Posted on 04/17/2008 6:37 PM
So it's Paid Dues third year. This is an event started by a rapper (Murs) and a promotion company on an independent label and was originally billed as an "informal birthday bash/video shoot/indie hip-hop showcase." That first year the location was even changed at the last minute. Contrary to what you may think, Paid Dues is as strong as ever. Cage, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere (Felt really) The Living Legends, and even impromptu appearances by El-P have fueled the energy that exists every year in Southern California. Murs is now signed by a major label, but he still has time to host the event and generally make sure everyone is having fun.

This year brought some new faces (Prolyphic from Strange Famous Records) and even some new recruits closely associated with the Okayplayer community (can you say Little Brother and Dilated Peoples?) This years headliner was Sage Francis. He definatley stole the show, as well as much of the promoter's (Guerilla Union) money. Well not stole really, you see back stage whilst Little Brother was entertaining the crowd with some of the most energetic moves I've seen two big dudes pull off, Sage was deep in concentration behind his crossed-out glasses.

 

The main event was really a poker tournament between  Sage, Richard and Mike the later two from Guerilla Union who thows the event every year. The wager: Sage's earnings for his performance. Mr. Francis ended up the winner and finished with just 15 minutes to spare before the performance. I guess his recent music video was poker-themed for a reason. His performance was typical for him, so in other words very un-typical compared to anyone else. I reckon he's the most energetic 40ish hip-hop connoisuer Rhode Island has to offer. From sporting an American flag with corporate logos for stars while giving a very polished rendition of his own Makeshift Patriot to break-dancing on stage to performing a remix of his "Civil Obedience" with a beat probably at 30 bmp's faster than the original. The highlight of the evening for myself was his performance of spoken word he did that combines razor sharp delivery and DJ timing from DMC champion Scratch Bastid. The two had never performed together, but that apparently wasn't necessary.

 

I encourage any fan of hip-hop music in the Southern California area to save up their pennies for next year. I'd like to thank everyone that helped put on this event and/or helped me out including: The Dusty Crates Radio Podcast, Alex and Shazila from MSO, Allan from Guerilla Union, Sage Francis, B. Dolan & Murs, DJ Rhettmatic, Emily, Melissa, Jake & Jamie.

-Nick McClure



Chopping it up with Sage Francis.

Nick McClure (Okayplayer): Hey everyone, this is Nick McClure from Okayplayer.com. I'm here at the Paid Dues festival in San Bernardino, California with tonight's headliner Sage Francis. Alright, first off, I understand that you have a background and even a degree in journalism. Do you ever use skills you learned in college to help you write songs or overcome writer's block?

Sage Francis: Nah, college was the cause for writer's block when I was in college, but I got my degree in journalism out of disinterest in doing too many things professionally. I figured if I could follow a path, maybe go on the radio with my journalism degree, and then become a rapper, and that's exactly what I did.

OKP: Last year I saw a segment on your DVD where you were in a copy center printing out labels and I actually have one of your first CD's Sick of Waiting Tables that definately has a hand cut cover. It seems like Strange Famous Records is more upscale now, but how involved are you in the day-to-day business of the label?

SF: To be quite honest, compared to back in the day, when I would handle every aspect, like literally create my own artwork, photo copy the artwork, cut it out, [laughs] put together the CDs, burn every single CD or dub every single tape...like that took alot of time and it was very tedious but I spend more time doing work now, from just day and night doing business for Strange Famous records.

OKP: For the other artists on the label as well?

SF: Yeah, for the other artists, and for myself as well. The business has expanded in so many ways that I'm constantly overlooking projects and trying to find ways to make things work better, and yeah, we've gone with professional pressings and not only does that save money in the long run but time, which is important. When a new CD comes out, I'll sign like 5,000 copies just to get in that process of remembering how much work it took to get to the point where I am right now.

OKP: I actually have one of those CD's and I gotta say, you have some nice handwriting.

SF: Thank you very much [laughs]. Yeah, well I practiced it many times!


OKP: I personally think its great when an artist such as yourself has an opportunity to reach people and uses it to speak their mind whether it be about societal issues or politics or whatever change you feel is necessary. And keeping that in mind, what is your role with B. Dolan's knowmore.org website?

SF: He came up with it-actually he's right there if you ever want to interview him, he's a really interesting dude. He came up with the concept of knowmore.org, he ran it by me because he needed funding, and I said 'that's a really incredible idea and I want to get behind this.' So for that to happen, money had to go into certain areas to make that website a reality and he's overlooked the site and how it expands. I've just gotten behind it with promotion and other areas too but that's really been more of his vision that I've gotten behind.

OKP: Now I understand people can log in and do articles themselves. Have you ever done any of that?

SF: Um...yeah, entries. You know we profile companies and explain aspects of their business, how things operate, how they treat workers, and what political parties they support. With so much stuff going on, I don't get to give it as much time as I want, but it is open to the public, it's free to the public and we require the public's activity on the site. We encourage them to create entries on the companies that they know about. If they're  interested in something, or they have a hunger for knowledge about a certain company and they realize we haven't covered them yet, get on the site and add that company man,because the more people that do that understand that they can be involved and it can help other people. That's when this snowball becomes a...a blizzard haha.

OKP: Alright, now I know you've probably heard some ridiculous labels thrown around, for example people always label El-P as prog-hop or something like that and as far as I'm concerned if you've got heavy drums and you spit lyrics, it's just hip hop. Are these terms like "emo hop" or "backpack" a way for CD stores to classify genres? Or is there more to it?

SF: Its, its media driven. Media needs that, and people need it too. People really need catergories. I wish they didn;t but it makes them feel better about themeslves. Like "Dumb & Dumber," that's a comedy. So yeah, it gets put in the comedy section. But depending on who's viewing that, it can be a whole bunch more than that. [Laughs] I'm not trying to insinuate that "Dumb and Dumber" is some next-level shit, but it is!

OKP: It's not a comedy.

SF: Coming from Rhode Island, I understand the levels that "Dumb and Dumber" works on.

OKP: Now I'm sure a lot of fans out there have been wondering what's going on with your group Non-Prophets with producer Joe Beats. It seems like you two haven't collaborated since he produced a skit on A Healthy Distrust. Is Non-Prophets still around, are you guys still working together?

SF: It's not around, it's just kind of an old bag that I'm not going to pick back up. I did what I could with it, I kept the door open for a long time, not enough material came about for it and I just had other things to pursue and there was no way I was going to be dragged down by that

OKP: And finally, the question that's probably on most of your fans minds right now is whether or not you have a new album coming out, and if you do, what can we expect from that?

SF: Well I've been working on B. Dolan's album which is called "The Failure." Prolyphic and Re-Animator have a new album which is called "The Ugly Truth" and I'm featured on both.

OKP: And if you buy that on your webstore you get the instrumentals too right?

SF: Pre-sales come with a while bunch of stuff because we're just trying to inspire sales. I know people can get music for free, but if they care enough, they know where to get it and at the same time, we're not just trying to shoot off a CD without any extra stuff. We've got lyric booklets that come with it, we've got the instrumental CD, we throw a little love in with the package and that's kinda why our webstore has expanded. But my own personal music, I haven't been able to focus too much on, and now we're doing all these shows for promotion of these albums

OKP: Not that your latest album is really all that old.

SF: No it's not, it's still less than a year old really. Yeah, I'd love to get back in the studio to start pumpin' out something new. I just really want the next album to have a special twist to it. I want to give people something that's unexpected yet still, 'Oh, that's Sage Francis, and I've never heard that side before' you know? So tapping into that kind of shit can be tricky but I'd like to do it.

Talking with Murs.

Nick McClure (Okayplayer): What's up everyone? It's Nick McClure from Okayplayer again and I'm here with Murs who helped start Paid Dues and is hosting it this year. I've got just three quick ones for you.

I saw a recent Atmosphere video recently where Slug (part of Felt with Murs) said you two can't work on a new Felt record until Lisa Bonet's acting career gets back on track. Is that true?

Murs: You know, Slug's kinda the boss man. He;s older than me, he's wiser, I'm going to say that's the reason.

OKP: We'll go with him. Alright, last year at Paid Dues, you promised the audience that although you've moved onto a major label, you won't be selling out or changing your mindstate as far as music is concerned at all. Is it difficult? Do you need to keep the labels at bay?

M: It's not as bad as you think really, there are people at the major labels that really genuinely love music. They kind of see what I do as already working, and they just want to help... sell it. They don't want me to change it, they already feel that what I have is sellable. They actually picked songs without chorus. There is really only one "commercially" song on the record. Other than that, I'm talking about the origins of hip-hop and how we're all just one race of people and the government's conspiracy to sell us all crack and destroy  poor people, just shit like that. Its actually the most politically conscious record I;ve had. Warner Brothers is really excited about it and they picked all the right songs. They picked the songs that 9th Wonder produced

OKP: Yeah? You're still working with 9th?

M: Yeah, all the time. They actually picked the songs with producers who are less-known. 9th Wonder is the biggest procuder on my whole record.

OKP: Awesome, as a fan, thanks for not changing. And finally, Definitive Jux was your former label, based out of New York I know you're not with them anymore but are you still tight with those guys? Is there still a chance to see Aesop Rock produce a beat for you?

M: Oh, definately man! I would love to do a whole project with Aesop and Blockhead. That's one of my dreams to get them to produce a whole project for me. I think Aesop is overlooked as a producer, he's amazing. I've always wanted to do a record with them and I've always wanted to do a record with El-P. I think Cannibal Ox's "The Cold Vein" was one of the best records ever made.

OKP: Amen

M: He's an awesome producer, and when he gets to do a whole project-like I wouldn't want to have just one beat from that guy. There's a whole lot of people like Mr. Len, Blueprint, RJD2...there's people I want to do whole projects with-

OKP: Print's and under-rated producer

M: Yeah. Also Ant from Atmosphere. I want to do whole projects with people because you can't get just one El-P beat, you can't get one Aesop Rock beat you know what I mean? For the Okayplayer kids when you have ?uestlove and James Poyser do your whole project it has a, it has a feel to it and it feels good. It's special. Certain people have that magic. At least in OKP terms haha.

- Nick McClure