Polaris winner Cadence Weapon on his personal rules for being ‘fearless’

By David Friend, The Canadian Press

TORONTO — Cadence Weapon says you won’t see his name directly linked to liquor sponsorships or any other “harmful product” on the market.

The Edmonton-raised hip hop performer, born Rollie Pemberton, says “no amount of money” is worth selling out to shill for commercial products he doesn’t believe in.

Last year, Cadence Weapon’s socially conscious album “Parallel World” was selected as winner of the Polaris Music Prize by a jury of music critics and industry professionals.

With it came heightened awareness for his work, which Pemberton says carries a responsibility to use his voice to address important issues including racism, gentrification, technology and politics.

He says that after enduring the turbulence of the record industry for more than 15 years, he’s prepared to be “fearless” and follow in the footsteps of his heroes, including rapper Chuck D and spoken-word poet Gil Scott-Heron.

Pemberton releases his first book “Bedroom Rapper,” part memoir, part chronicle of Canadian hip hop history, on May 31.

“I was around in a pre-Drake environment (when) the idea of a Canadian rapper to the outside world was comical,” he says.

“I felt like a real outsider. I always have felt like an outsider. I used to be kind of bummed about it. But now I love it. Because I just do what I want.”
 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2022.

David Friend, The Canadian Press

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