The band was formed by brothers Axel and Pål Vindenes, together with school friends Jonas Nielsen and Stian Sævig. All classically trained musicians, the band was formed to play a one-off show at a local youth centre, Ungdomshuset 1880, but after positive response the band continued to play many live shows around Norway. In 2006, the band made their first recording and released the EP Already Your Favourite EP which was produced by Matias Tellez and featured the track "OOO".
Kakkmaddafakka released its first LP Down to Earth on 24 September 2007, which reached number twenty on the VG Topp30 Album list and brought the band nationwide attention in their native Norway, despite a largely negative critical response.
Kakkmaddafakka has performed at numerous festivals including Iceland Airwaves, Montreux Jazz Festival, NXNE, CMJ Music Marathon, Southside Festival, Hurricane Festival, Eurosonic Festival, by:Larm, Area 4 Hove and Melt! Festival in Germany, where they were introduced on stage by prominent Bergen musician and friend Erlend Øye.
In 2008, Kakkmaddafakka was nominated as Best Norwegian Act in the MTV Europe Music Awards, along with Madcon, Ida Maria, Karpe Diem and eventual winners Erik og Kriss.
On 25 February 2011, Kakkmaddafakka released their second album Hest. The album was produced by Erlend Øye and released on the label Bubbles. The first single taken from the album was "Restless".
On 28 June 2013, the band released their third album Six Months Is a Long Time. It was again produced by Erlend Øye and released on Universal Music Germany, featuring the singles "Someone New", "Young", and "Forever Alone".
In early 2014, pianist and founder member Jonas Nielsen left the band and was replaced by Sebastian Emin Kittelsen.
The band released their fourth album titled KMF on 18 March 2016.
In 2017, guitarist and singer Pål Vindenes started a parallel solo project under the name Pish. 2017 also brought on their fifth album, Hus.
In 2019, they released their sixth album, Diplomacy.
Band members include:
Axel Vindenes - guitar, vocals
Stian Sævig - bass, vocals
Pål Vindenes "Pish" - cello, guitar, vocals
Sebastian Kittelsen - piano
Kristoffer Van Der Pas - drums
Lars Helmik Raaheim-Olsen - percussion
Former members:
Jonas Nielsen - piano, vocals (2004–2014)
Additional musicians (also called Kakkmaddachoir)"
Martin Sande - backing vocals and dancing
Sverre Sande - backing vocals and dancing
Gangsta No More
Kakkmaddafakka Lyrics
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If you don't want my protection,
I won't force you to live within my walls
MmmMmmm
Don't wanna be a criminal who steals.
There's no escape from the jail of your conscience
when you hurt someone with your affence
MmmMmmm
Love is all around you! Says who?
Love is all around you! Says who?
Love is all around you! Says who?
Says who?
Don't wanna be a gangsta nomore
If you don't like my religion,
I'll go preach my wisdom in another war
Don't wanna be a criminal who steals
I don't want money that I haven't earned
or affection that I can't return.
Love is all around you! Says who?
Love is all around you! Says who?
Love is all around you! Says who?
Says who?
No change will come from a bullet from the barrel of a gun
No love can be won, no chain come undone.
No love can be won, bells of freedom be wrong
wrong wrong
In "Gangsta No More" by Kakkmaddafakka, the singer expresses his desire to leave behind his former life as a gangster and a criminal. He sings about wanting to break free from the walls he had created around himself to protect others, realizing that he cannot force anyone to live with him. The singer acknowledges that being a criminal is ultimately a futile pursuit, and that the guilt and shame that comes with it is something that cannot be escaped. He recognizes that hurting others with one's actions leaves a permanent wound, hard to heal.
The chorus of the song emphasizes that love is all around, but questions who says it. It could be interpreted that while the singer is leaving behind his former life of crime, he is unsure of what lies ahead, or the legitimacy of the claims that love will always be present. The song also comments on religious beliefs, expressing the singer's understanding that everyone has their own beliefs, and he doesn't want to force his on others.
Overall, the song is a reflection of the singer's desire to break the cycle of violence and realize that there is more to life than crime and danger. It encourages listeners to search for and believe in the power of love, which has the potential to bring about true change.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wanna be a gangsta no more
I don't want to be involved in any criminal activities anymore
If you don't want my protection,
I won't force you to live within my walls
I won't force anyone to be protected by me, and they're free to live their life the way they want
MmmMmmm
Don't wanna be a criminal who steals.
I want to avoid being a thief or any kind of criminal
There's no escape from the jail of your conscience
when you hurt someone with your affence
the hardest wounded, in a way that wont heal
If you hurt someone, you can never escape the feeling of guilt or the damage it might have caused on someone else's life.
MmmMmmm
Love is all around you! Says who?
Love is all around you! Says who?
Love is all around you! Says who?
Says who?
Is it really true that love exists everywhere? Who said that?
Don't wanna be a gangsta nomore
If you don't like my religion,
I'll go preach my wisdom in another war
If someone doesn't agree with my beliefs, I won't try to force it on them. Instead, I'll find another platform to express my views.
I don't want money that I haven't earned
or affection that I can't return.
I don't want anything that I haven't worked hard for, or any love or affection from someone that I can't reciprocate.
No change will come from a bullet from the barrel of a gun
No love can be won, no chain come undone.
No love can be won, bells of freedom be wrong
wrong wrong
Violence can never bring about a positive change. Love and freedom can't be achieved through oppression or force.
Contributed by Reagan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.