Sage One turns into a retro rapper in his latest musical move, one that would make Art Laboe proud. The 21-year-old Costa Mesa wordsmith is dialing back the clock to the smooth vocal harmonies of doo wop. Melding classic cuts with boom bap beats, Sage One presents The Oldies But Goodies Collection. Samples of “I Only Have Eyes For You” by The Flamingos and Pete Wingfield's “18 With a Bullet,” show the merits of the audio experiment. Sage One's 420 makeover of “Mr. Sandman” stands out as the most hilarious with the chorus rhyming: “Mr. Weedman / Bring me some weed / You've got the dankest shit / That I've ever seen!” The Chordettes probably never thought of being re-imagined in such a way!
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Oldies getting a rap remix may be standard in the realm of Chicano Rap. But by stressing doo wop and showcasing his penchant for lyrical dexterity, Sage One's underground hip-hop version is original and fresh; a cut above the rest.
On what made a youngster like Sage One look to Doo Wop:
“To be honest it's me paying homage to my grandma Cookie! [laughs] She watched over me for a good amount of years while my mom was at work. Grandma Cookie bumped nothing but Oldies day in and day out. At my age, I thought it would be unique if this generation got a taste of what that era was like mixed with the boom bap and raw rhymes they like today.”
On what to expect for the Oldies But Goodies Collection Tour:
“Well, the first 2 shows are very unique, Stop #1 will be a $2 benefit show and 50% of the proceeds will go towards CHOC. The second show in Los Angeles will only have 20 tickets sold at $25 each and will be a one of a kind Oldies but Goodies art display & personal Show [invite only]. These tickets also get you a rare numbered grand package that comes with all types of goods valued over $75 each. Shows in Pomona, Las Vegas, Yuma, and Costa Mesa will be equipped with live art, breaking, And deejaying like a real Hip Hop show should. My overall goal is to push the project and have a lot of fun doing it! I hope you all are ready!”
Download Sage One's Oldies But Goodies Collection here: http://sageonethewise.bandcamp.com/
Save the date! Sage One kicks off the Oldies But Goodies Tour with JD, Vel the Wonder, Hands, Gremlin, Deejay Lala and more at DSTRD Truth HQ, 1020 N. Batavia St. Unit D, Orange, Sept. 6. $2. All Ages. Proceeds benefit Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)
See also:
The Top 10 Rappers in OC
10 More of OC's Best Rappers
Top Five Female Emcees in OC
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Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!