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Written by Chris Schott Monday, 04 June 2007 15:05

The songs vary in style, giving artistic dignity to the track producer while allowing Sage to share the spotlight, giving credit where credit is due—a selfless rapper, imagine that.

In hip-hop, consistency is everything. For Sage Francis, stability has become second nature, as easy as breathing, album after album standing strong as testaments of a man with a lot to say and more than the means to say it. Human the Death Dance once again brings the immediacy and relevance that has become expected of Sage Francis, and hip-hop in general, as so much is reliant on the words themselves. Francis, as a battle rapper and poet, knows this all too well; his talents often reaching far beyond his contemporaries, it wouldn't be a stretch to call him not only one of the best rappers today, but easily one of the smartest.

Death Dance starts off with a reminder: that Sage Francis is a veteran, his dues paid and his skills mastered. Rough cuts from a young Francis rapping through the ages kick starts the album into "Underground for Dummies," a rehash of the beef Francis had with MC Serch ("Pop goes the weasel 'cuz the weasel goes pop") and his VH1 reality debacle The White Rapper Show. It quickly becomes clear that Francis wants to draw a line in the sand between being a white rapper and being a good rapper. Francis also makes it known that selfishness in the music business comes in all shapes, sizes and colors...even white, as art often takes a backseat to greed. "Irony is dead/ It's so motherfucking dead/ I was there by its death bed/ And the last words that it said was ‘white boy.'" Francis' proof of skill remains in his poetry, keeping words on the forefront, making his lyrics do all the work for him.

The production within Death Dance is impeccable; showcasing numerous beats from some various up-and-comers in the hip hop community. Tracks from Odd Nosdam, Buck 65, Alias, and Reanimator all make the cut. With Buck 65's "Got Up This Morning," a showcase on his slightly dirt-road country style are just a big a highlight as Francis' rhymes. This is where the album truly becomes a showcase of a hip-hop community, not just one man. The songs vary in style, giving artistic dignity to the track producer while allowing Sage to share the spotlight, giving credit where credit is due—a selfless rapper, imagine that.

In an age where hip-hop is more about materialism rather than skill and substance, rappers like Sage Francis become more important with every beat and rhyme. The genre of hip=hop has so much to offer, as it remains an untapped resource of creativity. As Human the Death Dance becomes another victory for Francis, another piece of the puzzle is put into place. A | Chris Schott