Personal, detailed backpacker hiphop from an MC on his 2nd life. The rhymes are often hyper-detailed and are often looking back on Cage’s hard life. I say 2nd life because Cage has been though a lot, including a druggy dad, his own addiction, kicked out of school, stuck in a psychiatric hospital and wrestled with major labels. There are many different producers on the album including El-P, RJD2, DJ Shadow, and Camu Tao. There are a handful of guests including some surprises like indie rock band Yo La Tengo (1, 6) and Jello Biafra.
**1. Quiet beginning. Basic beat with female backing vocal loop. “Walk like I’m from the hood, hair like an indie rock band) and Yo La Tengo is playing guitar and bass on the track. He paints a broad picture of his home including lots of the current state of the US, like homeland security and “cops in the subway”.
2. Mellow guitar and bass loop. A little trippy, which fits the story. This is a detailed description of helping his dad shootup when he was a kid.
**3. Holy Crap! Marching beat with harsh sound and Jello Biafra doing his impersonation of George Bush! Cage tackles many strange feelings having to do with the war. Wow! Guilt, frustration, dealing with the shit at home yet fighting the war, and on and on.
4. A more upbeat beat that reminds me of the mid to late 90s. There is even a sample, “back in the day, 1997”.
**5. Opening with a sample of Nixon resigning followed by a sample about a MP getting caught with heroin. Sad keyboards and quiet beat and bass from James of Yo La Tengo. Another story about his dad, who’s name was Bill Murray.
6. Mellow RJD2 production that has background female vocals and a simple piano loop. A soft sung chorus that’s sorta cheesy.
7. Soft 70s vibe about a girl who was gothy and hacked up her arms. Ha, about the girl being shallow, having mental illnesses, and being a scenester.
8. Catchy keyboards, funny background female vocals. All about sex and women.
9. Slower with quiet beginning. Soft of a mess of sounds and ideas about relationships.
10. Something about the drum sounds I don’t like. Bragging, partying, etc.
**11. Aesop Rock, El-P, and Yak Balls all guest MC. Lots of riffing and back and forth between the MCs with many ideas. It’s mostly showing off lots of great rhyming skills.
12. Funny half singing half rhyming chorus, simple beat that sounds like real drums.
**13. Darker with driving bass and some of El-P’s scifi sounds in the production. Cook chorus which is a sample of a female singing “Lord Have Mercy”
**14. Quiet guitar with quick rhyme over the top. Dark but hopeful sound with a big simple beat and catchy simple keyboards. His life story all packed into one song.
Good stuff -mph