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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Too Heavy for Cherubs
Cage Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At least I feel as good as real feels if real even feels good
I think back to being a kid and getting my ass kicked
And when I sold my soul to the devil to make me rap sick
Page from cage's brain, angels dust off the un-godly
Riding through my child-hood to hear my six-year old body
Black-out for second, pick my head up off the street
Little kid handle my face-its not me in the driver seat
Scoops me up with his left arm his right fist snuffed the driver
Takes me in the house stops the blood from wandering out
Is this a dream or time travel?
I ponder on the couch
Walks in with a black bag
Wrap my rubber snake around his arm and made me pull it tight
Hit himself with a spike
Drew blood and pulled his mask down
My hands blue until he let my arm go and he passed out
Erratic then gone, I go from manic to calm
Watching the yellow liquid dripping back out of his arm
No automatic alarm sounded
trying to wrap my six year old brain around it
Went in his pockets took his money and couldn't count it
Went to the front door buts it locked observe it
Pulled up a chair to reach the dead bolt
But I'm too weak to turn it
Give it another try all the while still scoping him
Now I pan the room and see my escape in the open window
Scurry the floor
climb out hang then drop into the snow and
My captor snatches me back up
Pulls me back into hell
Starts shaking me to weaken me
To teachin' me to be a man by repeatedly beatin' me
I hope I grow up before I'm finished being strangled
I black out then wake up tied to the coffee table
With a jump rope cable to my ankle so I can't run
He walks back in the room
The song "Too Heavy for Cherubs" by Cage is a very intense and personal song, with a lot of themes and imagery to unpack. The first verse talks about feeling good on a cold day in hell, as if he's finally reached a place where he's comfortable with the darkness of the world. He reflects on his childhood, where he was beaten up and felt like an outcast, and how he sold his soul to the devil to become a successful rapper. He then describes a traumatic event where he was hit by a car as a child, and his father had to come out and save him, causing him to question whether it was real or a dream. His father then proceeds to harm himself in front of him, trying to teach him how to be a man by repeatedly beating him. The second verse talks about being tied to a coffee table by his captor, with a jump rope cable around his ankle so he can't escape.
The song's themes revolve around trauma, abuse, and the struggle to find a sense of identity. Cage speaks openly about his experiences with abuse and how it has affected him, both in his childhood and throughout his career as a rapper. The lyrics are very raw and emotive, reflecting his personal struggles and the darkness he has faced. The imagery in the song is very vivid and disturbing, depicting scenes of violence and trauma in a very visceral way.
Line by Line Meaning
A cold day in hell I feel good
Despite a difficult past, I am currently feeling good.
At least I feel as good as real feels if real even feels good
I question the concept of reality and whether it can even bring true happiness.
I think back to being a kid and getting my ass kicked
I reflect on the abuse and hardships I faced as a child.
And when I sold my soul to the devil to make me rap sick
I am referencing a common trope in music about making a deal with the devil to achieve success.
Page from cage's brain, angels dust off the un-godly
I am describing the disturbed thoughts and ideas that come from my mind.
Riding through my child-hood to hear my six-year old body
I am revisiting memories from my childhood to an extent that feels surreal.
Black-out for second, pick my head up off the street
I am having a momentary blackout and coming back to reality.
Little kid handle my face-its not me in the driver seat
I am disconnected from my own body and feel like someone else is controlling my actions.
Father comes out screaming drops the cigarettes and lighter
My father has stormed out of the house after hearing the altercation outside.
Scoops me up with his left arm his right fist snuffed the driver
My father picks me up and punches the driver who was attacking me.
Takes me in the house stops the blood from wandering out
My father rushes me inside and tries to stop my bleeding.
Is this a dream or time travel?
I am questioning the reality of the situation and whether it feels like a dream or memory.
I ponder on the couch
I take a moment to reflect on what has just happened.
Walks in with a black bag
Someone enters the room with a black bag, implying that something ominous may occur.
Wrap my rubber snake around his arm and made me pull it tight
I am forced to hold a rubber snake tightly around someone's arm.
Hit himself with a spike
The person harms themselves with a spike, potentially showing a sadistic side.
Drew blood and pulled his mask down
The person draws blood and reveals their face, which could be a disturbing image for a child.
My hands blue until he let my arm go and he passed out
I am held tightly by the person until they pass out, causing my hands to turn blue from lack of circulation.
Erratic then gone, I go from manic to calm
The situation was intense and chaotic, but quickly calms down after the person passes out.
Watching the yellow liquid dripping back out of his arm
I am disturbed by the sight of the yellow liquid dripping from the person's arm, likely blood or another bodily fluid.
No automatic alarm sounded, trying to wrap my six year old brain around it
There was no loud noise or commotion that would normally signal an emergency, making it difficult for me to comprehend what's happening.
Went in his pockets took his money and couldn't count it
I steal money from the passed out person but am unable to count how much I took.
Went to the front door buts it locked observe it
I try to leave through the front door but it's locked.
Pulled up a chair to reach the dead bolt
I try to climb onto a chair to reach the deadbolt on the door.
But I'm too weak to turn it
I am too weak to turn the deadbolt, implying my age and strength.
Give it another try all the while still scoping him
I try again to turn the deadbolt while still watching the passed out person.
Now I pan the room and see my escape in the open window
I survey the room and see that my escape is through an open window.
Scurry the floor, climb out hang then drop into the snow and
I move quickly to escape through the open window, lowering myself onto the snowy ground below.
My captor snatches me back up
Before I can get away, the person who had previously passed out catches me and pulls me back inside.
Pulls me back into hell
I feel trapped and imprisoned, unable to escape the terrible situation.
Starts shaking me to weaken me
The person starts shaking me, likely to scare me or make it easier to manipulate me.
To teachin' me to be a man by repeatedly beatin' me
The person believes that repeatedly beating me will somehow teach me to be tougher and more resilient.
I hope I grow up before I'm finished being strangled
The situation is so difficult that I wish I was older and more mature to better handle it.
I black out then wake up tied to the coffee table
I lose consciousness and then awaken to find myself tied to a table.
With a jump rope cable to my ankle so I can't run
The person has tied a jump rope around my ankle so I can't escape.
He walks back in the room
The person returns to the room, and I am helpless to escape from their grasp.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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