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  • Bedroom Rapper

  • Cadence Weapon on Hip-Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry
  • Written by: Rollie Pemberton
  • Narrated by: Rollie Pemberton
  • Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (12 ratings)

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Bedroom Rapper

Written by: Rollie Pemberton
Narrated by: Rollie Pemberton
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Publisher's Summary

Bedroom Rapper is a book for obsessive music fans who are looking for the definitive take on what’s happened in the last two decades of hip hop, from Cadence Weapon, aka Rollie Pemberton: Pitchfork critic, award-winning musician, producer, DJ, and poet laureate.

Tracing his roots from recording beats in his mom's attic in Edmonton to performing with some of the most recognizable names in rap and electronic music—De La Soul, Public Enemy, Mos Def, Questlove, Diplo, and more—Polaris Prize winner Rollie Pemberton, a.k.a Cadence Weapon, captures the joy in finding yourself, and how a sense of place and purpose entwines inextricably with a music scene.

From competitive basement family karaoke to touring Europe, from fights with an exploitative label to finding his creative voice, from protesting against gentrification to using his music to centre political change, Rollie charts his own development alongside a shifting musical landscape. As Rollie finds his feet, the bottom falls out of the industry, and he captures the way so many artists were able to make a nimble name for themselves while labels floundered.

Bedroom Rapper also offers us a wide-ranging and crucial history of hip-hop. With an international perspective that's often missing from rap music journalism, he integrates the gestation of American hip hop with UK grime and niche scenes from the Canadian prairies, bringing his obsessive knowledge of hip-hop to bear on his subject. Rollie takes us into New York in the ’70s, Edmonton in the ’90s, the legendary Montreal DIY loft scene of the 2000s, and traces the ups and downs of trusting your gut and following your passion, obsessively.

With a foreword by Gabriel Szatan, music fans and creators alike will relate to the dedication to craft, obsessive passion for what came before, and desire to shift the future that is embodied in every creative project Rollie takes on.

©2022 Rollie Pemberton (P)2022 Penguin Random House Canada
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What the critics say

“Charting the highs and lows of his remarkable journey from attic-bound experimentalist to award-winning MC, Rollie Pemberton remains as ruminative, engaging and forthright in the margins of Bedroom Rapper—as poet, journalist, critic, musicologist, documentarian, DJ and more—as he is on the mic.”—Calum Slingerland, Exclaim!

“Rollie is a writer whose authenticity defines his work, making Bedroom Rapper a book that’s as beautifully compelling as it is sharp, honest, and insightful. His voice is powerful and empathetic; his retellings are vivid, heart-wrenching, and strong. An absolute privilege to read, and a story I can’t wait to keep following.”—Anne T. Donahue

“Read this if you’re a hip hop fan. Read this for a delicious behind-the-scenes. Read this for a coming-of-age book unlike any other. This memoir by Rollie Pemberton is open, funny, sharp and filled with storytelling treasures. It’s a beautiful love letter to life as an artist in Canada as well as an incisive critique of our culture. His storytelling is raw and polished at the same time, the mark of great art. We all stan Cadence Weapon!”—Hannah Sung

What listeners say about Bedroom Rapper

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

wow this was super good! I'll be honest I never listened to Cadence weapon heavy growing up but always saw him pop up from time to time and knew he was doing things but to me being from Alberta too and a rapper it's so dope to hear his story to where he's at now and know that it is possible to make a name for yourself even with obstacles. it's also dope too know I wasn't the only one in Alberta listing to Grime because I felt hella alone vibing out to that on you tube and tell everyone and then not getting it. anyways really good definitely check it out y'all.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

Rollie is a compelling author and narrator who takes you through his struggles as an independent musician overcoming being taken advantage of by slimy music industry creeps. A must listen for aspiring musicians and those who have a passion for hip hop or boundary-pushing independent music in general.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyed every second of it

I've always enjoyed artist tour journal or behind the curtain type books and this is my new favorite. That may be biased by the fact that I've enjoyed the work of Cadence Weapon for many years now. but for me it's a fantastic topping on an already great sundae.
The first hand scene observations, tour and label trouble, reflections and his explanations of personal/ musical growth are are well written and captivating. Case in point, the book came out barely 24 hours ago and I'm starting a second listen.

I particularly enjoyed the performance as:
1. I've been listening to him rap for years so having him read the book was a perfect fit.
2. He does a great job.
3. Best of all, he occasionally sings or raps out lines and that's just fun!
The book comes with playlists for spotify and youtube so you can really get into what the author is talking about and that was very apricated.

I do wish it had been longer but that's always the case with an enjoyable read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Journey Through Canada’s Music Scene

Cadence Weapon narrates this heartfelt, hard hitting and hilarious memoir with the sage wisdom and easy going panache of the maverick veteran of Canadian hiphop that he is.

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