Cadava Blends A Golden Age Hip-Hop Backdrop With Rock Heavy Samples, Live Guitars, Melodic Symphonies And Intelligent Yet Controversial Lyrics. Cadava Crosses Genres With Rock Influenced Backdrops And Heavy Drum-Driven Beats, their Imagery And Style Is Dark And Imaginative. Cadava Recordz Is More Than An Independent Hip Hop Group. Cadava Is A Tight Nit Crew Of MCs, Musicians And Producers. Each Artist Makes Their Own Unique Brand Of Hip Hop, Catered To Fit All Underground Tastes. Cadava Has Close To 20 Professionally Produced Albums And 9 Music Videos (Totaling Over 200+ Tracks) – With Much More To Come.
How did you come up with your group alias “Cadava” and how was the label/group formed?
Rottn: I don’t know!
Manic: Cadava stems from the Status album CADAVA AVENUE and how he thought of it is beyond me but I’m glad he thought of it cause its dope.
Status: Yea, we dropped a record like 13 years ago called CADAVA AVENUE and the name just stuck. It rolls off the tongue, sounds dark and clever all at the same time.
KxHx: I’m pretty sure Rottn or Status said “cadava avenue the dead body boulevard” in a freestyle and we all thought that sounded cool. Shortly after that we started using it as a saying. We are all somewhat fascinated with death, dying and the afterlife so Status decided to name his indie label Cadava Recordz. We spelled it C.A.D.A.V.A. for the fact that there’s 6 letters instead of 7 because 6 is the number of imperfection and darkness according to the bible.
Status: That’s the long short of it. We all grew up together and we all wanted to be in a band but nobody could play any instruments except for me so we did the next best thing – we started a rap crew and treated it like it was a rock group.
To Clarify, outside being an Indy Label, Cadava is a group as well, correct?
Rottn: As far as I know.
Manic: Correct!
Status: CADAVA has always been more of a crew than anything else. Whether we are drinking beers, making money or writing songs it’s still CADAVA. We are involved in businesses, art, fashion, screenplays, music – you name it. On stage we get crazy like a metal band though, we don’t give ourselves barriers or limitations.
KxHx: Cadava is my family. It’s more than just music because we watch each other’s back. I don’t know how many times Manic and Status bailed me out of bullshit, from putting up bail money to getting me home safe from a night of heavy drinking. I’m forever in debt to Cadava.
Who are all the artists that make up Cadava?
KxHx: Status the entrepreneur, Manic the money making pretty boy, N8H8 the metal head and KxHx the inconsiderate asshole.
Status: Don’t forget Filthy “the kid from Pueblo.”
Filthy: Like any good hip-hop crew we all got the alias shit going. I’m Slighlty Filthy aka Don Cheadle. Krookid Hooks (KxHx) is Danny
Church. Rottn is N8H8 and Aleister Bundy. Manic and Status are just Status and Manic I think though.
Status: Yea, the five of us are the main members but we have a few long time collaborators that we’ve been working with for years. I own a recording studio with our engineer Geoff “Moon Burn” Morris. My brother Spence has been involved on some level with the majority of our albums. J cook and BBI have worked with Rottn in depth. Shit, even David Mcgrath who is a photographer friend of ours is a Cadava affiliate. I’ll probably get the guy in trouble saying that though.
It’s not often you hear about a Hip Hop artists from Colorado. How would you describe the Hip hop culture and sound out there, for those who don’t know?
Rottn: STUPID!
Status: Lately it’s really electronic which frankly bums me out. But outside of that its this melting pot of Conscious Rappers, Gangster Rappers, Fundamentalist Rappers, Ravers, Potheads and juggalos.
Manic: The Hiphop culture out here is very rich to a certain degree, the sound is another thing. There is a lot of very good artists out here but also a lot of people who don’t have the originality to actually show their talent
KxHx: Colorado is a mix of east, west, south and mid-west sounds. Some good and some is total crap.
Status: The metal scene in Denver is serious though. Speedwolf is killing it, Cattlist is bad ass. Denver is really a “Live Music” and “Sports” town – and a Marijuana town.
Status your video for “Ballad of a Broken Dream” was so real and powerful. Your lyrics hit home with lines about the obstacles that can get in the way of a goal. What made you craft that record and how did it come about?
Status: Everything I’ve ever made with my brother Spence Young has a very “real” tone to it so I attribute a lot of the power of that track to him. I really wrote that song about depression and alcoholism more than anything. Those are 2 obstacles that can fuck up any dream you have. I think the video conveys that well. We shot it in the Rocky Mountains a couple weeks after a huge forest fire, those images say more than words. It was also a pre-amp to the rock record I put out, wanting to do more with live instruments.
Spence: Status and I have different styles and when you put them together it’s always a hook. For the Ballad of a Broken Dream track I pulled inspiration from a painful childhood and not letting that get in the way of life as an adult. Status said it best, “depression and alcoholism”. The “glass is half full” version is that you can overcome anything.
After listening to you we can tell that substance is a main factor in a lot of what you guys do. One album in particular that really was intriguing was by Aliens From Hell. The puzzling “Live From Bohemian Grove” was like a metal head merged with an emcee that can recite all of the best talking points from Alex Jones career. For starts how did this album come about and what message did you want to convey to the public ?
Rottn: When I came up with the idea for Aliens Are from Hell, BBI and I had already recorded N8H8LOKO. My pops was really getting into the whole conspiracy theory thing and so was I on a level. He was always watching videos and shit on YouTube. One of the videos he was watching was called “ALIENS REALLY COME FROM HELL” and I thought that was cool as hell. It seemed like one of the more ridiculous conspiracy vids. It was to the extreme – you dig? I’m into that so I decided to take that whole vibe and run with it.
Manic: N8h8 is one of the weirdest, most creative and talented artist I’ve known. What goes on inside his head is not for anyone with an average train of thought.
Rottn: As far as what I was trying to convey was like: “There could be some foul shit going on in the world and everybody is probably being controlled and brainwashed, and they don’t even know it – but who cares, fuck em’ all – LET’S ROCK! I wanted it to be fun and abrasive and I think it is. Also, it’s on some space shit and bumps hard in your speakers so fuck it.
While on the conspiracy tip, do you guys think that the general public is becoming more aware of these false flag operations and global plots from the world’s elite, or do you feel America has a long way to go?
Manic: No people are stupid!!!
Status: Personally I get a kick out of Alex Collier and the Alien Agenda shit. I figure the guy is either telling the truth, a complete nut or a fucking con-artist.. Either way it’s entertaining as hell. But yea, it seems that people are more open to the truth these days, doesn’t mean things are close to being resolved though.
KxHx: I overheard my son and his friends talk about the Illuminati and it kind of bugged me out because that topic is complicated. People of all ages are definitely becoming aware, curious, and questioning their surroundings. There is so much bullshit on YouTube that people are willing to believe and I think it’s making some people a little nuts to the point they become paranoid. I personally don’t believe everything I read or watch.
Status: Both the ALIENS record and ZAPRUDER SOUNDTRACK explore Gov’t cover-ups. I am really fascinated with the JFK assassination – And that is a conspiracy that as a whole is widely believed.
Rottn: I don’t really care. I won’t even go to court.
Cadavarecordz.bandcamp.com
You guys have done tons of shows with some of the best to ever pick up a mic. Which show really sticks out to you guys and tell us why?
KxHx: The Masta Ace show comes to mind first. I had to jump off of stage while performing to stop my ex-girlfriend from getting jumped by two ghetto broads.
Status: Two shows come to mind right away. The TOO SHORT show was crazy. One of the guys on our team was beefing with SHORT’s entourage and jumped on stage during his set but was booted off by security. Then Tom Green (FREDDY GOT FINGERED) showed up out of nowhere and Hooks asked him “what was it like fucking Drew Barrymore?” When the show let out some cats started shooting up the street and all hell broke loose. Crazy night. Also, we played with Guru a few times and got to know him pretty well. I wrote a track after his passing talking about what an all-around good guy he was. RIP GURU.
Manic: Guru show, RIP, he will always be remembered.. And the Tom green show – lol crazy shit!!
Rottn: Guru for sure. Also Psycho Realm, Mack 10, Everlast, Gza, Rza, Immortal Techinque – there’s been a lot of shows that stick out.
Back to your start. Who were your personal influences to get into emceeing?
Rottn: Now that’s a good question.
Status: Rottn and Hooks where a huge inspiration early on, we grew our styles together. My brother Spence was always a musician and that was very close to home and inspiring as well. I guess HOUSE OF PAIN was a big deal to me because they were the first white rap group to make me think “maybe this is something I can do.” Even now I find a lot of inspiration with the whole Soul Assassins crew.
KxHx: Status, N8H8, homeboy Fat Mike, Rob Zombie, Psycho Realm, & Hunter Thompson is who influenced me to pick up a pen and write.
Manic: Wu tang, Ill Bill, Gangstarr, Jedi Mind Tricks, Canibus, Onyx, Jay Z and so many others to keep it short.
Status: One thing that we pride ourselves on is our vast taste in different kinds of music; From Hank Williams to Slayer, Johnny Cash to Manson. It wasn’t just hip-hop artists that inspired us.
We got word that a slew of projects are on the way from you guys.
The list follows—
• Cadava Cult: SuperNhilisticCadavaCulticMusick – “A crew effort, produced by Status, featuring Hooks/Rottn/Manic/Status and Slightly Filthy. With guest features from Gortex (of Nonphixion) and Termanology.”
• Status: Pasta Shoot (Produced by Aleister Bundy) – “Status Solo Cd, produced by Cadava Member N8H8 AKA Rottn, under the alias Aleister Bundy.”
• Hooks and Status: HxS3 (EP) – “The 3rd outing for Cadava Duo – Hooks and Status.”
• Bagz of Dagga (Status, Hooks, Manic and N8H8): Untitled – “Hip Hop album featuring the original 4 members of Cadava, a collective that has been recording together since 1996.”
• Plus works from N8H8, Slightly Filthy and J Cook.
So with all these works on the way, which is up first and what can fans expect from these projects?
Status: The first album that will be released (mid to late February I believe) is the PASTA SHOOT record.. Rottn (aka Aleister BUNDY) had a shit ton of beats lying around that he had been producing and he let me pick 11 tracks to record on! He makes the best straight the fuck up HipHop-boom-baf-shit you’ll ever hear, and I chose wisely. First time I ever wrote and recorded a record that I didn’t produce so I’m pumped. Last time anybody heard from me solo I did a punk rock record so I think my older fans will be happy to hear an all-out Hip-hop record from Status. The title is an homage to my Italian side of the family. Pasta Chuta was a dish I grew up on made from anchovies and angel hair pasta, some true old school shit – just like the record.
KxHx: You can expect Existential Nihilism from anything Krookid Hooks (KxHx) does, especially on the duo albums with Status.
Status: The HOOKS & STATUS EP is the 3rd time Hooks and I have done a duo record and this one will be just as insane and self-serving as the last 2 but with a slightly modernized sound. The SUPERNHILISTICADAVACULTICMUSICK record is featuring the whole crew plus some dope features from Termanology and Goretex of Nonphixion. That record is just straight up dark and brooding. The BAGZ OF DAGGA album is crazy because the entire album samples metal bands that we grew up listening to. The tone is very different from your usual HipHop album, but best believe that it is a fucking HipHop album. Rottn and Slightly Filthy’s record is also produced entirely by Rottn. Filthy is the youngest and hungriest cat in the crew and Rottn is the craziest so I know it will be a fucking classic! Now we just gotta get Manic off his ass and on some solo shit. Right now Manic is like the official “feature” MC in the crew.
Manic: Just stay tuned is all I can say!
www.tunecore.com/music/cadavarecordzhiphop
Is the Cadava Cult project featuring everyone? And will there be a lot of group cuts like your video for “Yeah”?
Status: It does feature all of us but the fact that we got Goretex of Nonphixion and Termanology on there is exciting! There will be posse cuts but not like “Yeah” because 2 of the MCs on the track left the crew. I’d like to do a posse cut video for NICOTINE off the BAGZ OF DAGGA record we dropped in 2009. That track is doper than YEAH!
KxHx: Afterlife Allstars was a huge mistake and I will never do a pointless project like that again.
Filthy: Short answer, Yes, the album features every one.
It was cool chopping it up with you guys, in closing let our readers know where to check you out and whatever else you want to let them know. Also thanks for keeping real hiphop alive with the lyrics and linking up with us fellas!
Manic: When Hiphop died we went with it but arose from the dirt as Cadava.. So the underground is where we feel at home. It’s dark underground so that’s how we sound. Peace, thank you for the opportunity
Status: Thank You brother. All of you out there, hit up our twitter and like our facebook page! Here’s a ton of links!
Music/ Social Media Links:
Cadava Recordz On Tunecore.com
Cadava Recordz On Bandcamp.com
Aliens Are From Hell On Bandcamp.com
@cadavacult
Videos Links:
Status ft. Spencer Young – “Where You Been?”
H.and S.aw – By Hooks & Status
Krookid Hooks – And Now The Screaming Starts
Status feat. Spencer Young – “Ballad of a Broken Dream”
Bagz Of Dagga – 40 Breaks
Louie Cypha – Everybody Hates Me
ALIENS ARE FROM HELL-“N8H8LOKO!”
Afterlife Allstars – “Yeah”
Contact: Statuscadavarecordz[at]gmail.com, Da.huerta13[at]gmail.com