Cage Kennylz
Encyclopedia
Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage, is an American rapper from New York City
. He has released three studio albums and two extended play
s. Cage is also the founder of the underground hip-hop
supergroup called the Weathermen
.
, Germany
to American parents. The exact date is unknown.
Palko was arrested several times for drug possession and fighting in the streets. When he faced jail time for violating probation, his mother convinced the judge that he was mentally unstable, and he was sent to the Stony Lodge psychiatric hospital for a two week evaluation. He eventually ended up staying in the hospital for eighteen months, where he was a part of a small group used to test fluoxetine
. After being misdiagnosed and placed on the drug, he became suicidal and made several attempts to kill himself, including hanging himself with his shoelaces and saving his lithium
dose for a month before ingesting all of them at once.
of Anthony Burgess
' novel A Clockwork Orange
. After hiring a manager and recording a demo
, he was introduced to rapper Pete Nice
, and Cage was featured on the 1993 album Dust to Dust. Pete Nice also introduced Palko to radio personality Bobbito García
, who featured Palko on his program several times, increasing his reputation amongst New York's underground hip hop
scene, where he became associated with KMD
, Kurious Jorge
, K-Solo
, Godfather Don
, Necro, Artifacts
, Pharoahe Monch
and El-P. Palko signed with Columbia Records
, but frequently recorded while intoxicated, and the label found his efforts to be unsatisfactory. Palko briefly put his career on hold and his drug use increased.
He also fathered a child with an African American woman. Her name is Amanda Palko and She's 18 years old.
When García founded the label Fondle 'Em Records
, he offered Palko a record deal, and Cage released a single featuring the songs "Radiohead" and "Agent Orange" in 1997 to success and acclaim. Following the release of The Slim Shady EP
, Palko accused Eminem
of imitating his style. After several more singles with Fondle 'Em, Palko met Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Mi of The High & Mighty, and the trio formed the group Smut Peddlers, releasing the album Porn Again
on Rawkus Records
. The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard
Heatseekers chart
, #43 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #184 on the Billboard 200
, while its single "That Smut" peaked at #9 on the Hot Rap Singles chart and #96 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
, releasing his debut album, Movies for the Blind
, on August 6, 2002. It peaked at #12 on the Heatseekers chart, #14 on the Top Independent Albums chart, #58 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #193 on the Billboard 200. Palko later stated that the album "sort of glorified drugs" and that he felt the album was "crazy for the sake of being crazy [...] . During this period, Palko formed the group The Weathermen
, named after the left-wing political organization
. The group released their debut album, "The Conspiracy" on June 3, 2003 before Palko left Eastern Conference over alleged non-payment. An extended play
, Weatherproof
, was released on July 29, 2003.
Because Palko felt that he should no longer play a character, he began to take on a more open writing style, and signed with Definitive Jux
, where he released his second studio album, Hell's Winter
on September 20, 2005. Palko is quoted as saying "I make progressive
rap, it's as simple as that. [...] I don't live for drugs anymore, I don't support them, and I'm not about to make a million songs about them anymore." Hell's Winter peaked at #26 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at #36 on the Top Independent Albums chart. In July 2009
, Palko released his third studio solo album, Depart from Me
, which was characterized as having a rap rock
sound by Cage.
Cage is currently on tour with Kid Cudi.
In an interview with actor Shia LaBeouf
for Vanity Fair
, LaBeouf expressed interest in starring as Palko in a possible film biography. On November 30, 2007, Spin
reported that the film would go into production.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He has released three studio albums and two extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s. Cage is also the founder of the underground hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
supergroup called the Weathermen
The Weathermen (hip hop group)
The Weathermen, is a New York City-based, underground hip-hop supergroup consisting of Aesop Rock, Tame One, Cage, Yak Ballz, El-P, and Breeze Brewin. The group took its name from the revolutionary organization Weatherman, and sometimes refers to itself as the "New Left"...
.
Early life
Christian Palko was born in WürzburgWürzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to American parents. The exact date is unknown.
Palko was arrested several times for drug possession and fighting in the streets. When he faced jail time for violating probation, his mother convinced the judge that he was mentally unstable, and he was sent to the Stony Lodge psychiatric hospital for a two week evaluation. He eventually ended up staying in the hospital for eighteen months, where he was a part of a small group used to test fluoxetine
Fluoxetine
Fluoxetine is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It is manufactured and marketed by Eli Lilly and Company...
. After being misdiagnosed and placed on the drug, he became suicidal and made several attempts to kill himself, including hanging himself with his shoelaces and saving his lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
dose for a month before ingesting all of them at once.
Early career
When Palko was released at the age of eighteen, he pursued a career as a rapper, naming himself "Alex", after the protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
' novel A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 dystopian novella by Anthony Burgess. The novel contains an experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian....
. After hiring a manager and recording a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, he was introduced to rapper Pete Nice
Pete Nice
Prime Minister Pete Nice is a former hip hop MC who was most noted as a member of the group 3rd Bass.-Career:...
, and Cage was featured on the 1993 album Dust to Dust. Pete Nice also introduced Palko to radio personality Bobbito García
Bobbito Garcia
Robert "Bobbito" García , also known as Kool Bob Love and formerly known as DJ Cucumberslice, Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Soul Food Bob, and Bag of Tricks, is a Puerto Rican DJ, writer, entrepreneur, streetball player/coach/announcer, sneaker connoisseur, and member of the Rock...
, who featured Palko on his program several times, increasing his reputation amongst New York's underground hip hop
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
scene, where he became associated with KMD
KMD
KMD was an American hip hop trio in the early 1990s, best known for launching the career of acclaimed rapper and producer MF DOOM, who at the time was known as Zev Love X. Other members of the group were Rodan and DJ Subroc–Zev Love X's younger brother...
, Kurious Jorge
Kurious Jorge
Jorge Alvarez, better known as Kurious, is an East Coast underground hip hop artist.-Biography:Kurious is of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, and grew up in a Upper Westside neighborhood called Manhattan Valley In NYC . He debuted in 1991 on Powerule's "Young Stars from Nowhere". He then appeared on...
, K-Solo
K-Solo
K-Solo is an American rapper from Central Islip, New York who, along with EPMD, Redman, Das EFX, and Keith Murray, was part of the Hit Squad in 1990s.-Late years:...
, Godfather Don
Godfather Don
Godfather Don is a New York City hip hop record producer. He was in Cenobites with Kool Keith and The Groove Merchantz with Victor Padilla, The Beatnuts production team. He has been "a creative force within New York City's underground hip-hop scene" since he appeared with debut in...
, Necro, Artifacts
Artifacts (group)
Artifacts is a hip hop group consisting of El Da Sensei, Tame One and DJ Kaos. They hail from Newark, New Jersey and made underground music that paid homage to the four elements of hip hop...
, Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch is an American hip hop artist. He is known for his complex lyrics, complex delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.-Biography:...
and El-P. Palko signed with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, but frequently recorded while intoxicated, and the label found his efforts to be unsatisfactory. Palko briefly put his career on hold and his drug use increased.
He also fathered a child with an African American woman. Her name is Amanda Palko and She's 18 years old.
When García founded the label Fondle 'Em Records
Fondle 'Em Records
Fondle ‘Em Records was a record label based in New York City, New York. It was founded and owned by Robert “Bobbito” Garcia from 1995 to 2001. Bobbito formed the label after realizing that the many unsigned rappers making guest appearances on “The Stretch Armstrong/Bobbito Show,” a program Bobbito...
, he offered Palko a record deal, and Cage released a single featuring the songs "Radiohead" and "Agent Orange" in 1997 to success and acclaim. Following the release of The Slim Shady EP
The Slim Shady EP
The Slim Shady EP is a debut EP by American rapper Eminem, released on the Detroit-based record label Web Entertainment in 1997. The Slim Shady EP was released on cassette, vinyl, and CD .Eminem first introduced his "Slim Shady" persona on this EP,...
, Palko accused Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
of imitating his style. After several more singles with Fondle 'Em, Palko met Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Mi of The High & Mighty, and the trio formed the group Smut Peddlers, releasing the album Porn Again
Porn Again
Porn Again is a 2001 album by the Smut Peddlers, a group composed of Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Mi from The High & Mighty, and Cage. Guest appearances include Kool Keith, Kool G Rap, R.A. the Rugged Man, Copywrite, and Apani B. Fly. The album was re-released on March 7, 2006, with four bonus tracks that...
on Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass...
. The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Heatseekers chart
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
, #43 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #184 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, while its single "That Smut" peaked at #9 on the Hot Rap Singles chart and #96 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Eastern Conference, Definitive Jux
Palko signed with Eastern Conference RecordsEastern Conference Records
Eastern Conference Records is an independent record label based in New York City, New York. It is owned and operated by DJ Mighty Mi, the DJ/producer for the High & Mighty....
, releasing his debut album, Movies for the Blind
Movies for the Blind
Movies for the Blind is the debut album of American rapper Cage. Released by Eastern Conference Records on August 6, 2002, the album peaked at #12 on the Heatseekers chart, #14 on the Top Independent Albums chart, #58 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #193 on the Billboard 200...
, on August 6, 2002. It peaked at #12 on the Heatseekers chart, #14 on the Top Independent Albums chart, #58 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #193 on the Billboard 200. Palko later stated that the album "sort of glorified drugs" and that he felt the album was "crazy for the sake of being crazy [...] . During this period, Palko formed the group The Weathermen
The Weathermen (hip hop group)
The Weathermen, is a New York City-based, underground hip-hop supergroup consisting of Aesop Rock, Tame One, Cage, Yak Ballz, El-P, and Breeze Brewin. The group took its name from the revolutionary organization Weatherman, and sometimes refers to itself as the "New Left"...
, named after the left-wing political organization
Weatherman (organization)
Weatherman, known colloquially as the Weathermen and later the Weather Underground Organization , was an American radical left organization. It originated in 1969 as a faction of Students for a Democratic Society composed for the most part of the national office leadership of SDS and their...
. The group released their debut album, "The Conspiracy" on June 3, 2003 before Palko left Eastern Conference over alleged non-payment. An extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Weatherproof
Weatherproof
Weatherproof is a 2003 EP by American hip hop artist Cage. It was released on Eastern Conference Records on July 29, 2003. It was released between his two collaboration albums with Camu Tao and Tame One and features guest appearances from both.-Track listing:#"Intro"#*Produced by Cage & DJ...
, was released on July 29, 2003.
Because Palko felt that he should no longer play a character, he began to take on a more open writing style, and signed with Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...
, where he released his second studio album, Hell's Winter
Hell's Winter
Hell's Winter is the second full-length album by American hip hop artist Cage and his first for the Definitive Jux label. It was released on September 20, 2005 and received very favorable reviews, including a spot in Rhapsody's list of "The 10 Best Albums By White Rappers".This is the first Cage...
on September 20, 2005. Palko is quoted as saying "I make progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
rap, it's as simple as that. [...] I don't live for drugs anymore, I don't support them, and I'm not about to make a million songs about them anymore." Hell's Winter peaked at #26 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at #36 on the Top Independent Albums chart. In July 2009
July 2009
July 2009 was the seventh month of that year. It began on a Wednesday and concluded after 31 days on a Friday.- Portal:Current events :This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from July 2009....
, Palko released his third studio solo album, Depart from Me
Depart from Me
Depart from Me is the third studio album by American rapper Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage. Released on July 7, 2009, it is the rapper's second and final studio album on Definitive Jux.-Lyrics:...
, which was characterized as having a rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
sound by Cage.
Cage is currently on tour with Kid Cudi.
In an interview with actor Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
for Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, LaBeouf expressed interest in starring as Palko in a possible film biography. On November 30, 2007, Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
reported that the film would go into production.
Discography
- Movies for the BlindMovies for the BlindMovies for the Blind is the debut album of American rapper Cage. Released by Eastern Conference Records on August 6, 2002, the album peaked at #12 on the Heatseekers chart, #14 on the Top Independent Albums chart, #58 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and #193 on the Billboard 200...
(2002) - WeatherproofWeatherproofWeatherproof is a 2003 EP by American hip hop artist Cage. It was released on Eastern Conference Records on July 29, 2003. It was released between his two collaboration albums with Camu Tao and Tame One and features guest appearances from both.-Track listing:#"Intro"#*Produced by Cage & DJ...
(2003) - Hell's WinterHell's WinterHell's Winter is the second full-length album by American hip hop artist Cage and his first for the Definitive Jux label. It was released on September 20, 2005 and received very favorable reviews, including a spot in Rhapsody's list of "The 10 Best Albums By White Rappers".This is the first Cage...
(2005) - Depart from MeDepart from MeDepart from Me is the third studio album by American rapper Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage. Released on July 7, 2009, it is the rapper's second and final studio album on Definitive Jux.-Lyrics:...
(2009) - The Revenge of Chris Palko (TBA)