Shooting from the lip

When Hot Press meets Rollie Pemberton – aka Cadence Weapon – he’s quietly sipping tea alone in the middle of a busy hotel lobby. Not so long ago, he was on the other side of the dictaphone. A journalism graduate, by the age of 18 Pemberton seemed bound for a career as a music critic, writing for the Brooklyn-based Stylus webzine and the influential Pitchfork Media. The latter deemed his reviewing style “too vague” and promptly relieved him of his duties. It must have made it all the more satisfying that his ex-employers were amongst the many offering far from vague plaudits for his electro-fused 2005 debut Breaking Kayfabe (the words “trailblazing” and “masterpiece” keep cropping up).

The Canadian born Pemberton however, clearly isn’t one to gloat. “They seem to like me more as a musician than as a journalist,” is his modest, diplomatic summation of events.
Reading reviews of one’s own work must provide a curious occupational hazard/perk for any artist, but what's the experience like from the perspective of a former critic?
“It’s exciting, I like it. I want people to really understand what I’m doing so it’s rewarding when I can see that they get it. What’s really cool is when people pick up on something or reference something in one of my songs that I’m completely unaware of. Actually, I read a review today that said I was referencing something, it was some name I’ve never seen before, it looked like some Russian name. Did I reference someone without knowing who I was referencing? I mean, is that possible?”
Judging by the extent of Pemberton’s vast musical knowledge it’s quite possible indeed. Within minutes of meeting him he's enthusing about his favourite guitar bands with all the nerdy zeal of an obscurer-than-thou Nick Hornby character. He talks at length about: ’70s mod culture (“It’s not just the music. It’s the whole aesthetic I find inspiring”), forgotten late-‘60s baroque-pop perfectionists The Zombies (“The musical ideas, the recordings – oh man!”) and contemporary Brazilian hip-hop (“I have no idea what they’re saying, but the spirit and power of the music still comes through”).
“I’m pretty obsessed by music,” he understates. “I’m getting more and more into pop – the idea of how you can make any song work for as many people as possible.”
His immense education and enthusiasm combined with an approachable demeanour stand him in good stead to achieve his ultimate ambition to “redefine the perception of hip-hop.” Would he agree with this writer’s assertion that it’s invariably female artists, such as Missy Elliot and M.I.A, who prove most successful in driving the aural and visual aesthetic of the genre toward uncharted territories?
“You know, that’s a good question… but I’m not sure if I feel like that. With some artists now maybe it’s about personality, it’s about how they have a good back-story and what not.”
So on that note, just how does this polite and amiable young Canadian fare amongst his rap contemporaries, particularly those who positively embellish the aura of the stereotypically reclusive underground hip-hop star?
“I’m never going to be someone who'll avoid anyone who wants an autograph or whatever. Honestly? I’m pretty socially awkward. It’s only recently I’ve become good at talking to people in interviews and stuff. You get me around the right girls and I’ll freeze and wanna climb right out of there!”

Cadence Weapon's Afterparty Babies album is out on Big Dada