B.C.

( 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 )

( 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | Current )

2008

 **face palm** Unfortunately, I could not find the MP3 file of the 1st song I ever made. But I can tell you it was for a science project assigned around October where everyone was to make and record a song about various Earth Science topics. Ainsley and I, along with a third person, were in a group for this project. We chose to rap about the atmosphere over the “Mr. Me Too” instrumental by The Clipse ft. Pharell.

I was 14 years old at the time… still didn’t have a rap name or even thought about one.

These were the terrible quality t-shirts I was peddling at school to make extra cash. I used regular Hanes undershirts, inkjet iron-on transfer paper, and made “designs” using Window’s Paint. (Didn’t have many customers but after a year I was able to buy a USB microphone with the profits).

 2009

Unfortunately again, I don’t have the original files MP3 or video files for this year but the same crew was together for another science project. This time we we’re assigned to make a video covering types of natural disasters. If I’m remembering correctly, ours was on tsunamis. We decided to make another song and then make a music video and documentary to go along it. Long story short, we rapped over the “We Gonna Make It” instrumental by Jadakiss ft. Styles P and received a “B” grade.

At this point, it was spring ‘09 - I was 15 years old. Still without a rap name but I was writing more and more. This is where I’d say I found a new hobby outside of sports.

 2010

This was the year I consciously made the choice to pursue a rap career (now 16). I figured I needed to release a mixtape such as this one here. I barely knew anything about what I was doing. I was using Garageband and just added random sound effects for mixing.

 2011

Wow… 2011… what a year that was for me haha. Man, I was a junior in high school, staying out late, partying, doing stupid things that kids do and thinking it was cool. I was very “impressionable” - always trying to be down with whatever but too pussy to follow through with anything.

Nonetheless, I was getting better in all facets of rap. I still wasn’t comfortable with my voice at the time so I would try making my voice deeper when I rapped and tried to sound aggressive thinking that was the way to portray “energy and liveliness” in my vocal takes. But, this was also the time that I believed that I could actually see a career in rap and started to act accordingly with it. Hence why I finally chose a “rap name” (Coy).

In terms of artistic ability, this was the year I actually gave producing records a legitimate shot and stuck to it. I would call Ainsley up and stay at his house all the time to cook up records for a lofty dream to release the holy grail of mixtapes called “Lyrical Champagne”.

Long story short, I kept promising a mixtape release date to people and each date came and passed without a mixtape. However, I did release a compilation of songs that didn’t make the unreleased tape. These are the “Lyrical Champagne Leftovers”.

 2012

2012 - the year where music blogging was at its greatest point and I was trying to get all in it. I graduated high school early in January 2012 and went to work… literally… I started working at AMC Theaters in Downtown Boston and writing music like crazy before heading off to college.

I figured that I should drop another mixtape (Lyrical Champagne: Cloud 9ine) but with a music video this time. And, as a result, I made my first REAL music video (not like my science project music video). The song was seeping teenage angst lol… Listening back and re-watching, I can tell I still wasn’t comfortable with my higher -pitch voice and actively tried masking it in the vocal performance. But, when I made this record, I was sooooo proud of it. Shouts to Clams Casino - his sound was godly back then!

Fun fact: This mixtape was featured on the Masked Gorilla blog. If you could find the article, you’ll get bonus points.

 2013

FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE. It’s going to happen to everybody but what matters is how we bounce back and push through. This was year “Clark Sage” was born! “SAGE” was an abbreviation for “Success Attained by Great Efforts” which was meant go hand in hand with my rap conquest to “make it by 20 years old.” That’s how “SAGE BY TWENTY” came to be.

Here is the original Kickstarter campaign video. To this day, I still use one of the designs as a “Requisite” available in my store.

 2014

Back in 2014, my vision on my direction as an artist was crystal clear. I knew what type of career I was striving for. Essentially, this was the time I started thinking about how I could become profitable as a rapper.

So I started carrying myself as such and really trying to shake off the amateurish look and style I had. I knew I wanted to be great and leave a mark on the world so I was looking for a way to stand out. Therefore, I started uploading my photos with my face blurred to manufacture mystique and create hype from intrigue like Daft Punk but before “Yeezus mask Kanye”

In hindsight, I should’ve have taken these records on “The Modest Anomaly” to a studio to be mixed and mastered instead of doing it myself. However, I still find this release to be easily audible and, as a result, I am proud to claim this release.

This album shows some assertiveness in my career and is a provides a pivotal growth point for people to hear from after consuming my latest material.

 2015

This was an “off” year for me. I was busy writing another album and still promoting “The Modest Anomaly” from 2014. I did get to release a few singles but I decided to hold them for the “For Something Greater” album which originally released in April 2016 under Clark Sage.

I did release these 3 songs, though, which is also the last time I ever wrote to another “industry beat”/ “remix”.

In addition, I shot a music video for a song that I later revised for “Rosedale”. This is the original version of "Now or Never" released as "Forever". I removed this song and video from circulation because I was never quite conent with the beat nor the way it sounded. I always felt it was missing that "big record" feel and I knew I could do better.