Born in 1977 in Miami, the artist formerly known as Paul Francis was raised in the not-so-rough-and-tumble streets of Providence, Rhode Island, which is hardly anyone’s idea of a haven for aspiring hip-hop heads. The future underground icon began rhyming at the age of eight before ultimately winning the Superbowl Battle in Boston in 1999 and the Scribble Jam in Cincinnati in 2000 and 2001 (the last under the name of his metal alter-ego, Xaul Zan), and got his B.A. in Journalism from the University of Rhode Island at Kingston. After the demise of his first group, Art Official Intelligence, Francis began working on solo material, and in 2004 became the first rap artist signed to the traditionally punk-friendly Epitaph Records. Which all goes a long way towards saying that Sage Francis is not your typical hip-hop emcee.

Coming two years after his critically acclaimed Epitaph debut, A Healthy Distrust, Human the Death Dance is being billed as Francis’ most personal record to date, offering diehard fans a glimpse inside the mind of one of progressive rap’s finest wordsmiths. Opening with Growing Pains, a track offering amusing samples of some of Francis’ earliest hip-hop efforts, the album starts in earnest with the Odd Nosdam-produced Underground for Dummies, on which the white rapper rhymes: “Stalking, walking in my big black boots/I’m a DIY artist with thick grass roots/I had a couple managers as a youth/I was too young to know better/But I was like, ‘What does a manager do?’/Now one of them, he saw dollar signs in my skin color/The other? He said to keep it under cover.” Set atop an old school beat with choir-like voice accents, the track offers up a riveting and succinct career bio, catching newcomers up on what they’ve missed.

Elsewhere, producer Buck 65 adds an infectious Delta blues groove to Got Up This Morning, a haunting tale about a crossroads-style hook-up between the protagonist and a sinful siren who may or may not be Mephistopheles, on which Francis throws in Charles Bukowski references and a sultry vocal hook. Odd pairing of the year honors go to the string-laden dynamics of Good Fashion and the piano- and harp-driven balladry of Water Line, both of which are collaborations with critically acclaimed trumpeter/film composer Mark Isham, whose eerie, emotional melodies provide perfect counterpoints for some of the most poignant and revealing lyrics of the MC’s career.

Yet another rising underground producer, Alias, drops in on Keep Moving, a uniquely creative track featuring a mandolin riff over jeep-thumping beats. But despite the presence of multiple chefs in this mature musical pot, the 16-track effort flows seamlessly from start to finish and stands out as Sage Francis’ most accessible album to date. It’s not exactly a bid at mainstream acceptance—the themes of emotional angst and dark humor are a bit too deep for the Hot 97s of the world—but it is evidence that the emcee isn’t afraid of putting himself out there in search of a connection with his listeners.