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May 27th, 2009
Edmonton’s Cadence Weapon has received the prestigious honour of becoming his city’s third poet laureate. According to the Edmonton Journal, on May 26 the 23-year-old rapper/producer also known as Rollie Pemberton was sworn in at City Hall.
Speaking to the Journal, Cadence Weapon said he realizes how extraordinary the opportunity is. (A poet laureate is someone chosen by his government to compose poems for for State occasions and other government events.) “By appointing me they’re taking a chance,” he said. “To me, it represents an opportunity to change the view of Edmonton. If people see me as representing Edmonton, maybe it will give them an overall different perception. I think that’s a positive thing. And it’s getting people talking. I’m excited.”
A Polaris Prize nominated artist known for astute raps and indie-centric production, his three albums and various mixtapes have all painted a portrait of Edmonton life according to Cadence Weapon - which is why local filmmaker Trevor Anderson nominated him to the city, calling him a “poet of the people.”
Pemberton follows in the footsteps of Ted Bloggett, a literary professor at the University of Alberta who’s not only 51 years his senior, but also an author of 29 books, two of which won Governor General’s Awards.
“At first I thought, ‘Well, I don’t know.’ Poet laureate — whoa. Getting heavy,” Pemberton responded to the idea. “Do I need a staff, and a big, grey beard? But then I actually starting thinking about what I do already, and most of my content is about Edmonton. Most of the music I’ve put together comes from a very specific regional source. And I feel like I can just expand that into the poetry as well. It’s basically another outlet for the writing I’m already doing, and I can focus it even more now.”
Cadence Weapon is currently working on his third studio album, Roquentin, the title of which is taken from a character by the existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre.
However, as Edmonton’s poet laureate, he will be expected to divide his time and produce at least three original works in each year of the two-year term, which will also see him receive an annual honourarium of $5,000.
And if there is anyone doubting his credibility, he’s issued a warning to naysayers, joking, “If anybody has any problems, we’ll have a poem battle, a poem-off.”
Tags: cadence weapon
Posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 at 3:43 pm by Cam and is filed under News.
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