Sage Francis

Tonight, opening for Grand Buffet

Club Laga

Tonight, 10:30…

Sage Francis

Tonight, opening for Grand Buffet

Club Laga

Tonight, 10:30 p.m.

$10 at the door

All ages

(412) 682-2050

During the last few years, many new hip-hop artists have been popping up in the “underground” scene. Some of the most notable names include Jurassic Five, Aesop Rock, Dilated Peoples and the name you should know after this weekend: Sage Francis.

Francis brings forth some of the most honest lyrics this side of the Mississippi River. Francis was in the ranks of the Non-Prophets, his group featuring his close friend Joe Beats. While relatively young in terms of his solo career, he manages to display his vocal presence and incredible rhymes on his masterpiece of a disc, Personal Journals. The album features practically all-original material, which is something not seen in mainstream rap and hip-hop today, where sampling runs rampant. He parodies a couple of songs on the disc, but not for much more than a minute or two. He can even bust out a beat box that would make Rahzel, the godfather of the human beatbox, proud.

“If you ask ‘Who am I?’ I’m left guessing, but if you’re a poor man’s version of anything, it’s your self-perception,” Francis dictates on a track from Personal Journals, titled “Different.” And with the track title discerning his style, he displays his awesome flow and articulate methods on a record that does not do his live show justice.

Francis does lay down a few vulgarities on his record, but folks need not be alarmed. A polar opposite compared to the likes of Eminem, he actually spends most of the time slaying audiences with his incredible diction and his brutally honest style instead of telling people where to stick it.

Make sure you pick up the record to fully understand his style, and Francis said it best: “By the end of this record, y’all will know who Sage Francis is.” Appearing tonight at Laga with the likes of Pittsburgh’s own Modey Lemon and Grand Buffet, Francis will bring his lyrical whirlwind into town to show people that the hip-hop scene is thriving and moving forward.