| Personal Journals | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 16, 2002 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 59:01 | |||
| Label | Anticon | |||
| Producer | Sixtoo, DJ Mayonnaise, Jel, Scott Matelic, Reanimator, Alias, Odd Nosdam, Controller 7, Mr. Dibbs, Joe Beats | |||
| Sage Francis chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Personal Journals | ||||
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Personal Journals is the first solo studio album by American rapper Sage Francis. It was released on Anticon in 2002. It peaked at number 8 on CMJ's Hip-Hop chart. [1] As of 2005, it has sold 36,000 units. [2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  [4] |
| Dusted Magazine | favorable [5] |
| Pitchfork | 8.7/10 [6] |
| RapReviews.com | 9.5/10 [7] |
| Spin | 7/10 [8] |
| Stylus Magazine | A− [9] |
| Vibe | [10] |
Chris Dahlen of Pitchfork gave the album an 8.7 out of 10, saying, "Personal Journals is a success because it turns the self-examination into poetry and then, harder still, turns the poems into great rap." [6] Stanton Swihart of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying, "The soundscapes that his team of producers came up with are every bit as unorthodox and superlative." [3] Clay Jarvis of Stylus Magazine gave the album a grade of "A−," calling it "the finest hip hop album of this year." [9]
Daniel Thomas-Glass of Dusted Magazine said, "The combination of Sage Francis's boldly self-searching poetry with the beats of some of underground hip hop's most talented producers is out-and-out breathtaking, from the opener 'Crack Pipes,' that brilliantly flips Sixtoo's impossible-to-rhyme-over beat from his instrumental opus The Secrets That Houses Keep, to the closing bars of 'Runaways,' the Joey Beats-produced outro that is quite haunting in its beauty." [5]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crack Pipes" | Sixtoo | 2:25 |
| 2. | "Different" | Sixtoo | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Personal Journalist" | DJ Mayonnaise | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Inherited Scars" | DJ Mayonnaise | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Climb Trees" | Jel | 3:57 |
| 6. | "Broken Wings" | Scott Matelic | 3:59 |
| 7. | "The Strange Famous Mullet Remover" | Reanimator | 2:39 |
| 8. | "Smoke and Mirrors" | Jel | 3:13 |
| 9. | "Message Sent" | Alias | 4:24 |
| 10. | "Eviction Notice" | Odd Nosdam | 3:31 |
| 11. | "Pitchers of Silence" | Sixtoo | 2:46 |
| 12. | "Specialist" | Controller 7 | 4:13 |
| 13. | "Hopeless" | 1:12 | |
| 14. | "Kill Ya' Momz" | Mr. Dibbs | 1:59 |
| 15. | "Black Sweatshirt" | Sixtoo | 2:08 |
| 16. | "Cup of Tea" | Sixtoo | 2:14 |
| 17. | "My Name Is Strange" | 3:21 | |
| 18. | "Runaways" | Joe Beats | 6:07 |
Credits adapted from liner notes.
Paul William "Sage" Francis is an American independent underground rapper from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of Strange Famous Records.
Anticon was an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1998 by seven musicians and manager Baillie Parker. It was collectively owned among six musicians, co-founder Parker, and manager Shaun Koplow. The original musicians signed to Anticon were once referred to as the Anticon collective. Following the death of one of its founding members in 2018, the label dissolved.
David P. Madson, better known by his stage name Odd Nosdam, is an American underground hip hop producer, DJ and visual artist. He is co-founder of the record label Anticon. He has remixed tracks by a variety of bands and artists including Boards of Canada, The Notwist, and Sole.
Sixtoo was the main project of Canadian underground hip hop DJ, producer and rapper Vaughn Robert Squire between 1996 and 2007. He has since retired the Sixtoo name, and is pursuing other directions in electronic music, with a large genre shift from experimental hip hop to deeper club sounds of various tempos. He has also released music as Speakerbruiser Rob, and Prison Garde.
Hope is the first studio album by American hip hop duo Non-Prophets. It was released on Lex Records on September 29, 2003. The album was produced entirely by Joe Beats and all vocal duties were handled by Sage Francis. "Damage" was released as a single from the album. The album peaked at number 9 on the CMJ Hip-Hop chart.
A Healthy Distrust is the second solo studio album by American rapper Sage Francis. It was released on Epitaph Records in 2005. It peaked at number 12 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 17 on the Independent Albums chart.
Non-Prophets was a hip-hop duo consisting of rapper Sage Francis and producer Joe Beats.
Selling Live Water is a solo studio album by American hip hop artist Sole. It was released on Anticon in 2003. It peaked at number 126 on the CMJ Radio 200 chart, as well as number 7 on CMJ's Hip-Hop chart.
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and "scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, using a drum machine or sequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop.
Bottle of Humans is the debut solo studio album by American hip hop artist Sole. It was released on Anticon in 2000. It peaked at number 14 on CMJ's Top 25 Hip-Hop chart.
Brendon Whitney, better known by his stage name Alias, was a producer and rapper from Hollis, Maine. He was a co-founder of the indie hip hop record label Anticon.
Jeffrey James Logan, better known by his stage name Jel, is an American hip hop producer and rapper. He is co-founder of the record label Anticon. He has been a member of Presage, Themselves, Subtle, and 13 & God.
Mr. Dibbs is an American DJ and hip hop producer. He is the Founder of 1200 HOBOS [dj/graff collective]. He was also one of the founders of Scribble Jam.
The No Music is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Themselves. It was released on Anticon in 2002. It peaked at number 183 on the CMJ Radio 200 chart, as well as number 13 on CMJ's Hip-Hop chart. A remix version of the album, The No Music of AIFFs, was released in 2003.
Sleep No More is the first studio album by American hip hop producer DJ Signify. It was released on Lex Records on April 20, 2004. It features guest appearances from Sage Francis and Buck 65. The album peaked at number 86 on the CMJ Top 200 chart.
Adam Arnone, better known by his stage name Adeem, is an American rapper from Keene, New Hampshire. He is best known for his work in the hip hop group Glue and for winning the Scribble Jam Emcee Battle in 1998 and 2001. He is also the owner of ECHO FINCH, a creative agency and music label.
Chris Greer, better known by his stage name DJ Mayonnaise, is an alternative hip hop producer and DJ from Portland, Maine. He has released two albums on Anticon.
The Other Side of the Looking Glass is the debut solo studio album by American hip hop musician Alias. It was released on Anticon in 2002. It features a guest appearance from Doseone.
No More Wig for Ohio is a studio album by American hip hop producer Odd Nosdam. It was released on Anticon in 2003. It peaked at number 175 on the CMJ Radio 200 chart.
Look Mom... No Hands is the first solo studio album by American hip hop musician Vast Aire, one half of the duo Cannibal Ox. It was released on Chocolate Industries on April 27, 2004. It features contributions from MF Doom, RJD2, Madlib, Aesop Rock, and Sadat X. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.
