Sage Francis tour set

Sage Francis – world renowned rapper, poet, activist, humorist and cultural provocateur – has just wrapped work on the first video from his strongly-anticipated upcoming Epitaph release, Human The Death Dance, due May 8th. Lensed in Los Angeles with director Stoney Sharp, the clip for the single “Got Up This Morning” counts guests Buck 65 and Jolie Holland – who perform on the song – and cameos by Slug from Atmosphere, Brother Ali and labelmate DiVinCi from Sol.iLLaquists of Sound.

In related news, Francis will hit the road this spring in support of Human The Death Dance. Launching with a pair of dates in New York at the Bowery Ballroom on May 25th and 26th, Francis and his live band will headline a seven-week U.S. trek with support from the aforementioned Buck 65 and Alias. Following the headlining dates, Francis will then join the Rock The Bells Festival in New York City on July 28, San Bernadino, CA on August 11 and San Francisco, CA on August 18.

“It’s probably one of the most powerful projects I’ve put together to date,” the Providence, Rhode Island-bred Francis says. “It’s like my breakup album. There’s some real heavy and personal material on it.”

And early critical praise affirms this notion. In a 5-star review of the disc, URB writes, “Teeming with the kind of personality a live show begs for, Human the Death Dance comprises of 16 tracks that prove Sage can still spit that wry wit,” adding, “its tracks work together to form a cohesive, incredibly personal whole.”

From his dark, revelatory “Going Back To Rehab,” to his reflection on the importance of hip-hop in his life since age 8 on “Growing Pains” and the revenge fantasy “Clickety Clack” (which was written in the hours after he was robbed in Amsterdam), Francis – bolstered by the many facets of his complex persona – proves he just may be the best lyricist not just of his genre, but of his generation.

Here are Sage Francis’ upcoming tour dates:

05-23 Middle East, Boston, MA
05-24 Middle East, Boston, MA
05-25 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
05-26 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
05-27 Crazy Donkey, Long Island, NY
05-29 Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA
05-30 Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
05-31 Rock and Roll Hotel Theater, Washington, DC
06-01 Cat’s Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC
06-02 Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
06-04 Firestone, Orlando, FL
06-06 House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
06-07 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
06-08 Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
06-09 Emos, Austin, TX
06-11 Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM
06-12 Clubhouse, Phoenix, AZ
06-13 Congress Hotel, Tucson, AZ
06-15 Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, CA
06-16 Glass House, Pomona, CA
06-17 Soma, San Diego, CA
06-19 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
06-20 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
06-22 Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
06-23 Showbox Showroom, Seattle, WA
06-24 Night Light Theater, Bellingham, WA
06-25 Pavillion, Bend, OR
06-27 The Venue, Boise, ID
06-28 In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
06-29 Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
06-30 Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
07-02 Sokol Hall, Omaha, NE
07-03 Picadero, Iowa City, IA
07-05 First Ave, Minneapolis, MN
07-06 The Abbey, Chicago, IL
07-07 The Abbey, Chicago, IL
07-09 Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI
07-10 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI
07-11 Mr. Smalls, Pittsburgh, PA
07-12 Lupo’s, Providence, RI
07-28 Randall’s Island, NY, NY*
08-11 NOS Events Center, San Bernadino*
08-18 McCovey Cove Parking Lot, San Francisco, CA*
*Rock The Bells Festival