using your art. In these times of pandemic with touring on a halt, Sage Francis’ art of choice has been writing.
“There’s a lot of trickery in all types of writing. Writing and art is manipulative. There’s so many ways you can work that magic for your purposes, so know what your purposes are and stop fooling yourself.” – Sage Francis
Uncover an illuminating BHNN Awakened Heart Blog post exploring Writing as a Therapy, Meditation, & Self Inquiry
Images via Sage Francis