Cadence Weapon’s Hard-Earned Lessons for Life in Music

Now 36 years old, and just a year removed from winning the Polaris Music Prize, Rollie Pemberton (better known as Cadence Weapon) is able to reflect on the significant highs and lows he’s had in his career. From a rap-obsessed Black kid in Edmonton who shared lyrics on early internet message boards, to a teenager with critically-acclaimed albums but stuck in an exploitive label deal, to an entrepreneurial independent artist navigating the business on his own terms, Pemberton has lived multiple lives in the music business and has the lessons to prove it. He shares his story and all the lessons learned along the way in his new book, Bedroom Rapper (Penguin Random House Canada). It’s both an illuminating memoir and a guidebook to the music business for independent artists. Here, Pemberton chats with Canadian Musician Editor-in-Chief about his career and shares many great stories along the way.