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Cadence Weapon, aka Rollie Pemberton, comes from a musical family, his father, Teddy Pemberton, having been a pioneering hip hop DJ for Edmonton's community radio station, CJSR-FM. His debut album 'Breaking Kayfabe' earned him critical acclaim and the follow-up 'Afterparty Babies', released earlier this year by Big Dada, has taken his eclectic and distinct sound to a much wider audience. Besides making his own music, he has also remixed tracks for Lady Sovereign and Ciara as well as written hip hop reviews for Stylus and Pitchfork. Cadence now answers our same six questions.
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Q1 How did you start out making music?
I grew up listening to rap because my dad was a hip-hop DJ. I started written battling my friend Devin in Grade 9 Math class, then I got into rapping with my uncle's funk band. From there, I started doing my own production, put out a demo near the end of high school and got serious about it.
Q2 What inspired your latest album?
My new album is inspired by interpersonal relationships, getting drunk, cell phones, media saturation, Nike dunks, losing touch with the people you care about, young love and the transient nature of youth.
Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
I usually start with the title or a beat sketch. Then I absorb ideas for months until I have enough bits of information to cobble together a song. It's very collage style. From there, I usually try to finish the production end and whoomp, there's a song. I will probably be
altering my process for the next record.
Q4 Which artists influence your work?
Outkast, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Beastie Boys, Aphex Twin, Count Bass D, Funkadelic, Dust Brothers, Tricky, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Nirvana, Destroyer, Daft Punk
Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Listen to it as a full record and try to listen to it a few times. Most people who hate my music don't give it enough time. My favorite kind of music is usually difficult to get into on the outset, but rewards the listener for patience.
Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
For this record, I'd like to have people adapted to the style of show I present. I want people to expect to party. In the future, I'd like to play on Letterman or Conan. I'd like to play Coachella. I'd like to make a song that people want to cover. I'd like to change the way people think about rap.
published june 2008
