Underground rapper Sage Francis closes his latest album, "Li(f)e," with a five-and-a-half minute orchestral memoir. "The Best of Times" is a warts-and-all, near-spoken-word take on growing older, told with self-deprecation, and laced with an almost comforting sense of insecurity. In the span of a verse, Francis relives the pain of sporting braces and headgear, and then wonders if he'll ever find a wife. 

The heavily detailed diary-like entry comes with an unexpected collaboration, even for the cult hero. "Best of Times" sees Francis partnering with acclaimed French composer Yann Tiersen -- perhaps best known to American audiences for his score to "Amelie." The song is epic in scope, opening with a playful xylophone, all while Francis reminisces on his "conveniently religious" family and failed attempts at asking out a girl in junior high. 

Tiersen's arrangement doesn't let Francis wallow in nostalgia, as near-mechanical atmospheres break up the soft accompaniment. More classical than, say, Kanye West's works with Jon Brion, a rhythm doesn't really arrive until more than halfway through -- the beat allowing Francis to pick up the pace and keep the song from getting too grandiose. It's ultimately a tale about learning to keep perspective through good and bad, and Tiersen's guitars rescue the song from self-pity at just the right moment. 

It's not the only cross-genre pairing on the album. Francis, who will appear Sunday at the Music Box@Fonda in Hollywood, composed "Li(f)e" with members of Calexico, former Grandaddy leader Jason Lytle and Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, among others. The album varies from the Southwestern shades of outlaw tale "Little Houdini" to the spooked violins of "Diamonds and Pearls" to the call-and-response rock 'n' roll of "Love the Lie." 

On Sunday, Francis will be backed by a live band in the Free Moral Agents, which features Mars Volta keyboardist  Isaiah "Ikey" Owens. Tickets, which are $20, not including Ticketmaster service charges, are still available. 

In the spirit of Francis' style-hopping album, Pop & Hiss asked the artist to rank the most unexpected pairings in hip-hop history. Francis e-mailed his list to Pop & Hiss, and explained each of his choices below: