The always-grinding Cadence Weapon
continues to firmly establish his legacy as a pioneer in a passionate
crusade to push the rap and electronic music envelope. At 23 years old,
Roland Pemberton is internationally recognized as an innovative and
accomplished writer, producer, rapper, touring artist and Edmonton,
Alberta’s Poet Laureate.
In the course
from his debut album Breaking Kayfabe to his sophomore record Afterparty
Babies, Roland Pemberton came of age. While most youths were struggling
to focus on a sneaker brand for more than a week, the young (and
underage) Pemberton would slip into clubs to play shows with Spank Rock,
Lady Sovereign, Jurassic 5, TTC, New Pornographers, Final Fantasy, and
De La Soul. He rocked guest performances with The Klaxons, Hot Chip and
Islands; he remixed Lady Sovereign, Kid Sister, Disco D, Busdriver, Rick
Ross/Simian Mobile Disco; he’s been featured on tracks with Buck 65,
Anti MC, A-Trak, Shout Out Out Out Out and Shuttle. He inked deals with
legendary labels, Epitaph USA and Big Dada for the UK and Europe; all
before he was barely legal.
Pemberton’s
explosive debut was an impossibly accomplished hip-hop album stacked
with clever writing and impressive rhymes, paired with the electro-tones
of UK grime and West Coast hip-hop. The album yielded instant praise
and notoriety, culminating in nominations from the Polaris Music Prize
(modeled after the Mercury Prize), the Canadian Indie …
The always-grinding Cadence Weapon
continues to firmly establish his legacy as a pioneer in a passionate
crusade to push the rap and electronic music envelope. At 23 years old,
Roland Pemberton is internationally recognized as an innovative and
accomplished writer, producer, rapper, touring artist and Edmonton,
Alberta’s Poet Laureate.
In the course
from his debut album Breaking Kayfabe to his sophomore record Afterparty
Babies, Roland Pemberton came of age. While most youths were struggling
to focus on a sneaker brand for more than a week, the young (and
underage) Pemberton would slip into clubs to play shows with Spank Rock,
Lady Sovereign, Jurassic 5, TTC, New Pornographers, Final Fantasy, and
De La Soul. He rocked guest performances with The Klaxons, Hot Chip and
Islands; he remixed Lady Sovereign, Kid Sister, Disco D, Busdriver, Rick
Ross/Simian Mobile Disco; he’s been featured on tracks with Buck 65,
Anti MC, A-Trak, Shout Out Out Out Out and Shuttle. He inked deals with
legendary labels, Epitaph USA and Big Dada for the UK and Europe; all
before he was barely legal.
Pemberton’s
explosive debut was an impossibly accomplished hip-hop album stacked
with clever writing and impressive rhymes, paired with the electro-tones
of UK grime and West Coast hip-hop. The album yielded instant praise
and notoriety, culminating in nominations from the Polaris Music Prize
(modeled after the Mercury Prize), the Canadian Indie Awards and “Best
Rap Album of 2006” at the Plug Independent Music Awards, and won the CBC
Radio 3’s Bucky Award. Cadence Weapon and Breaking Kayfabe garnered
fans from Pitchforkmedia.com, Urb Magazine, XLR8R, CMJ, Q Magazine,
Uncut, Drowned In Sound to name only a few.
Afterparty
Babies released last spring, again, received heaps of accolades and
closed the year at the top of an impressive pile of “Best of 2008” lists
including; Q Magazine, Clash Magazine, Plan B, Exclaim, and CBC Radio
3, in addition to getting his second nomination from the Polaris Music
Prize, while his video “Real Estate” continues to force a smile on the
face of economic bailouts.
Rollie said he
“wanted to make music that afterparty babies are created to” and the
Afterparty Babies experience takes shape from this premise. The
recognized wordsmith pushes the theme by delving into it through friends
and feelings, crews and club nights, hometowns and heroes, media and
fashion. Bound by socially conscious commentary, and personal subject
matter, while dropping it over punishing electronic dance jams. “My dad
said I was an afterparty baby; this goes out to all the accidents out
there; keep on making mistakes” – the final words that resonate from the
daring acapella lead track “Do I Miss My Friends?” a dedication and
testimony to Pemberton’s first influence, his father, Teddy Pemberton. A
native of Brooklyn, NY, Mr. Pemberton created The Black Sound
Experience
radio show on
the University of Alberta's CSJR station in 1980, and is credited for
introducing hip-hop to Rollie’s hometown of Edmonton, the capital city
of Alberta.
Following in his
father's groundbreaking footsteps, Rollie discovered that he wanted to
rap at the tender age of 13. His mother had other plans; she wanted him
to pursue a career in journalism, so he attended journalism school in
Virginia. Finding the insular environment stifling, the burgeoning
rapper quickly decided to ditch the books in pursuit of his goal, and
still, by 18, Rollie had established a name for himself as a tough music
critic, writing for the Brooklyn-based Stylus webzine and the
influential Pitchfork Media.
After another
year of engaging performances at festivals and clubs across North
America, UK and Europe Cadence Weapon returned home a hero, and released
2009’s Separation Anxiety. A collection of exclusive tracks, remixes,
and collaborations, including the Mixmag exclusive with Hervé and A-Trak
“Roll With The Winners” and remixes of label-mates The Cansecos and
Roots Manuva, and arguably the show-stopper; a remix of The DB Buxton
Revue’s “Sex With My Ex”, available only at www.cadenceweaponmusic.com for whatever price you deem worthy.
Adding a plume to his feather quill collection,
on July 1st, Roland Pemberton assumes his newest role as Edmonton’s Poet
Laureate and will serve a two-year term. The role of a Poet Laureate is
to reflect the life of a city through poetry, as an ambassador for the
literary arts; the Laureate incorporates poetry into a range of official
and informal city activities. The creation of this position confirms
the city's support for the arts in general, and for the literary arts in
particular. To those of us who have followed Cadence Weapon’s music
steeped in references of Edmonton and its people, the distinguished role
of literary ambassador for the City of Edmonton seems a natural
appointment. Here, Here Lord Pemberton!
Cadence Weapon is putting the finishing touches
on his third studio album, Roquentin. Mr Pemberton has taken his vision
of fusing genres to a new level; bringing together soul, classic
psychedelic rock, punk, electro, disco and hip hop, into his most
ambitious and excellent work to date.
