Cadence Weapon

Cadence Weapon is Edmonton-born, Hamilton-based rapper, producer, writer and poet Rollie Pemberton. His 2021 album Parallel Worldwon Canada’s Polaris Music Prize. The son of a pioneering hip-hop radio DJ, Pemberton grew up around a diverse library of music. Splitting his time between Edmonton’s experimental electronic and underground rap scenes as a teenager, Pemberton eventually developed a hybrid of both styles. Cadence Weapon has released six albums, five of which have been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, with Breaking Kayfabe(2006) and Hope In Dirt City(2012) and Parallel World(2021) being shortlist nominees. Pemberton has toured extensively following the success of these albums, playing festivals like Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival, Roskilde and Primavera Sound and performing shows with artists such as Public Enemy, Diplo, Questlove, De La Soul and many more. Pemberton’s music is known for pairing groundbreaking production with incisive, socially conscious lyricism. Pemberton served as Poet Laureate of Edmonton from 2009 to 2011, making him the literary ambassador of his hometown. His poem “The Garden” was incorporated into a bronzesculpture at the Alberta Legislature Grounds in Edmonton in 2018. Pemberton was the narrator and a writer for the VICELAND television series PAYDAYand Mister Tachyonand he has hosted lectures and conducted live interviews for CBC q and Red Bull Music Academy. Pemberton’s memoir called Bedroom Rapperwas published by McClelland & Stewart in May 2022 and his newest album ROLLERCOASTERwas released on April 19, 2024.

Super Duty Tough Work

Golden-era taste, future-era based. Rooted in the tradition of Black American resistance arts, Super Duty Tough Work is known to entertain and inspire while employing scathing wit and thorough analysis to push their radical politic of revolution, party, and bullshit. Inspired by the dirty jazz loop sound of 90s east coast hip hop, SDTW is the live incarnation of hip hop culture's quintessential era, appearing as a band (we know, stay with us) but manifesting a sound that’s more akin to something straight out of an MPC or SP-404 sampler. Revered for their methodically curated sets, SDTW mixes laidback rap action with razor-sharp delivery and effortless loops with surprising transitions, keeping audiences on their feet and salivating in anticipation. After being a live-show-only act for years, the group’s debut EP Studies in Grey, received a Polaris Prize nod, making them the first Manitoba-based hip hop act to be nominated, while also receiving a nom for Best Rap & Hip Hop Artist from the Western Canadian Music Awards. SDTW's debut LP, Paradigm Shift, received the same nominations in 2024, solidifying their status as a group to keep an eye on.