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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Eating Its Way Out of Me
Cage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feels like I'm walking the same road but you changed clothes
And cleaned yourself with each time you're near, my head explodes
What lit the way was the light in my head
Now my batteries are dying, I'm almost dead
I try to take in what friends say but nothing helps
Why's this monster trying to turn me into something else?
As beautiful as this hole is, I need to climb out
[Chorus]
Cause you know that you mean so much to me
Even though you don't give a fuck about me
And I saw it coming but I did nothing
Cause you know I don't give a fuck about me
[Verse 2]
I'd like to switch but I can't change like I rearranged
The furniture in my head now I'm just sitting strange
Everything is so distant, including the pain
I'd like to make it all go away but it's too ingrained
I'm trying to stay afloat, picture a different end
But I can't see the shoreline or which way to swim
Reopen the scab in my head that never healed right
I can say I'm happy, just don't know what it feels like
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
I'd like to say I can deal, will I escape duress?
When I can't explain the scars on my arms and chest
She the abyss, I pucker up and give her a kiss
She holds me close and puts cigarettes out on my wrists
I'm just a bum-out who's run out of lies truthfully
I guess there's nothing that you or I could do for me
I got a list of prescriptions I should stay off
I guess my overdose either did the trick or was way off
[Chorus x 2]
--Atlanticfayte
In "Eating its way out of me," Cage describes feeling trapped and unable to escape a toxic relationship. He compares his emotional state to a dying battery and struggles to find clarity amidst the pain. The chorus speaks to the paradox of caring deeply for someone who doesn't reciprocate those feelings, to the point of self-neglect. Cage recognizes the futility of trying to change for someone who ultimately does not value his worth.
The second verse paints a somber picture of the singer's mental state. He feels stuck, unable to move past the hurt and pain that has taken root within him. The metaphor of drowning comes up - he cannot see which way to swim, leaving him stranded in the midst of emotional turmoil. Cage alludes to self-harm as a way to cope with the inner void he experiences. He concludes on a pessimistic note, recognizing the limitations of the help that others can offer him.
The final verse is the darkest, with Cage describing self-destructive behavior and a sense of hopelessness. He appears to be in a state of resignation, recognizing that his addictions may ultimately consume him. The repetition of the chorus adds to the sense of a cyclical pattern - Cage is trapped in his pain, unable to break the cycle.
Overall, "Eating its way out of me" is a poignant portrayal of struggling with mental health and the deep pain that can come with relationships that are not reciprocal. The lyrics are raw and emotive, and contain a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Feels like I'm walking the same road but you changed clothes
I feel like we're going down the same path, but you've changed your appearance
And cleaned yourself with each time you're near, my head explodes
Every time I'm around you, and you look so clean, it makes my head hurt
What lit the way was the light in my head
My own thoughts were guiding me
Now my batteries are dying, I'm almost dead
I'm losing energy and motivation
I try to take in what friends say but nothing helps
I'm trying to listen to the advice of my friends, but it's not making a difference
Why's this monster trying to turn me into something else?
I feel like something external is trying to change who I am
I sit around and wait, I guess we'll find out
I'm just waiting to see what happens next
As beautiful as this hole is, I need to climb out
Even though this situation has some beauty to it, I need to get out of it
Cause you know that you mean so much to me
I care about you a lot
Even though you don't give a fuck about me
Even though it seems like you don't care about me
And I saw it coming but I did nothing
I knew something negative was going to happen, but I didn't try to stop it
Cause you know I don't give a fuck about me
I don't value myself very much
I'd like to switch but I can't change like I rearranged
I wish I could change who I am, but it's difficult to do so
The furniture in my head now I'm just sitting strange
The thoughts in my head feel jumbled and confusing
Everything is so distant, including the pain
I feel disconnected from everything around me, even the things that hurt me
I'd like to make it all go away but it's too ingrained
I wish all of my problems could disappear, but they're too deeply rooted
I'm trying to stay afloat, picture a different end
I'm trying to keep myself from drowning and imagining a better outcome
But I can't see the shoreline or which way to swim
I can't see a clear path forward
Reopen the scab in my head that never healed right
I'm reopening old wounds that never fully healed
I can say I'm happy, just don't know what it feels like
I can say that I'm happy, but I don't actually feel that way
She the abyss, I pucker up and give her a kiss
I'm drawn to this negative and destructive person, even though I know I shouldn't be
She holds me close and puts cigarettes out on my wrists
The person I'm drawn to hurts me physically and emotionally
I'm just a bum-out who's run out of lies truthfully
I'm someone who has nothing positive to offer and has stopped lying to myself about it
I guess there's nothing that you or I could do for me
I don't think there's anything that anyone can do to help me
I got a list of prescriptions I should stay off
I have medication that I shouldn't take
I guess my overdose either did the trick or was way off
I tried to overdose, but it either worked or didn't work
Contributed by Eli Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.