Name: Sage the Gemini
Age: 21
Born: Fairfield, CA
Credits: (Personal singles) “Gas Pedal,” “Red Nose”
Sage The Gemini is intent on making a name for himself, and with two singles on the charts, he’s well on his way. The 21-year-old, born Domonic Wynn Woods, hails from Fairfield, Calif. and is among a new batch of talent buzzing out of the Bay Area.His Gas Pedal EP spawned back-to-back hit singles “Red Nose,” and “Gas Pedal,” the latter of which features fellow Bay spitter/producer Iamsu! The single peaked at No. 29 on Billboard’s Hot 100, giving both artists their first time in the Top 40, and the visual, helmed by Suj the Director, scooped up more than 23 million views on YouTube.
In August, the rapper/producer (who crafted the beats for his singles, by the way) signed to Republic Records and is still riding the wave from two certified heaters to his name.
For Hip-Hop Wired’s latest edition of our “Beatmakers” feature series, we spoke with the HBK member about why he started producing for himself, L.A. versus Bay Area music, and the moment he felt like a “real artist.”
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Photos: Facebook/Republic Records
Hip-Hop Wired: When did you fist start loving music?
Sage The Gemini: I always had a love for music. I don’t know when it started, but as far as the production I was a beatmaker when I was 14 years old, but it started [becoming more important] when I was asking people for beats and they wouldn’t give me ’em unless I paid, or they just said no. So I ended up getting a program called Fruity Loops. My cousin, I used to always see him make beats on it, so I downloaded it and I just started making my own beats. At first I was garbage. I was garbage as f— [laughs].
Hip-Hop Wired: How long did it take you to make a beat?
Sage The Gemini: For me to make a full beat, whether it was good or not, it took about 30 days.
Hip-Hop Wired: Did you get inspiration from other producers, or was it all you?
Sage The Gemini: It was all me but after I started making beats, the people that I started listening too was Pharrell, Iamsu!, and Timbaland.
Hip-Hop Wired: Iamsu! is featured on your “Gas Pedal” record, and you’re of course both from the Bay. How did that collaboration come about?
Sage The Gemini: My brother Smoothie Baby, I used to make beats for him. Su was supposed to do a song for him, and he came to my house so I was just like ‘I got this song, lemme see if you like it.’ I played it for him, he was like ‘Oooh!’ and he got on it.
Hip-Hop Wired: You’re pretty new to the game, how does it feel to have people respond well to your music?
Sage The Gemini: It feels good! It still feels like it’s not real, like ‘I’ll wake up any day now’ but I still ain’t woke up so it’s like damn, how much Nyquil did I drink! [Laughs]. I’m just like man, this is crazy. When I did the DJ Skee [show] I performed with a live band, I felt like a real artist. For the first time, it felt real.
“Gas Pedal” and “Red Nose” those are was like playful songs to get people to notice me. They’re creative, ‘say anything’ type songs. I made the beats sounds tight of course, if you make anything with a weak a– beat…I woulda still be where I started. Now people. like ‘damn who is this kid?’ Now that you guys are looking at me, I wanna show you that I can really rap. I been doing that lately and people been like “what the f— is goin on? how’d you learn to rap so fast.” I’m like ‘I knew how to rap already!”
Hip-Hop Wired: It’s good that you were smart enough to know how to get attention.
Sage The Gemini: People just worry about getting collabs, they worry about doing this and doing that…tryna take the easy way out. No! Hard work really pays off, you really gotta’ master your craft.
Hip-Hop Wired: Do you think L.A.’s “ratchet” sound is the same as the Bay’s?
Sage The Gemini: I feel as though L.A. heard our sound and felt like it was a very nice sound and [they] were like ‘Hey, let’s join [them]!’ [Laughs]. They wanted to rock wit’ us, as much as they don’t want to admit it.
Hip-Hop Wired: I don’t know if L.A. is completely copying off the Bay though. I feel like it’s all one group.
Sage The Gemini: [Laughs] I didn’t say ‘copying off the Bay.’ Yes we are one group….I don’t know. I want you to listen back in 2006. Listen to L.A. music and listen to the Bay music. Our sound has stayed the same, but the music now is just now getting recognized, but we been doing this. Perfect example, like the Clyde Carson, The Team’s “got my vans on but they look like sneakers….” we been had that. You feel me? The creepy sounds and the high base, and stuff like that. We been doing that but now everybody thinks it’s an L.A. sound and I don’t have a problem with that. As far as I’m concerned any promotion is promotion.
Hip-Hop Wired: Do you feel like it’s your responsibility to always rep the Bay?
Sage The Gemini: Oh yeah, of course! We need the attention to go our way. I’m tired of hearing people saying, ‘I’m finna move to the L.A. to pursue my dream…. I’ma move to New York to pursue my dream.’ Why can’t nobody say ‘I’m finna move to the Bay to purse my dreams?’ Why can’t we have that recognition? But one of us has to do it. One of us has to bring attention to the Bay Area. It don’t matter who it is. I have the flame right now I guess, I’ma work hard so that people say “I’ma go to the Bay to pursue my dream.” You feel me? I’ma bring all that out there.
Hip-Hop Wired: That’s good.
Sage The Gemini: And I’m not at all hating on nobody [from L.A.]. I’m not at all hating on nobody, like I love [DJ] Mustard’s beats, I love everybody else’s beats, like they’re all clean…we’re a unit. But we just need to know where it started from ,the foundation. We just need to let people know. I’m not hater, it’s just my responsibly to tell people this [L.A.’s ratchet sound] came from the Bay Area. It’s super hyphy.
Hip-Hop Wired: What do you have coming up next?
Sage The Gemini: I’m working on an album, it’s called Remember Me, it’s coming out January, don’t know the date.
Hip-Hop Wired: Did you produce all of the beats for that project?
Sage The Gemini: No, I produced probably half of them. There [are] some produced by Tha Biziness, Jay. Ant, and most of them P-Lo. I love P-Lo beats, so we rocking out with P-Lo right now.
