Remember Me is the debut studio album by American rapper Sage the Gemini. It was released on March 25, 2014, by HBK Gang Records, EMPIRE Recordings and Republic Records.[1] The album was produced by Gemini himself, The Exclusives, League of Starz, Tha Bizness and members of The Invasion such Jay Ant, Kuya Beats and P-Lo. The album features guest appearances from Iamsu!, Justin Bieber, Kool John, Jay Ant, P-Lo, Eric Bellinger, Berner and August Alsina, among others.
| Remember Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 25, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2012–14 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 40:26 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Sage the Gemini chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Remember Me | ||||
The album was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and Sage's vocals, but criticized its lyrical content. Remember Me debuted at number 47 on the US Billboard 200, selling 7,200 copies in its first-week. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over 500,000 copies in the United States. The album was supported by five singles: "Red Nose", "Gas Pedal" featuring Iamsu!, "College Drop" featuring Kool John, "Down On Your Luck" featuring August Alsina, and "Don't You".
Reception
editCritical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Exclaim! | 6/10[4] |
| HipHopDX | [5] |
| NOW |   [6] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[7] |
| RapReviews | 7/10[8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| USA Today | [10] |
| XXL | 3/5 (L)[11] |
Remember Me garnered positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 69, which indicates "generally favorable reviews," based on 10 reviews.[2]
Martin Caballero of USA Today said that "Gas Pedal" only hinted at what his debut album will showcase, which is "buoyed by energetic and richly textured beats, he deftly mixes slick raps with Auto-Tuned vocals on singles like 'Desert of Mirages'."[10] AllMusic's David Jeffries praised the album for containing tracks that exude the same energy that "Gas Pedal" did, calling it a very good party album and praising Sage for being "a great host, juggling familiar and fun with ease."[3] Pitchfork contributor Craig Jenkins praised Sage's production and vocal delivery for bringing a lot charm into the tracks, concluding that: "Remember Me keeps its mood light and its stakes low, and in the process delivers a much needed breezy counterpoint to all the knotty, fatalistic shit coming out of HBK's downstate peers that’s every bit as true to Cali as the gangsters and the thinkers."[7]
Patrick Taylor of RapReviews commended Sage for his production choices that "favor[s] ambient elements over dance elements" and establishing himself as a credible rapper with tracks like "Second Hand Smoke" and "Go Somewhere" that flesh out his character persona but felt he had a limited range of topics and resorted to more conventional hip-hop tropes that feel off with the record's spacious vibes. He concluding that: "It's frustrating that so many of the songs stick to the same clichéd themes because Sage can actually rap. He's got a low-key charm, spitting his rhymes effortlessly […] Remember Me "isn't a perfect album, but it has some great songs and a lot of promise. Sage the Gemini has established himself as an artist worth remembering.[8] HipHopDX writer Ronald Grant gave credit to both Sage and P-Lo for their consistent beat work throughout the track listing, highlighting both "Down On Your Luck" and "Mad at Me" for incorporating R&B sounds that give off a "more melodic, delicate quality", but was critical of the album overall feeling "indistinguishable" with its lyrical subject matter and production lacking "diversity, imagination and risk-taking" alongside similar rap radio content concluding with, "But what Sage The Gemini lacks in lyricism and engaging subject matter, he makes up for in magnetism and harmonic finesse. Remember Me's faults definitely hold it back, but it’s still largely likeable and satisfying when it comes to simply being festive West Coast party Hip Hop."[5]
Jordan Sowunmi from NOW noted how Sage's musicianship wasn't versatile and adopted the same production more suited for "short-burst Vine videos", but said there's an addictiveness to his "spare aesthetic" concluding that: "Overall, the record is buoyed by relentless exuberance and good-natured charm."[6] While finding the album filled with club tracks and lyricism that range from simplistic to odd, Jameel Raeburn of XXL found the production ear-grabbing and danceable, concluding that, "There's no question that Remember Me is best served with the volume turned all the way up."[11] Rolling Stone writer Christopher R. Weingarten was mixed about the album, giving credit to most of the tracks for being attention-grabbing but found it monotonous in its lyrical range.[9] Erin Lowers of Exclaim! also praised Sage's production and voice for being distinct but criticized his lack of deeper lyrical content and songs for not leaving a lasting impact, saying that he "presses the gas pedal too quickly before capturing your attention lyrically or sonically."[4]
Commercial performance
editThe album debuted at number 47 on the Billboard 200, selling 7,200 copies during its first-week in the United States.[12] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in the US on March 26, 2021.[13]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Remember Me" | P-Lo of The Invasion | 2:51 | |
| 2. | "Bad Girls" | Woods | Sage the Gemini | 2:23 |
| 3. | "Go Somewhere" (featuring Iamsu!) |
| Sage the Gemini | 4:31 |
| 4. | "Gas Pedal" (featuring Iamsu!) |
|
| 3:28 |
| 5. | "Red Nose" | Woods |
| 3:13 |
| 6. | "College Drop" (featuring Kool John) |
| P-Lo | 2:54 |
| 7. | "Put Me On" (featuring Shady Bo) | Woods | Sage the Gemini | 3:53 |
| 8. | "Down On Your Luck" (featuring August Alsina) |
| The Exclusives | 2:16 |
| 9. | "Mad at Me" (featuring Jay Ant and Iamsu!) |
| Jay Ant | 2:45 |
| 10. | "Nothing to Me" (featuring Iamsu!) |
| P-Lo | 3:34 |
| 11. | "Don’t You" | Woods | Sage the Gemini | 2:17 |
| 12. | "Second Hand Smoke" (featuring Eric Bellinger) |
| League of Starz | 2:45 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Just a Kiss" |
| Kuya Beats of The Invasion | 2:39 |
| 14. | "Desert of Mirages" (featuring Berner and Kehlani) |
| Tha Bizness | 4:29 |
| 15. | "Give It Up" (featuring Berner and P-Lo) |
|
| 3:43 |
| 16. | "Gas Pedal (Remix)" (featuring Justin Bieber and Iamsu!) |
|
| 4:39 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "They Don't Love You" |
| Tha Bizness | 3:31 |
| 18. | "Stupid" (featuring E-40) |
| P-Lo | 3:36 |
Charts and certifications
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[15] | 47 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[16] | 11 |
| US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[17] | 5 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Remember Me (Explicit Version)". Amazon.com. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- ^ a b "Remember Me by Sage the Gemini". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Remember Me - Sage the Gemini". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^ a b Lowers, Erin (April 1, 2014). "Sage the Gemini - Remember Me". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ a b Grant, Ronald (April 1, 2014). "Sage The Gemini - Remember Me". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ a b Sowunmi, Jordan (March 20, 2014). "Sage the Gemini". NOW. Now Communications. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ a b "Sage the Gemini: Remember Me". Pitchfork. April 4, 2014. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- ^ a b Taylor, Patrick (May 6, 2014). "Sage the Gemini :: Remember Me :: Republic Records". RapReviews. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
- ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher R. (March 25, 2014). "Sage the Gemini 'Remember Me'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ a b Shriver, Jerry; Mansfield, Brian; Caballero, Martin (March 24, 2014). "Listen Up: Other notable releases". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ a b Raeburn, Jameel (March 31, 2014). "Sage The Gemini Serves Up More Bangers On 'Remember Me'". XXL. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Harling, Danielle (April 2, 2014). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 3/30/2014". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on April 6, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Sage the Gemini – Remember Me". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "Remember Me (Deluxe Booklet Version) by Sage the Gemini". iTunes (US). Apple. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- ^ "Sage the Gemini Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ "Sage the Gemini Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ^ "Sage the Gemini Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2014.