1. The Rapper: Cage Ke… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1. The Rapper: Cage Kennylz (born Christian Palko), commonly known as Cage, is an underground rapper based in New York City, United States.
Cage's life has gone from watching his father shoot heroin, to addiction and violence and mental institutions to cutting an album for Columbia Records and being a rising star in the heyday of the NYC independent rap scene, to the final culmination and personal triumph that his most current release Hell's Winter has become. It's a brand new record from someone who has been through more extreme circumstances than most people could ever imagine, and has come out triumphant and a better person because of it, and whose artistic vision now reflects this.
18 years old, fresh out of the lodge, Cage decided to pursue his the talent he honed while in hell and try to become a professional rapper. He made a demo, got a manager and was introduced to Pete Nice of 3rd Bass fame. Pete featured Cage on his solo effort "Dust to Dust" on the song "Rich Bring 'Em Back" in 1993. This was his first appearance on a rap record.
Through Pete Nice Cage met fledgling radio personality Bobbito Garcia who had just started his soon to be legendary late night mix show with DJ Stretch Armstrong. He was invited up to the show several time, earning a rep in the emerging underground NY scene as a savage and raw new MC with an original style based on his tortured life and demented imagery
Through his connection with that show, he met and formed a strong friendship with the KMD (whose front man Zev Love X would eventually be known as MF DOOM) and formed a very strong friendship with the late great Subroc. Cage was the last person to see Subroc alive before he was killed. He also became associated with and close to: Kurious Jorge, K-Solo, Godfather Don, Artifacts, Pharoah Monch, El-P (who actually worked with Cage briefly in 1994 on a 3 song demo now lost to the world), the Juggaknots and many more.
Bobbito and Pete Nice started a label through Columbia Records called Hoppoh and were on the verge of singing Cage as one of their first releases. At this time Cage was heavily abusing drugs and every time he got into the studio he was too high to record anything that Columbia thought was worthy of a major label release.
In 1997, Cage's friend and mentor Bobbito Garcia started his own independent label Fondle 'Em Records, and offered cage a twelve inch deal. Refocused and determined to get it right this time, Cage penned the single Agent Orange b/w Radiohead. The single would go on to be one of the landmark records of the golden era of NYC underground/independent rap music and propelled Cage into cult star status.
After a few more singles with Fondle 'Em, Cage met and became friends with Philly to New York transplant rap group The High And the Mighty. He formed a group with them called the Smut Peddlers, and Rawkus (who were riding high on albums by Company Flow and Mos Def, to name a few) offered them a full length album deal through Eastern Conference’s imprint, Eastern Conference. The record sold over 50 thousand copies and solidified Cage's status as a rising rap star in the independent scene.
Cage went on to do more records with Eastern Conference including his first solo record Movies for the Blind. The record was the realization of the very character he became through his tortured early years, relying on raw, savage, often cruel, misogynistic, gritty and rebellious attitudes he had formed through his earlier years. The record struck a chord, selling 15 thousand copies in just 2 weeks, and his legion of dedicated fans grew ever bigger, attracted to his visceral and dangerous persona and music. He traveled the world several times over in support of the record and became a major draw in the independent show circuit.
Soon after he started the supergroup Weathermen, comprised of good friends Camu Tao, El-P, Aesop Rock, Yak Ballz, Tame 1, Breeze of the Juggaknots and Vast Aire.
Restless with his artistic direction and feeling trapped by a persona created out of his troubled youth, he found himself at a crossroads. He felt as though he was squandering his writing abilities and catering to music with content that only scratched the surface of what he was about. He no longer wanted to project crazy for the sake of crazy and grew tired of showing the results of his past and how they reflected on his personality. Instead, he wanted to explain why he was the way he was and wanted to make a record that he could play for his daughter someday; a record that reflected the man he was now while at the same time finally shedding light on the source of his rage, pain and rebellion. It was at this point that he and El-p started to seriously talk about making an album that would truly realize his desire to take his art to another level. They cautiously talked and imagined this transformation for over a year, culminating with his signing with Definitive Jux records. Cage worked to to bring these ideas to fruition, and the result is a cathartic and radical statement of a tortured boy turned man. A detailed, imaginative and often disturbing look into the dark territory that Cage had so closely guarded from the fans that loved him.
Cage appeared at the end of the Head Automatica album Decadence on the track 'I Shot William H. Macy' - lead singer Daryl Palumbo appeared on the RJD2 produced track Shoot Frank, as well as his band being referenced throughout the album (notably on Scenester, with Cage urging the listener to "slip it in your Head Automatica folder"). Head Automatica also wrote a song called K-Horse about Cage on their new album Popaganda.
Actor Shia LaBeouf star of Transformers (July 2007) will be playing Cage in an upcoming movie about his life.
2. The Power Metal Band: (from website bio) CAGE formed in 1992 after the breakup of two outfits from San Diego, CRUSHER and NOMAD. The band has become an underground legend of sorts and are still active to this day. Their original lineup consisted of Sean Peck (Vocals), David Garcia (Guitar), Eric Horton (Guitar), Mike Giordano (Bass), and Damian Arletto (Drums).
In 2010 original bassist Mike Giordano and lead guitarist Anthony Wayne McGuiniss left the band, and new recruits bassist Steve Brogden (guitarist/vocalist for Howler) and former Brick Bath bassist Pete Stone were added on. Current lineup consists of Sean Peck(vocals), Dave Garcia(Guitar), Casey Trask(Guitar), Dwight Magic(Bass), and Sean Elg(Drums)
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Beat Kids
Cage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hands under his little armpits holding him up
Squeezing him tight unaware of what's growing in his guts
Two feet tall, he can run and fall in his diaper
Hitting himself in the head with his father's lighter
Watching in disgust, it cries, he tries to ignore it
What nature had intended for now would ruin his courtship
This empty vessel adoring, you filled it with pure shit
Mostly from resentment or perhaps he was neglected
Now has the fever in his arms and they were black and infected
When they spoke, they told him leave the girl and kid for dead
So he picked him up with one hand, held him up and said
[Chorus]
That you were not supposed to be inside her
Listen now you have a life and a brain
No wait, you had two strokes, you were going to die sir
Now would you kindly move out of our way?
Beat kids, beat kids, we keep shoveling sheep shit
Line us up, we don't believe it
But while we sleep they count sheep
[Verse 2]
Don't know how she made it but she's amazed that she did
Come fifteen years with no help, she had raised a kid
A couple marriages later this is the last one
The wedding band on his hand balled up and he blasts his son
Doesn't wanna know where all his bruises are from
She takes her husband's side and this just confuses him
Tragic, the magic of fertility, the ability to have another child
While one rots in a facility
Desperate to be happy but something stalled her heart
Unable to see a future with him and it falls apart
She sleeps on the couch, she puts food in her mouth
Loses her girlish figure, he figures this is his way out
She packs up and leaves with her daughters, in need of help
Violent streak, he's so abusive, just knows that there's someone else
Returns to get some things, he throws her to bed, she starts to brace
Smacks her, hold her down and has his way
[Chorus]
And as he forces himself inside her
Her eyes dart around with pain
He says, "You can talk but no one listens to liars."
But you will surely get yours one day
Beat kids, beat kids, we keep funneling sheep shit
Line us up, we don't believe it
But when we sleep they beat kids
Beat kids, we keep shoveling sheep shit
Line us up, we don't believe it
But when we sleep they beat kids
Beat kids, we keep shoveling sheep shit
Line us up, we don't believe it
But when we sleep they count sheep
--Atlanticfayte
The lyrics of Cage's song "Beat Kids" paint a brutal picture of abuse, neglect, and the dark realities of domestic violence. The verses offer a glimpse into the lives of three different characters- a neglectful father, a struggling single mother, and an abusive husband, each of whom perpetuates cycles of violence and trauma.
In the first verse, the singer observes an oblivious father who mistreats his child, ignoring the signs of illness and disease that are slowly killing the little boy. The father is also dealing with an unwanted pregnancy and is angry that the mother won't have an abortion, adding to his already mounting resentment towards his child. The chorus introduces the theme of society turning a blind eye to the abuse and neglect of children, using the metaphor of shoveling sheep manure as a representation of the way society avoids facing the problem. The second verse shifts to focus on a single mother who has been abandoned by multiple partners, left to raise a child alone. Her current partner is abusive and controlling, and she is forced to flee with her daughters.
The final lines of the song are heartbreaking, depicting a violent sexual assault on the mother, with the abuser dismissing her cries as the lies of someone who has been disbelieved before. The song is a raw and urgent commentary on the brutal realities of domestic violence and child abuse, highlighting the cyclical nature of the problem and the systemic failures that prevent many victims from getting the help they need.
Line by Line Meaning
Hands under his little armpits holding him up
The person is holding up a young child.
Squeezing him tight unaware of what's growing in his guts
The person is unaware of the child's internal issues or illnesses.
Two feet tall, he can run and fall in his diaper
The child is small and has not yet learned to walk properly.
Hitting himself in the head with his father's lighter
The child is accidentally harming himself with a dangerous object.
Watching in disgust, it cries, he tries to ignore it
The person is affected by the sight of the child harming himself, but chooses to ignore it.
What nature had intended for now would ruin his courtship
The child's internal illnesses or issues may affect the person's future relationship.
The girl has a kid, the girl won't abort it
The person is referring to a girl who has a child and chooses not to have an abortion.
This empty vessel adoring, you filled it with pure shit
The person believes that the child is unwanted and undeserving.
Mostly from resentment or perhaps he was neglected
The person believes that the child's issues arise from a lack of care or mistreatment.
Now has the fever in his arms and they were black and infected
The child has a serious infection or illness.
When they spoke, they told him leave the girl and kid for dead
Other people advised the person to abandon the girl and her child.
So he picked him up with one hand, held him up and said
The person decides to take care of the child despite the challenges.
That you were not supposed to be inside her
The person is addressing the child directly, stating that they were not meant to be conceived.
Listen now you have a life and a brain
The person acknowledges that the child is alive and has a functioning brain.
No wait, you had two strokes, you were going to die sir
The person realizes that the child has had two strokes and is at risk of dying.
Now would you kindly move out of our way?
The person is addressing the child, telling them to move out of the way so they can keep going.
Don't know how she made it but she's amazed that she did
The woman is proud of her ability to raise her child despite the challenges.
Come fifteen years with no help, she had raised a kid
The woman has raised her child by herself for fifteen years without any assistance.
A couple marriages later this is the last one
The woman has been married multiple times and is now in her final marriage.
The wedding band on his hand balled up and he blasts his son
The woman's current husband is abusive towards their child.
Doesn't wanna know where all his bruises are from
The husband is not interested in finding out how their child got bruises.
She takes her husband's side and this just confuses him
The child is confused and hurt that their mother supports their abusive stepfather.
Tragic, the magic of fertility, the ability to have another child
The person reflects on the ability to have more children, despite the tragedy and danger faced by the current child.
While one rots in a facility
While the current child is sick or suffering, other people are able to have healthy children.
Desperate to be happy but something stalled her heart
The woman is desperate for happiness, but is held back by something.
Unable to see a future with him and it falls apart
The woman's relationship falls apart because she cannot see a future with her husband.
She sleeps on the couch, she puts food in her mouth
After the relationship ends, the woman struggles to take care of herself.
Loses her girlish figure, he figures this is his way out
The woman's husband leaves her because he is not attracted to her anymore.
She packs up and leaves with her daughters, in need of help
The woman leaves her home with her daughters and is in need of assistance.
Violent streak, he's so abusive, just knows that there's someone else
The woman's husband is abusive and suspects that she is having an affair.
Returns to get some things, he throws her to bed, she starts to brace
When the woman goes back to retrieve her belongings, her husband physically attacks her.
Smacks her, hold her down and has his way
The husband physically abuses the woman, leaving her in a vulnerable position.
And as he forces himself inside her
The husband rapes the woman.
Her eyes dart around with pain
The woman experiences physical and emotional pain during the rape.
He says, "You can talk but no one listens to liars."
The husband belittles and dismisses the woman's potential account of the rape.
But you will surely get yours one day
The artist asserts that the husband will face consequences for his abusive behavior.
We keep funneling sheep shit
The singer feels as though they are dealing with a repetitive and pointless task.
But when we sleep they beat kids
The singer suggests that abuse occurs more frequently when people are not awake or aware.
Line us up, we don't believe it
The singer or people in general feel forced or obligated to support a system or belief that doesn't feel authentic.
Beat kids, beat kids, we keep shoveling sheep shit
The repeated call for abuse ('beat kids') implies a sense of complicitness or even pleasure in the abuse.
But while we sleep they count sheep
The artist laments that while they sleep, others are exploited or abused. This line may have an ironic or sarcastic undertone, given the previously established association of sheep with abuse.
Contributed by Aiden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.