Cadence Weapon
Sharp, hyper-literate rap over glitchy electronic textures. It is the sound of a poet dissecting the modern city through a lens of IDM and post-punk energy.
Sharp, hyper-literate rap over glitchy electronic textures. It is the sound of a poet dissecting the modern city through a lens of IDM and post-punk energy.
Cadence Weapon sounds like the smartest person in the room who is also trying to start a dance party in a concrete bunker. His music is a collision of high-concept lyricism and jagged, electronic-leaning production that feels both futuristic and deeply rooted in the DIY ethos of the underground. There is a restless, kinetic energy to his tracks, where boom-bap foundations are often dismantled and rebuilt with glitchy synths and industrial textures.
What sets him apart is his background as a poet and critic, which informs a lyrical style that is observational, sharp, and frequently political. He doesn't just rap; he maps out the social and physical geography of the cities he inhabits, from Edmonton to Toronto. His flow is versatile, shifting from a rhythmic, percussive staccato to a more relaxed, conversational tone that makes his complex wordplay feel accessible and urgent.
Start with Parallel World if you want to hear his most refined, award-winning social commentary, or dive into Breaking Kayfabe for the raw, experimental energy that first put him on the map. It is music for people who want their hip-hop to challenge their brain as much as it moves their feet.
Roland "Rollie" Pemberton (born February 21, 1986), better known by his stage name Cadence Weapon, is a Canadian rapper based in Toronto, Ontario. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Pemberton released his first album, Breaking Kayfabe, in 2005 with positive reviews. He subsequently signed with the American record label ANTI-, releasing the albums Afterparty Babies in 2008 and Hope in Dirt City in 2012. In 2009, Cadence Weapon was named Edmonton's Poet Laureate. His first book Magnetic Days was published by Metatron in 2014. Cadence Weapon released a self-titled album in 2018. His fifth studio album, Parallel World, was released on April 30, 2021, and won the 2021 Polaris Music Prize on September 27, 2021.
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, electronica (subgenres); rap, deadpan, spoken word (vocal style)
Shares restless, urgent, playful (moods); abstract hip-hop, electronica (subgenres)
Shares abstract hip-hop, electronica (subgenres); bedroom production, digital clarity, sample based (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, electronica, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); restless, urgent, defiant (moods)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere)
Shares urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere); abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres)
Shares abstract hip-hop, electronica (subgenres); urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere)
Shares abstract hip-hop, electronica (subgenres); urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, indie rock (subgenres); rap, deadpan, spoken word (vocal style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, electronica, noise textured (signature)
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