Sage Elsesser

Biography

Sage Gabriel Carlos Atreyu Elsesser (born January 31, 1997), also known as Navy Blue, is an American skateboarder, rapper, record producer, visual artist, and model.
Elsesser has been sponsored by several skater fashion brands including Converse and Supreme, as well as becoming a professional skater in 2014 through skater collective and clothing store Fucking Awesome. Aside from skating and music, he is also a model for various clothing brands and an artist, most notably handling the art direction for Earl Sweatshirt's album I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside in 2015.

Early life

Sage Gabriel Carlos Atreyu Elsesser grew up in Los Angeles, California. He is the brother of models Paloma Elsesser and Ama Elsesser, and TV/film director and producer Kanyessa McMahon.
Elsesser attended a boarding school in East Hampton, New York at age 13.

Career

Elsesser made his professional skateboarding debut in the 2014 William Strobeck short film Cherry for fashion brand Supreme. Following the virality of Cherry, he joined Fucking Awesome, a skate brand formed by Jason Dill and Anthony Van Engelen.

2015–2019: Early years

Elsesser began releasing music on SoundCloud under his stage name Navy Blue in 2015. He also began producing music for the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, Armand Hammer and Wiki, among others. He released his Gangway for Navy mixtape in February 2019.

2020–2021: Label founding and first three albums

On February 4, 2020, he founded independent record label Freedom Sounds with the release of his debut studio album Àdá Irin. Elsesser later followed-up with two studio albums; Song of Sage: Post Panic! (2020), and Navy's Reprise (2021).

2022: Quadrilogy

In 2022, Elsesser released a Saga of Sage quadrilogy vinyl boxset which consisted of Song of Sage: Post Panic!, Gift of Gabriel: Rain’s Reign!, Crypt of Carlos: Onward! and Arc of Atreyu: Neverending!, with the latter three being set to only exist in their physical form. The album titles all include one of Elsesser's four names.

2023–24: Signing to Def Jam, Ways of Knowing, and Memoirs in Armour

In 2023, Elsesser signed with Def Jam Recordings and released his lead single "Chosen" on March 10. On March 23, Elsesser's seventh studio album Ways of Knowing was released under his label Freedom Sounds, under exclusive license to Def Jam Recordings. The album featured guest appearances from Zeroh, J Rocc, Kelly Moonstone, Liv.e and Venna; and was fully produced by Budgie.
A year later, Navy Blue released his eighth album Memoirs in Armour on August 2. The project was recorded within the last two months prior to release, after being dropped from Def Jam.

2025–present: The Sword & the Soaring and Sir Render

In late 2025, Navy Blue released his ninth album, The Sword & the Soaring. The 44-minute album, which features a guest appearance by fellow American rapper Earl Sweatshirt, received universal acclaim for its production, themes, and songwriting. A follow-up album, Sir Render, was released in June 2026.

Studio albums

Àdá Irin (2020)
Song of Sage: Post Panic! (2020)
Navy's Reprise (2021)
Gift of Gabriel: Rain’s Reign! (2022)
Crypt of Carlos: Onward! (2022)
Arc of Atreyu: Neverending! (2022)
Ways of Knowing (2023)
Memoirs in Armour (2024)
The Sword & the Soaring (2025)
Sir Render (2026)

Extended plays

According to the Waterbearer (2015)
Lately (2016)
April Blue (2017)
Soul Golden (2017) (with Black Noi$e)
Guilt & Sincerity (2017)
Navy in Rage (2017)
Yvan Wen (2018)
Forest Green (2018)
From the Heart... (2018)
Gangway for Navy (2019)

Collaborations

As Above So Below (2021) (with Ankhlejohn)
True Sky (2021) (with Akai Solo)

2017

MIKE -
"Melvin"
Tha God Fahim - Dump Gawd
04. "Samurai's Cup of Tea" (produced with Black Noi$e)
Mach-Hommy - Dump Gawd: Hommy Edition
02. "A Partridge & A Pear Tree" (featuring Tha God Fahim)
08. "Mac Flurries" (featuring Heem Stogied)
11. "Rorshach's" (featuring Tha God Fahim)
MIKE - May God Bless Your Hustle
02. "Hunger" (produced with Austin Williamson)
03. "Armour"
Navy Blue - Navy in Rage
01. "Temple//Tomb"
02. "Angel-Eyes" (featuring Qeedar)
03. "Sundown"
04. "Life----Line"
Mach-Hommy - Fete Des Morts AKA Dia De Los Muertos
03. "Embarrassment of Riches"
Cities Aviv -
"If I Could Hold Your Soul Part II"

2018

Navy Blue - Yvan Wen
01 "Head Full of Braids..."
02. "No More..."
03. "Detroit..." (featuring Nyku)
04. "Give Em Hell..."
Navy Blue - Forest Green
01. "Eastbound"
02. "War(mth)"
03. "All We Know!" (featuring Adé Hakim)
Navy Blue - From the Heart...
01. "Machete"
02. "Enchantment" (featuring MIKE)
03. "Never Thought I'd Be One to Cry Like This"
04. "Prayer (Me&You)"
05. "Give Love a Try!"
06. "Loveship (Empathy)"
08. "Green & Brown"
Pink Siifu - Ensley
11. "Stay Sane"
Earl Sweatshirt - Some Rap Songs
08. "The Bends"
10. "Azucar"

2019

Navy Blue - Gangway for Navy
01. "Apprehension"
02. "Deathmask..."
03. "Can't Take Me"
04. "Shine on Me!" (featuring MIKE)
05. "I Love You!"
06. "Slow Down"
07. "Carlos" (featuring MIKE)
08. "Separate Ways!"
MIKE - Tears of Joy
20. "Stargazer Pt. 3"

2020

Camden Malik - Spaceship Symphonies
04. "Give Me a Call" (featuring Shawn May as "juneayth.")
Armand Hammer - Shrines
02. "Solarium"
12. "Parables" (featuring Akai Solo)
13. "Ramesses II" (featuring Earl Sweatshirt, Moor Mother and Fielded) (produced with Andrew Broder)
Moor Mother & Billy Woods - Brass
11. "Guinness"

2021

Wiki - Half God
01. "Not Today (Intro)"
02. "Roof"
03. "Remarkably"
04. "Can't Do This Alone" (featuring Navy Blue)
05. "Never Fall Off"
06. "Drug Supplier" (featuring Jesse James Solomon)
07. "Wik tha God"
08. "Ego Death"
09. "The Business"
10. "Home"
11. "All I Need" (featuring Earl Sweatshirt)
12. "Gas Face" (featuring Remy Banks)
13. "The Promised" (featuring MIKE)
14. "New Truths"
15. "Still Here" (featuring duendita)
16. "Grape Soda"

2022

Earl Sweatshirt - Sick!
03. "Sick!" (credited as "Ancestors")
Shane Eagle - Green
03. "Moving Spirit"