Emerging: Cadence Weapon

Okay okay.  So you totally already know who Cadence Weapon is.  If you really don't, here's a primer.  He's a hip hop artist, a hip hop reviewer (who once tore up that section on Pitchfork), a 21-year-old lyricist who's got the skills to take up the slack that guys like Aesop Rock and J Dilla have left behind them, he's a well known and seriously sought-after remixer and he's Canadian.  Now, we know that that last fact would instantly shun Mr. Roland Pemberton from the zeitgeist because of the stigma of acts like k-os and Snow who have both been equally responsible (in our eyes at least) for the death of serious considerations for Canadian hip hop, but this is different.

Cadence's flow is at once reminiscent of Roots Manuva or Dynamite MC and the bounce on his tracks owe as much to Chicago house circa 1985 as they do to Los Angeles in the early nineties.  It's a refreshing mix of the throwback and future tense, a promising edge to the landscape of contemporary hip hop which is by contrast turning out tons of tracks that are more interested in cash and yachts.

It's old news how amazing Cadence Weapon is, but we just heard the first track to be released off his second LP, Afterparty Babies, called "In Search of the Youth Crew" and it gave us a new light to shine on the future of underground hip hop and the relevancy of independent labels (Epitaph/Upper Class) who can help these artists maintain a lengthy career.

(mp3)    In Search of the Youth Crew, from the upcoming Afterparty Babies LP

(mp3)    Sharks, from the Breaking Kayfabe LP

(mp3)    Black Hand, from the Breaking Kayfabe LP

(mp3)    Ghostface Killah - Save Me Dear (Cadence Weapon AceRock remix)

Godspeed!