Welcome to the world of Rollie Pemberton aka Cadence Weapon. The 21 year old from Edmonton, Canada, makes the kind of next level hip hop which you thought didn’t happen anymore, mixing together the electronic future-funk of Spank Rock with the flow and intensity of a Def Jux artist, the B-Boy stance of the Old Skool and the emotions of a poet. Already critically acclaimed in the US and Canada, Big Dada are proud to bring this star-in-the-making to the UK and Europe.

Roland “Rollie” Pemberton had never released an album, but by age 18 had become an infamous hip-hop reviewer at online indie music mecca Pitchforkmedia.com, also writing reviews for Stylus and Wired magazines. He launched his own mp3 blog, RazorBladeRunner - now retired, and began remixing artists as a producer and posting his home mixes on his blog, to much critical acclaim. Early in 2005 Cadence Weapon decided to compile some of his favourite remixes and freestyles and released his “Cadence Weapon Is The Black Hand” mixtape, sold only online and at shows.

This caught the attention of 3 record labels: Def Jam, who had just signed Lady Sovereign, asked Cadence Weapon to remix her “Blah Blah Blah” single. Vice Records, who had 2 large records in production – Disco D’s Entourage anthem “Hug It Out Bitch” and the all-star indie record 'Do They Know It’s Halloween' – hired Cadence to remix both. And Canadian label Upper Class Recordings signed Mr. Pemberton on the spot.

“Breaking Kayfabe,” an impossibly accomplished hip-hop album stacked with clever writing and impressive rhymes, was released in Canada to instant praise and notoriety, including 2 months straight at #1 on the National College Radio Chart. The media - both mainstream and underground - touted Mr. Weapon as the next big 'thing' and an artist to watch... the accolades continued through the year, culminating in two prized nominations; a Plug Independent Award for Best Rap Album and the Polaris Music Prize (modeled after the Mercury Prize), and with Cadence taking home the prize for “Favourite Urban Artist” at the Canadian Independent Music Awards and a CBC Radio “Bucky Award”.


Anti/Epitaph Records, signed Cadence Weapon for the USA. In conjunction with Cadence’s SXSW 2006 performances, Breaking Kayfabe was released in the USA March 13 through Upper Class/Epitaph. The album has been gaining critical acclaim in the USA; including both the Album, and Single “Sharks” going Top 20 on the CMJ National College Radio Urban Charts, 4 Star Reviews and critics picks from Alternative Press, XLR8R, Pitchforkmedia and Urb Magazine, as well as Cadence Weapon added to the esteemed 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago July 15.

Cadence’s 2nd video for the anthemic banger “Sharks”, directed by Cosmonaut (Arcade Fire, Death From Above) has topped 30,000 YouTube views, has been spun all over Canada’s video channels MuchMusic, MuchVibe, MusiquePlus, MTV Canada, Razor and PunchMuch and USA’s FUSE, XLR8R-TV and ManiaTV, and landed “Sharks” a 2007 Muchmusic Video Award nomination.

This kid is on fire. “Breaking Kayfabe” has topped critics lists across the internet and North American Media, Cadence’s remix resume now includes Lady Sovereign, Disco D, Busdriver and Kid Sister, he’s shared the stage with Lady Sovereign, De La Soul, Hot Chip, Islands, TTC, Spank Rock, New Pornographers, Rihanna, Jurassic 5 and many more.

Tracklist:

01 Oliver Square
02 Sharks
03 Grim Fandango
04 Black Hand
05 30 Seconds
06 Diamond Cutter
07 Holy Smoke
08 Fathom
09 Turning On Your Sign
10 Lisa's Spider
11 Vicarious
12 Julie Will Jump The Broom