DISCover Cadence Weapon

Cadence Weapon is a freak occurrence in rap music; the equivalent of a hailstorm with softball-sized chunks of ice on a sunny July day.
Just when you thought you couldn’t take hearing another rap song about a luxury vehicle (are they paid by these car companies!?) or gun violence, Afterparty Babies offers up 14 refreshing tracks that are well crafted and ignorance-free.
The level of artistry displayed in the new disc is congruous to his acclaimed 2005 debut, Breaking Kayfabe, which thrust the 22-year-old native-Edmonton rapper/DJ/producer into the spotlight.
This album is somewhat of a divergence that sounds invariably Canadian, with quirky run-on-sentences and narrative rapping akin to fellow Canuck rapper Buck 65.
To do the album justice, you cannot pigeonhole or label it as rap or even ‘Canadian Rap,’ because it transcends rap as a genre. Afterparty Babies is music made from a palette that includes 8-bit synth-stabs, 808 drums, sliced and chopped samples along with bravado word play and glazed syllables.
Many re-listens are required to let the barrage of witty lines soak in the brain juices, while headphone listening makes things even more interesting – drawing you further into Cadence’s enclave of sound design.
Cadence’s sophomore effort speaks of his experiences as an individual among many scenes, sub cultures and circles, with mention of “hip-hop hipsters,” in the catchy single “In Search of The Youth Crew,” obnoxious clothing trends in “The New Face of Fashion,” and relationships in “Tattoos (And What They Really Feel Like).”
He obviously has a penchant for distinctive song titles, and apparently his recording process is the opposite of most artists’ – he starts with the title, then writes the lyrics, then makes the beat.
One of the shoestring motifs that run through the album is a DJ scratching various samples, which is certainly fitting.
However, sometimes pauses, silence, or subtext is not a bad thing – allowing the music to breathe and the listener to ruminate.
To avoid such misadventure with a pastiche approach is entirely difficult, but perhaps Cadence’s next disc will be more harmonious and less chaotic. Overall, Afterparty Babies is a fun and rewarding listen.
Cadence Weapon’s Afterparty Babies is
available now. They play Le National Saturday, Apr. 19.

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