New York rapper Cage is dropping his second album, Depart From Me, on the independent power house Def Jux (Definitive Jux).
Cage is hands down one of the illest rappers out and is one of my current favorites. His early work on Fondle ‘em Records, Rawkus, and Eastern Conference, was a young Cage at his wildest with violence and drug use as the main inspiration for his music. When drugs turned Cage into someone he didn’t like, he quit and began the transition into a healthier life which created a more cohesive and laser focused artist. His Def Jux debut, Hells Winter, is his best work to date and was easily one of the best releases of 2005.
Cage’s past, as chronicled in his music, is as crazy as it is interesting. Born on a US / German Military base to a young mother and a drug selling / addict father who was an MP, his life was filled with abuse, drugs, and a stint in a psychiatric hospital. Actor Shia Labeouf has expressed interest in making a movie on Cage’s life with he himself playing Cage. Peep Cage’s bio here.
Cage partnered up with the incredibly talented Alex Pardee, best known for his cover artwork for the rock band The Used, for his new album art. Pardee showcased the process of creating the cover on his website. Peep below. Fucking sick.
Download Cage’s new EP, I Never Knew You, here. A little teaser in anticipation for the album.
His new album, Depart from Me, drops on July 7th.
