cage-kill-the-architect

In the midst of mainstream releases from the likes of Drake and DJ Khaled comes a new project from the underground rapper and notorious troublemaker, Cage. No newcomer to the hip-hop scene, his most recent album, “Kill the Architect,” arrives with his signature loud mouth and nonchalant mentality, seemingly throwing his middle finger in the air with every track.

Cage lets his audience know right off the bat how he feels about society and the industry. He infuses his first song, “Lamb of Nothing,” with lyrics like, “Departed from myself in a fuck-you society / I report to the daily new me to keep an eye on me,” to share his disconnection from reality as he vows to never care about the opinions of others.

Listeners may enjoy Cage’s musical experimentation in tracks such as “In Your Fur,” which introduces a slight electronic edge without fully committing to the increasingly popular genre. He also remembers to keep it classic with old-school hip-hop beats on songs like “Precipiss.”

Fans of Cage’s 2009 album, “Depart from Me,” may be slightly disappointed by his lack of rock-influenced tracks in “Kill the Architect.” However, he does not completely rid his new album of rock vibes, keeping it noticeable on tracks such as “Watch Me” and “The Hunt,” where he unleashes the rigid edge in his voice as he speaks about subjects like drugs and women.

Known for quite the dark past, Cage does not neglect to include heavy material. With melancholic lyrics like, “It’s hard to reconnect / Being ideally far from yourself because you hated who you really are,” and “When I’m at my best / It’s only my worst,” on the songs “This Place” and “Cursed,” respectively, we are introduced to an artist who endured a rough childhood and a troubled young adult life.

All in all, Cage’s “Kill the Architect” can be summed up in one line from his song, “My Dog is Dead.” With the lyric, “Middle fingers up til’ they put me in the ground,” Cage reminds the world that he is and will remain a rebellious individual until the day he dies.

Rating: 3.5 stars