Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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74 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Im not a genius I just think a lot..., March 30, 2004
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.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Personal Journalism that Lives Up to all The Hype, March 24, 2005
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!
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The hip hop generation better open their ears, October 30, 2002
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.
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