Säge, The 64th Wonder

Receo Gibson grew up in Chicago’s south suburbs on a steady diet of geek culture. His original rapper name was Shintendo64, an element of which he’s kept alive—after local producer Sage Nebulous gave Gibson the moniker Sage, Gibson augmented it by tacking on “the 64th Wonder.” Fortunately, knowledge of the anime that Gibson finds inspiring isn’t necessary to enjoy his music. His June mixtape, God’s Hand, is filled with the kind of dusted-off instrumentals prefered by hip-hop artists endeared of the genre’s “golden age,” and like the best of them, Gibson doesn’t linger on the past so much as he uses it to push himself forward. His baritone voice exudes the murkiness of his darkest beats, and I’m sometimes far more interested in the way he sounds than in what he’s rapping. Still, throughout God’s Hand Gibson proves himself adept, and with cuts such as the wobbly “Hokage” and the upbeat “Metal Face Seji,” he’s planting the flag not just for himself but for his entire collective, Slumpgang777. - Chicago Reader

Introduce yourself

Yo. My names Säge, The 64th Wonder and I’m an MC & Producer currently on the West side of Chicago.

How was life growing up?

Life growing wasn’t too bad. Aside from obvious struggles being black in America, I can say I’ve had a pretty good life up to date.

When did you begin to witness you had creative talents?

Honestly as far as I can remember. I’ve always had a creative outlook on things and it kind of sculpted my life and system of creation.

Where does the name Sage, The 64th Wonder come from?

The name was given to me by my fellow Slumpgang777 cohort’s Sage Nebulous & Sage Hitomi (sagevideōs). My old name used to be Shintendo64 so I combined the two. Also, 9th Wonder is one of my favorite producers so there’s that.

When did you first start getting interested in making music?

I actually figured it out I was interested while working a part time job in 2010. Didn’t think I would take it serious up until late 2011-early 2012. Things started to pick up in the year 2014. Gang and I went to SXSW and had a bittersweet time being there. After we returned home we picked up our pace which in turn created an upsurge in paid shows.

I want to talk about your writing for a second. Where do you draw inspiration for your writing process?

I draw inspiration from the people around me, my family and honestly the anime I watch. Women also play a factor..more or less. Oh also being broker than others kinda annoys me into working/writing hard.

Lets talk about your song 777. That’s your biggest song. When you put it out, did you think it would be your biggest song?

I wouldn’t say it’s my biggest song haha. It’s probably got a lot of plays, but I def didn’t think it’d be a song I’d be talking about today to be honest. My favorite song which I think is my biggest is “Uchiha Seji”.


Talk about Sagewav

Aside from the toonami approach I had no concepts. I’ve been putting together these random mix tapes and it’s starting to show. I have a spotty discography and this project was meant to solidify that I have more work to do. My favorite song would have to be A Stardust Memory. As far as the feedback it was alright. People enjoyed it, but I knew I didn’t deliver.


Recently you just put out God’s Hand. Talk about this project.

A car accident and MF DOOM inspired this project. During this time I went through a series of weird shit. Luckily I made it out ha. My favorite song on this project would have to be Nokia Trap featuring Logan2600!


You produced majority of this project, can we be expecting more of that on your future projects?

Oh but of course. Unless my guy Okugawa is producin some shit too. Other than that it’s hard to find beats that suit me.

Rumor is you’re walking on a new EP for the fall. Can you talk about it?

I am working, but I have no title yet. Updates will surface as time rolls.

When it’s all said and done how would you like to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as the Hokage of my State. Fuck it the world. Also my consistency when it comes to dropping good music. - Chicago Creatives

In a sphere of so many young MCs taking cues from the sound du jour, Chicago rhymer Sage The 64th Wonder is ideating his own subgenre: Shikigami Jazz. He offered the first introduction to it on Christmas, with the release of his debut SAGEWAV LP. The 17 track projects covers many themes ever-relevant to Millennials, such as inner discontent, trying to be an individual in a cacophony of groupthink, and the vices one explores after realizing, “every human in this shit lacks initiative,” as he decreed on “Guardian of The 64th Wonder.”

To Sage’s credit, he doesn’t let the nihilism consume him. He defiantly offers verbal middle fingers to all that oppose the ethos of he and his Slump Gang crew, ultimately balancing his angst with lyrical onslaughts of social commentary and asking for “energy combined with affinity” on “Juxtaposition.” Sage rhymes with an impassioned swiftness throughout the project, whether on the uptempo, jazz-influenced boom bap tracks or the more methodical, experimental trap sound such as standout “Slumped.” The sonic shift towards the end of the album allows Sage to explore the entirety of his artistry. Overall, SAGEWAV is an impressive premiere of “the new wave of soundscapes globally,” as Sage put it. - IMPOSE

The man man formerly known as Lunxch, now Sage, The 64th Wonder, returns to our pages today with his new 7 track EP, ‘A Better Tomorrow.’ Earlier this year, we featured his song, “Breathe.” Which is my personal favorite track on the project. At first listen, I instantly thought Sage had a heavy Mick Jenkins influence so if you’re a fan of master lyricist, Mick Jenkins, you’ll definitely enjoy, ‘A Better Tomorrow.’ Production in this project was handled by, GXDS HAND, Emperor Bohe, Khalil Halim and ocean jams. Don’t wait any longer, press play below and enjoy Sage, The 64thWonder’s latest work. - Lyrical Lemonade

Säge, The 64th Wonder makes his debut on our pages with his new EP, A Better Tomorrow. The Chicago MC and producer, hailing from the south suburbs, is a member of the SLUMPGANG777 collective. If you have been to any underground Chicago rap shows in the past few years, you have probably seen Säge, or someone in their collective. - Ruby Hornet

After experimenting with a different persona (under the name Lunxch) and a slew of singles, A Better Tomorrow welcomes us back to Säge, The 64th Wonder’s world. GXDS HAND, Khalil Halim, Emperor Bohe & [ocean jams] deliver Säge with a dark sonic canvas to share his upbringing in the south suburbs, SlumpGang hijinks and animation references. At just 18 minutes, the project is easy to digest and a simple way to introduce yourself to a very intriguing talent. - Mild Sauce Radio

Sage, the 64th Wonder teams up with Tone Beats to make his return with “Buddah Pom Slump.” The track is a short 1:43, but Sage makes plenty use of his time aggressively fitting bar after bar, attacking the wack rappers who stand before him. - Fake Shore Drive

“Just breathe, chill. You got it some are listening.”

Functioning as a reminder to keep working and moving towards your goals, ‘Breathe’ is the first single on Lunxch’s up coming album, set to drop in April of this year. Formally known as Sage, the 64th Wonder, Lunxch provides more of a lo-fi, laid-back vibe as he spits nothing but bars over the short track. - Fake Shore Drive

Chicago's Lunxch to lets loose and has some fun on this one. “Lunxchraps” follows February's, “Breath”, as the second single leading up to an EP you can expect to be released in late April. Lunxch's dark flows and edited vocals make another appearance on this record. He takes this opportunity to launch some aggressive bars towards the competition. The symbiotic nature of a self-produced track comes through here as the production and vocal performance seem to have been created with each other in mind. Lunxch will be linking up with the rest of his collective, The Terra Godz, next week at House of Vans in Chicago for a free show. Follow Lunxch for new music coming soon and check back here for more of his upcoming shows. - EARMILK