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Pitchfork.com is currently premiering "Slow Man" the first song off the new album Li(f)e by celebrated iconoclastic rapper Sage Francis. The song is a unique collaboration originating from a musical composition by Arizona based Tex-Mex, alt-country rockers Calexico. The music was subsequently arranged by lyricist Francis and recorded in studio by Jim Becker and Tim Rutili of experimental folk ensemble Califone under the guidance of producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Gomez).

The end result is an intensely captivating and moody blues tinged shuffle which powerfully complements Francis' soulful, world weary delivery and unconventionally ruminating lyrics: ""If you can't keep up to speed with the mother ship and can't take the heat then your man needs the oven mitts. I can't be the judge of it. These hands bleed because they reached for some answers and got trampled by a stampede of know-it-all homogeneous types. The look-alikes. The kids burn my music and the parents burn the books I write. "

"This song went through quite the journey before it became the official version people are now hearing." Francis explains. "It's been over a decade ago since I had my short stint as a resident of Brooklyn, NY but much of the song has me reflecting back on that time, applying it to my current living situation. I'm not sure if it was because of the energy of that city or because I was still young and impressionable, but it definitely made its impact. Everything between now and then seems like a blur, but of course back then nothing was moving fast enough for me. The slow man likes to hurry up and wait."

Li(f)e is the innovative fourth album by Sage Francis and features additional collaborations with artists Jason Lytle, Tim Fite, Yann Tiersen, Mark Linkous, Chris Walla, DeVotchKa, and Jim Becker and Tim Rutili of Califone. Li(f)e will be available May 11th via Anti Records.

To hear the song Slow Man off Sage Francis' new album Li(f)e at Pitchfork.com, just go here.

Sage Francis' artist page