Customer Reviews

Personal Journals [Vinyl]

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Damn. Sometimes you hear something that so deeply enriches your world, you just have to listen to it in small doses. You want to savor it, make it last, so you dole it out to yourself. For me, this is one of those CDs that strengthens the art by transcending its norms, by showing that there is more, always more- more places to take hip hop, more ways to approach it, more things that need to be said and more ways to say them.

This album is part coming of age tale, part critique of pop culture, part dense-ass gritty beats and oddball band performance, part schizophrenic quest for truth, part brilliant poetry, part disjointed narrative, and also part confessions of a white boy seduced, challenged, appalled, enthralled, and redeemed by a form of expression and culture that may never fully accept him. Please check this out. You will either get it or you won't.

And now, the caveat-

I see lots of reviews in here talking trash. Yeah... Beware of anyone who tries to tell you what hip hop (or anything else for that matter) is or is not. That's not my place or anyone else's. Hip hop, like every art form, is a reflection of human spirit. And like a human being, hip hop cannot be reduced to any trite, simplistic set of axioms. I don't care whatcho momma told you. Hip hop ain't geometry. If you think hip hop is a certain set of empty values and slick trends, propounded into eternity- well, you are entitled to your one-dimensional worldview. Yes indeedy. Now go flare your fake-ass fronts and stare at the latest Sean Paul video, revelling in the inclusive warmth of juvenile cliché. When I think of you, I'll always hear The Roots' `Clones,' as a background score. Life is good.

Perhaps the best thing about this is that only, maybe about 3% of America will ever be exposed to it and of those elect, maybe 1% will have the sense to treasure it. As your typical, friendly neighborhood reactionary of the underground- that both bothers and reassures me greatly.

...Sage Francis, self-proclaimed `self-referentialist, continental drifter, avante-guardian angel...' Say what you will- but he is in a class by himself. And for those who say he has no flow- I just don't get it... I suppose that if the legions of mush-mouthed, club-hopping, bling-bling ingrates currently dominating the airwaves possess `flow,' then no, Sage is without `flow.' If what you mean is an agile and sophisticated vocal delivery that will leave you rewinding the track over and over- then he is an MC the likes of which you seldom hear.

The self-defined "Self-Referentialist" battle champ, Sage Francis (winning both the 1999 Superbowl Battle and 2000 Scribble Jam competitions) debuts his full-length "Personal Journals" with a bang. As a member of Anticon, it comes as no surprise that the battle reputation that made Sage so famous, was pushed aside to compile a groundbreaking, musical boundary pushing piece of art. The styles and mood shift drastically, from gritty street hip-hop, spoken word, intense emotions, and even a rock song ("My Name Is Strange") featuring the 6-piece band AOI, is essentially a parody/cover of Bob Sieger's "Turn The Page".

The album is filled with stellar standouts, some of which include "Different," "Personal Journalist," "Inherited Scars," "Climb Trees," "Message Sent," and "Eviction Notice". The album may seem very scattered and hard to pick-up at first listen, but Sage flows with such a provoking style, filled with intensity, that he keeps you coming back for more. His messages are discovered upon further listening, which is always a treat in itself.

If you have any idea of what labels such as Rhymesayers, Definitive Jux, and Anticon do for the genre of rap and hip-hop, then I don't have to tell you that Sage Francis is among the elite. Buy this now!

Because Sage Francis is speaking gold. Literally. Probably one of the finer hip hop discs of the year, "Personal Journals" takes the listener on a battle within Sage's psyche between his heart and his mind, and he's not afraid or embarassed to show how he feels. One of the more viceral flows in hip hop, Sage's ability as a spoken word poet definitely shines as he rhymes not phonetically but through the syllables and through his accentuation of certain words. In short, Sage tells his stories throughout this album and will do anything to make sure you hear it.

There is a certain amount of minimalism in the beats: nothing really feels over produced, which allows Sage's lyrics to really shine. The first four tracks are all knock out stunners: lyrically they club you and have phat beats to back it up. The album simply doesn't relent as Sage does more than just examine himself but his relationships with other people and the way his world is working. Each song, in that aspect, is schizophrenic as he grapples with issues that most MCs wouldn't dare rhyme about. This personal integrity is what drives the entire album and almost doesn't make any stand out tracks: every single song on this is increadibly fresh and real, filling a missing void in hip hop.

There is pretty much nothing wrong with the purchase of this CD: everything is enjoyable and fantastic, a real stunner for anyone who is digging into hip hop. Get a copy asap.

This album is simply phenomenal. I have had it for quite awhile (nearly a year) and I am still catching some pretty amazing things that Sage is saying. This is not from a lack of listening, it is due to the fact that the lyrics are deep and thoughtful. Everything on this album is excellent from the beats to the lyrics and vocal range of Sage. Mr. Francis takes us on a journey through his life and as he says on 'Different' "by the end of this record, I'll make sure all of ya'll know who Sage Francis is." You do feel that you know who he is because of the subject matter he discusses. Sage Francis let us all take a peak into what makes him tick and we should be greatful because this is the best hip hop album in recent memory. So if you are sick of hearing rappers talk about the same old "stuff" and want to check out a real hip hop album then this is the one.

Personal Journals is pure Sage Francis. What is Sage Francis? He is "different". This is an album that you can't fully appreciate within even the first two listens. His raw emotion and wit is impressive at least. I would recommend this album to anyone interested in underground hip hop, and to anyone wishing to broaden their hip hop horizons. Sage Francis deserves more recognition and a lot more coverage. Play this through at least twice.

Any one track on this album is worth the asking price for this album. If you do not own this album, you're simply not allowed to call yourself a hip-hop fan. Sage Francis could blow all the clear-channel MTV sh*t-hop "artists" out of the water if he wanted pop appeal.

I pruchased this album a few months ago and haven't been able to stop listening to it since. Some people may not be ready for some of the issues that Sage Francis is talking about but if you've ever heard anything by this artist before it is a must have for your collection. I wouldn't recomend it for the younger hip hop crowd (it may be to advanced). Each song is given a journal entry in the insert for an explanation of what the song ment to Sage, and you can add your own past experiences for a better view of the issues. An absolute musical pleasure and a must have for all underground heads!

Bulletproof Beardo (nice name, BTW), i'm not quite sure as to how you could come to the conclusion that sage francis is even remotely close to being wack. IMO, he's one of the most creative MCs out there. just look at some of the man's lyrics:

"they're putting aluminum in your under arm deodorant...fooled you into thinking breast cancer is better than body odor stank"

or

"...this bastard ass took us back to the dark ages...my heart races...he's got one out of 3 blacks locked in cages....sage is headed for the mics but they blocked the stages...dopes grabbed my notebook said "DON'T LOOK!!" as they blotched the pages..."

and

"what ever you want the truth to be, simply fool the massess...attack them mentally with tools of power like the masters....get em in elementary school and college classes ...eventually you'll overrule their cowardly assess....don't worry about society, they're all horrible bastards...with this knowledge i blast kids...stay dark like howards glasses...i'm STERN!!"

he obviously is doing a lot more here than randomly stringing together words that rhyme. he's able to produce such intricate rhyme schemes while.....(gasp).... still making sense. i'm not quite sure why you're having such a hard time grasping this.

and as for you comment regarding joe beats (vs. squarepusher): of course squarepusher's tracks are going to be more complex. the guy produces "drill & bass" IDM for warp. did you just recently discover squarepusher or something? you seem like you're someone who thinks they've found some sort of obscure artist that all us in the "psued fraternity" are ignorant about.

your coming on here dissing joe beats, and then asking all the pseuds to go listen to squarepusher would be like me going and writing a bad review about a kenny j cd and then saying "DO YOU GUYS WANNA HEAR REAL MUSIC?!?! GO LISTEN TO SOME CANNIBAL CORPSE, NOW ***THAT*** IS SOME HARD MUSIC!!"

to everyone else: i recommend this cd. if you like sage francis, you already know what to expect. if you've never heard sage francis before, and you're the type of person who is impressed with clever rhyme schemes mixed with tongue and cheek humor, this may be a good cd to start your sage francis collectoin with. though, you may want to start off with his "sick of..." series (not available here) or the non-prophet album (available here) "hope". those are a little more accesible. (maybe bulletproof beard should have taken the above advice)

From the heart, a lyrical genius tells story of events in his life in a treat for the ears and mind.

From the heart, a lyrical genius tells story of events in his life in a treat for the ears and mind.