I didn’t have access to beats in 1989, so for this “Mother’s Day Rap” I used two tape decks to loop the open section of a De La Soul song. A segment of this old recording appears on my “Personal Journals” album and now that we’re celebrating the 10 Year Anniversary of its release it’s as good time as any to release this old recording in its entirety. It’s not the best rap in the world but it was better than just signing my name on a Hallmark card. I dedicate this to all the moms who let their kids play in the mud as well as the moms who make their kids clean up their act. My mom stayed supportive and let me explore my creativity, but she also pushed me to do good in school, work hard, and she didn’t put up with any BS.

'Cause sometimes just signing your name on a card doesn't cut it.

WILD WILD WEST (Kristoff Krane feat. Sage Francis & Sadistik)

To download, click the arrow pointing DOWN in the Soundcloud player above.

Sadistik’s “The Balancing Act” is also available from SFRstore on SIGNED 2xLP Blue Vinyl here.

B. Dolan and I just finished our jaunt through Texas. We had a great time (you can read a review of one of the shows by clicking here)

My favorite part of this whole tour was getting to hang with B. Dolan for 5 days. We’ve been on our own separate tour paths since 2010, so it was really nice to joke around, dis rappers, and spitball ideas with him. Not to mention developing the whole Epic Beard Men concept on stage while performing our songs together again. Some of the material we performed together is from his new mixtape, “House of Bees Vol 2.”  Pre-order package deals are available at www.tinyurl.com/HouseOfBeesVol2

ENJOY and PLEASE SHARE THIS MUSIC!

HOUSE OF BEES VOL. II uses the lost art and its unconstrained format to return Dolan to his roots as an emcee, and seems to combine the raw honesty of 2008′s “The Failure” with the impeccable execution and bombastic feel of 2010′s “Fallen House, Sunken City.”

FREE DOWNLOAD! The first single: “Still Here”: B. DOLAN – “STILL HERE” from the upcoming HOUSE OF BEES VOL. 2 by Strange Famous Records

***To download your FREE MP3, click the downward arrow to the right in the player above

“KING BEE”, the swag-heavy song featured on the HOUSE OF BEES Vol. 2 video trailer, was the intended first single for the album. However, the recent passing of rap legend Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys) stopped us all in our tracks and set a different tone among the hip-hop community. As a result, we’ve decided to put bravado aside for a minute and leak a song that’s fit to honor his passing and the moment.  ”STILL HERE” is HOBV2′s album opener and acts as a mission statement of sorts. Click here to see what B. Dolan has to say about it.

Check out “2BAD”, the first video from EPIC BEARD MEN, the new superduo made up of SAGE FRANCIS & B. DOLAN!

Pre-orders from SFRstore will include:
(1) SIGNED B. Dolan “House of Bees Vol 2″ CD
(1) #FilmThePolice Sticker
(1) SFR Sticker
(1) B. Dolan 1″ Button

An unsigned, CD-only Pre-Order is also available here.

Pre-order your “House of Bees Vol. 2″ signed CD package here!

The album features numerous guest slots, including production from REANIMATOR and MUX MOOL of Ghostly International. Also
popping their heads in to lend bars are TOKI WRIGHT of Rhymesayers, noted Pittsburgh activist JASIRI X, and Strange Famous Records labelmates METERMAIDS.

The mix also features a new joint with Dolan’s longtime friend, collaborator and label-head SAGE FRANCIS under the duo’s newly-coined group name EPIC BEARD MEN. Check out the “2BAD” video by the group posted above!

B. Dolan is currently gearing up for a summer of big performances, most notably a slot for his “CHURCH OF LOVE & RUIN” tour at Bestival.

Pre-order your “House of Bees Vol. 2″ signed CD package here!

TRACKLISTING
01 Still Here
02 King Bee
03 Film The Police feat. Toki Wright, Jasiri X, Sage Francis
04 Which Side Are You On?
05 Bad Things (Buddy Peace Remix) feat. Metermaids & Sage Francis
06 2Bad (Epic Beard Men)
07 Colony Collapse
08 100 Bars For SFR
09 Come To Jamaica (The Lost Verse)
10 Graceland
11 Fight Night
12 Tin Soldiers
13 Feel So Different
14 Leaving NY (Live) – beat by Kurtis SP, Buddy Peace, dan le sac (Bonus Track)
15 The Hunter (Mux Mool Remux) (Bonus Track)

This album will be available to purchase as an MP3 Download from SFRstore starting on the release date!

***PRE ORDER SHIPPING INFORMATION***

Please read carefully! ALL pre orders will be held until the ship date.
ALL other items in your shopping cart will also be held until the ship
date. If you have items that you may want to receive sooner we suggest
placing a separate order for those items.

Orders will ship on or before the release date of Tuesday, June 12, 2012.

Pre-order your “House of Bees Vol. 2″ signed CD package here!

The man behind some of your favorite Sage Francis soundscapes has a solo instrumental album called ‘No Passenger’. “The Lost Man” is a FREE download from that record. Play it loudly, let the drums batter your senses silly, and pick up the whole project from SFRstore here.

The last time B. Dolan and I played Houston (show review here), we were on my LI(F)E tour. On this particular evening we were surprised to see that a popular national bank had set up a booth inside our venue. Apparently they were “sponsors” of the show. We harassed them until they left, but not until they hurled some threats our way. Stuff like…you know…we’ll never play this city again and we have no idea how detrimental this situation will be to our careers. Needless to say, we reveled in the moment, made them pack up their credit card offers, and bid them a fond adieu with a mature and age-appropriate gesture.

Courtesy of the creators of Knowmore.org

However, the most absurd experience I had in Houston took place during the Death Dance tour a couple years prior. Our show was at Warehouse Live, a venue with two separate rooms. On the night of our show, the second room was hosting a minor league pro-wrestling event. I’m not sure what it’s really called. It’s like pro wrestling but it’s not “pro.” It’s like backyard wrestling, but there’s no backyard involved. Anyway, my group was sharing the same backstage area as all of these wrestlers who were dressed in their tights and fabulous sparkly outfits. Despite our typically drab sense of fashion, we were mistaken as wrestlers throughout the night. I can’t understand why.

One of the wrestlers pulled on the shirt of my tourmate in order to wipe baby oil from his hands. Apparently this is acceptable behavior in their circuit of amateur pro-wrestlers. He apologized once we explained, one last time, that we were actually not part of their event. We had no trouble from there on out. At least not from the wrestlers.

Our show went off without a hitch. The crowd was rowdy, excited and appreciative. Things were going so well that the entire security crew decided to leave the club early because…you know…what the heck could possibly happen at an indie-rap show? And that’s when a slice of pepperoni pizza hit me in the face.

Since the show was going so well up to that point, and since everyone was in such high spirits, I showed good humor about it and kept the show moving. Hell, I’ve been known to throw food into the crowd from time to time. No big deal. But then came the crust, whizzing by my head at a “fuck you” speed. Almost as fast as the mood change once I stepped into the crowd, grabbed the pizza boy by his face and tossed him to the floor. I got back up on stage to finish my set, but he was too drunk to know when enough was enough. He came on stage, I knocked him down again, and that’s when my merch guy was kind enough to escort him out of the club.

When the show was finished we were told that the pizza boy had returned with a car full of people who were waiting for us outside of the club. It’s never good to get into these kind of altercations when you have 20 more shows to play, so we let the amateur pro-wrestlers act as a diversion as we snuck out the back of the club. Once we started driving it was clear that something was wrong with the van. It wouldn’t drive any faster than 20 MPH and I think the back axle gave out. We drove at a snail’s pace for about 5 minutes before I noticed a car behind us with no headlights. And then the headlights flicked on. And there they were – a clown car full of disgruntled pizza boys ready to avenge the fallen pride of their homie. And there we were – a van full of exhausted performers puttering along in the middle of unfamiliar territory hoping to to find our hotel before the van totally shit the bed. As fate would have it, we unknowingly headed straight toward a police station and this is when the pizza crew darted off into the unlit streets and aborted whatever mission they were on.

The next day, while waiting for the van to be fixed, I was alerted that the guys who were tracking us down the night before had guns. Really though? I slam dunk your drunk friend’s face after he throws pizza at me (adding the cherry on top of what was already an awesome show), and you’re going to retaliate with guns? I find that reaction to be A BIT EXTREME. Thankfully nothing stupid happened. Except for all of the other stupid stuff that happened. And now B. Dolan and I are coming back…ready to get stupid again. But let’s not get too stupid. We’re all adults up in hurr. Right, right? Fuggit…we’re fin to mess with Texas.

Sage Francis Show Dates in 2012.

But when we feel in the mood to freestyle, we do the damn thing. Total off-the-top improvisation. Below is one of the favorite cypher sessions I’ve ever been a part of. 2001′s “Orphanage Freestyle” on the Break of Dawn radio show (KFAI) = Eyedea, Slug, Sage Francis, Aesop Rock, Blueprint,  &Illogic  with beats being spun by DJ Abilities.

This song, additional rare & previously unreleased gems, and the entire SFR digital catalog are all available for download at the NEW SFR Bandcamp page! Click here to check it out.

SHARK TANK (Lord Grunge of Grand Buffet, Height, B. Rich) has followed up their self-titled debut release with “Fun Youngs”; 12 tracks of hyperbolic rap life, fun choruses, slight disses, catchy melodies, tales of road dogging, and much more. Only 500 CD’s have been printed and SFRstore is the first to make them available!

ALL Shark Tank albums available on MP3 & CD here.