Stanisland Magazine

It’s a modern masterpiece of hip-hop, full of fiery writings and musings of untold caliber. Karl Sage delivered a work of art that will impress not just buffs of the genre, but music lovers too.

VERDICT:

Karl Sage is relatively unknown within the hip-hop world, though his skill is undeniable when put to the ears of the uninitiated. His partnership with GG Peney of Lifelong Records is the ultimate supportive structure between rapper and producer, cementing a formidable duo not seen for years.

Following his debut release, The Hunter, his sophomore effort was highly anticipated by those who know him with an ability to split hairs between hip-hop fans over what might be to come from the London lad of pronounced potential. But sure enough, his debut album landed in the shape of The Picture of Dorian Sage, a title inspired by celebrated Irish author/poet Oscar Wilde.

On its opening track Dorian Gray, Sage invokes his penmanship with a foray into intelligent lyrical hammerings, further emancipated into sound through his distinct style of dispatch. His up-tempo flow, powdered by haunting music supplied by his production colleague, amplifies the notion of his intent to lay down the gauntlet.

The same style continues in Cigarettes & Gin, whereby Sage prohibits the advancement of suggestion that he may not be the British Isle’s greatest. But he has proven he’s qualified for his shot at the title and has done so again and again. His penchant for well-rehearsed flows and dissemination of skill lies in the work he produces, not through gimmicks or public relations stunts.

City Overtones is where listeners can fully gravitate toward the record, where Sage sets up a slow-paced number, offering his record to anyone who may wish to join in on the listening party. United with fellow Londoner Melanin 9, the pair steer heads toward the occupations of city life, and destitution, through descriptive elements of urbanized tolerances of unhealthy living within the effects of a privatized system.

On Blank Canvas, Sage parts words with hooks that marry to the verses he dispatches on a track where he lays out pensive thoughts. This leads us to Free Your Mind, a track that recalibrates the album with slow tempos and a variant of his traditional flow.

Bad Girl begins with a curve ball through its production, slamming home narratives of experiences with women and, once again, a decent hook and chorus sample. But The cherry on the cake of this album is its outro in the shape of End Of The Road, where Sage partners with a vocalist for a song that would surely be welcome on any radio show, letting us know that he has got way more in the tank than just TPODS.

The entire album focuses on a return to the melodies of what hip-hop should be, with a modernized flurry of well-rehearsed and constructed rhyme schemes over highly proficient music. The production curation is of the highest order, and the artist has undoubtedly spent time choosing what works well, avoiding popular trends to air authentic leanings.

Overall, The Picture Of Dorian Sage is a masterpiece, filling in elements for all types of music heads. It retains a sense of hip-hop without trying too hard and stays clear of unnecessary lyrical inclusions. Filtered by a skill set not seen for some time, it is remedied by its sincerity and esteemed by its honesty. There is something for everyone on this joint.