Simply put, Tre Hardson aka Slimkid3 is a legend. 'Underground For Dummies' ('Human the Death Dance', 2007) 'Whoremonger' ('Still Sickly Business,' 2005) MF DOOM) (Non-Prophets 'Damage' single, 2004) 'Jah Didn't Kill Johnny' ('A Healthy Distrust', 2005) He was the first hip hop artist signed to legendary punk rock label Epitaph, and he would later go on to launch his own Strange Famous Records, where he continues to release his own projects as well as the works of other artists. From the jump, Sage has never been afraid to occupy his own unique space in the landscape of rap music, incorporating influences from different genres of music, a rotating cast of collaborators, and a writing style that ranges from the fiercely political to the vulnerably personal. A veteran of the underground battle scene in which he won the Scribble Jam emcee battle in 2000, Sage was early in adopting a tour-heavy business model that found him relentlessly doing shows and hitting smaller markets in the 2000s.

In this episode I’m joined by Sage Francis, a rapper who was independent before claiming indie was cool. 'Got Fire' (w/ The Returners, 'Global Takeover', 2008) 'Money' feat Roc Marciano and Reef the Lost Cause ('The Money EP', 2009)

'Wrong Side of Da Tracks' (Artifacts, 'Between a Rock and a Hard Place', 1994) Akrobatik (w/ The Returners, 'GT2: Nu World', 2010) We also talk a little bit about the impromptu Artifacts reunion in 2009 that brought El and Tame together and set the stage for their upcoming third Artifacts album, produced entirely by Buckwild and carrying the torch for DJ Kaos, who unfortunately passed away in 2019 the album is scheduled to be released later this year. In this episode, we discuss: El’s a true working class emcee, and his dedication to his craft as a writer and as an independent artist has granted him a pretty unique experience that we uncover throughout this conversation. After Artifacts split up following their second album 'That’s Them' in 1997, El went on to have a prolific solo career, releasing nearly a dozen projects and consistently touring the globe on his own as well as with Polish hip hop duo The Returners. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesĪs a member of the Newark, New Jersey group Artifacts alongside Tame One and DJ Kaos, El Da Sensei is responsible for some bona fide 90s hip hop classics, including 'C'mon with the Git Down” and 'Wrong Side of da Tracks,' the group’s homage to the art of graffiti. Pete Rock and CL Smooth 'All Souled Out' ('All Souled Out,' 1991)īrand Nubian 'Step to the Rear' ('One For All,' 1990)Įmail: more about your ad choices. Ol' Dirty Bastard 'Brooklyn Zoo' ('Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version,' 1995)Įverlast 'Tired' ('Whitey Ford Sings the Blues,' 1998)ĭe La Soul 'Me, Myself, and I' ('3 Feet High and Rising,' 1989) In this episode, we discuss:ģrd Bass 'Kick 'Em in the Grill' feat Chubb Rock ('Derelicts of Dialect,' 1991)ĭel the Funky Homosapien 'Ya Lil Crumbsnatchers' ('I Wish My Brother George Was Here,' 1991) And this fall he will release ‘Son of the City,’ a memoir detailing his life as a crucial player in hip hop’s Golden Era. Dante played a significant role in crafting the sound and songs on House of Pain leader Everlast’s breakthrough solo album, 1998’s Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, and would later co-produce the Everlast and Carlos Santana song “Put Your Lights On,” on the latter’s Grammy-winning smash album ‘Supernatural.’ Dante is still active in the business to this day, and has signed and worked with more recent artists like Lil Dicky, Made in Tokyo, and Marlon Craft. Along with his friends John Gamble and Geeby Dajani, Ross was also one third of production group Stimulated Dummies, who worked with many of those acts behind the boards as well.

Dante signed artists such as Brand Nubian, KMD, Leaders of the New School, Busta Rhymes, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, to name a few. In the 90s, Dante was hired by Elektra Records as the first hip hop A&R man – not just Elektra’s first, but the record industry’s first. Dante Ross isn't an artist in the traditional sense, but the music industry exec/A&R/producer/engineer had a hand in dozens of classic records and is responsible for helping to cultivate the careers of some of hip hop’s biggest names.

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