Sage Francis is a busy poet with a big heart.
He made waves after Sept. 11 with a controversial song called “Makeshift Patriot,” and since then has become somewhat of a prolific lyricist with a devoted, cult-like fanbase.
On Saturday, Francis was recovering from jet-lag after a weeklong trip to play a show in Honolulu. “It was way better than I expected,” he said in a telephone interview. “There was a good-sized crowd. They were fans. They knew the songs.”
It was just another day in paradise for this indie rapper and one-man band. He booked the show himself, made his own travel arrangements, performed alone and sold his own merchandise at the show – unheard of for a musician at his level.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s better than having to work,” Francis said. “I wanna make it through this year alive, like I did last year. It’s very strenuous. Constant travel. Constant shows. Doing everything alone. Just trying to maintain it. Wanna make sure the label thrives.”
He’s been living this lifestyle since the early 2000s. At 38, he’s the CEO of Strange Famous Records, a label he started alone. Eventually, as the word spread and people all over the world were listening, he was able to hire employees and sign other artists. These days are stressful for Francis, who says most of his thoughts are at Strange Famous, where he’s getting ready for the July release of an album by B. Dolan.
The music industry has changed since Francis started, with a plethora of digital music outlets, many of them free or with cheap subscription rates. The competition for listeners has heated up, and some of the younger artists on his label are struggling. “As a label owner, I’m working with up-and-coming artists and seeing how difficult it is for people to build a foundation that I was able to build. I’m almost at a loss for how it works at this point. It’s a whole different world,” he said.
Hip-hop in general has been gaining popularity in the last couple of decades. When Francis was a kid, the rap scene wasn’t as big as it is now, but Francis gravitated toward it and became an influential voice among many.
“I think people are drawn to my weird nature that I think all of us share (but) don’t express because we feel alone in that weirdness. I let some of that out in a carefree manner,” Francis said. “There are those parts that I share that I think a lot of people can relate to that they don’t hear from other artists and rappers, especially in hip-hop.”
Francis is innovative – his music isn’t cooked in a studio with the “rapper-shaped cookie cutter,” he said. Instead, he enjoys being authentic with himself and his audience.
“It helps when a market becomes very predictable. It’s not for me. It’s not for me at any level. Whether it’s with hip-hop, movies or books. There’s people out there who thrive on unique qualities of life,” Francis said. “There’s people who really feed off predictability. They love it. They want their Subway sandwich every day.”
In August he heads back to South Africa, where in 2011 he helped to film a documentary, which, in the end, was never finished. While he was there, he met kids who were HIV-positive, and it broke his heart. He recorded a song for the kids, and fans donated money that has gone toward fixing up a house and providing clothes and school supplies.
“It’s the story that’s been told a million times, but when you’re the one experiencing your own story, it kind of gnaws at your conscious until you’ve made a positive change for people. I promised I would return,” Francis said. Francis said he wants to be a voice for the people he met there. “I’m going to get a story out of this. There’s a lot that needs to be said about what’s happening in South Africa. I need more time. I need more closure. I guess, in the meantime, I’ll write about it.”
mhayden@durangoherald.com
If you go
Sage Francis with opening group Ill Methods, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive. The 18-and-older show is $22. Get tickets at Southwest Sound, at the door or online at www.animascitytheatre.com.
