Biography
Paul Francis came into the world in 1977 in Miami, Florida, yet spent the bulk of his childhood in Providence, Rhode Island. Drawn to rap’s poetic dimension, he began crafting rhymes at eight years old and later captured the Superbowl Battle title in Boston in 1999 plus Scribble Jam crowns in Cincinnati in 2000 and 2001, the latter pair under the guise of his metal-styled alter ego Xaul Zan. After completing an A.A. in communications at Dean College in Massachusetts and a B.A. in journalism at the University of Rhode Island-Kingston—where he launched the since-disbanded Art Official Intelligence—he turned his focus to solo releases.
An outspoken political voice and committed vegetarian, Francis inaugurated his Sick Of series in 2000 on his own Strange Famous Records with Still Sick...Urine Trouble, then followed with Sick of Waiting Tables in 2001, Sick of Waging War in 2002 (home to the track “Makeshift Patriot,” laid down precisely thirty days after the September 11 attacks), and Sickly Business in 2004. He also dropped Personal Journals via Anticon in 2002 before becoming Epitaph Records’ first rap signing in 2004; the label issued the long-awaited A Healthy Distrust in 2005. In 2007 he collaborated with composer and trumpeter Mark Isham on the Pride and Glory soundtrack, which starred Edward Norton, and two pieces from those sessions appeared on his own album Human the Death Dance that same year.
Francis forms one half of Non-Prophets alongside producer and DJ Joe Beats; the duo’s first outing was the 1999 12-inch Drop Bass/Bounce/I Keep Calling on Emerge Records. Their full-length Hope arrived on Lex Records in 2004. The brooding Human the Death Dance surfaced in 2007, featuring beats from Alias, Buck 65, and Odd Nosdam plus two Isham productions. His debut for the Anti label, 2010’s Li(F)e, took an entirely fresh path with sole production by Brian Deck and contributions from members of Califone, Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, Calexico, and Sparklehorse. Copper Gone, released in 2014, returned to hip-hop’s multi-producer approach with tracks from Buck 65, Alias, and additional beatmakers.
An outspoken political voice and committed vegetarian, Francis inaugurated his Sick Of series in 2000 on his own Strange Famous Records with Still Sick...Urine Trouble, then followed with Sick of Waiting Tables in 2001, Sick of Waging War in 2002 (home to the track “Makeshift Patriot,” laid down precisely thirty days after the September 11 attacks), and Sickly Business in 2004. He also dropped Personal Journals via Anticon in 2002 before becoming Epitaph Records’ first rap signing in 2004; the label issued the long-awaited A Healthy Distrust in 2005. In 2007 he collaborated with composer and trumpeter Mark Isham on the Pride and Glory soundtrack, which starred Edward Norton, and two pieces from those sessions appeared on his own album Human the Death Dance that same year.
Francis forms one half of Non-Prophets alongside producer and DJ Joe Beats; the duo’s first outing was the 1999 12-inch Drop Bass/Bounce/I Keep Calling on Emerge Records. Their full-length Hope arrived on Lex Records in 2004. The brooding Human the Death Dance surfaced in 2007, featuring beats from Alias, Buck 65, and Odd Nosdam plus two Isham productions. His debut for the Anti label, 2010’s Li(F)e, took an entirely fresh path with sole production by Brian Deck and contributions from members of Califone, Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, Calexico, and Sparklehorse. Copper Gone, released in 2014, returned to hip-hop’s multi-producer approach with tracks from Buck 65, Alias, and additional beatmakers.
Albums
Copper Gone
2014
Li(f)e
2010
The Chroma Session Ep
2008
Human The Death Dance
2007
A Healthy Distrust
2005
Personal Journals
2002
Singles
