Cadence Weapon Is Edmonton's Poet Laureate

05/26/09 2:25pm

Rapping about getting drunk in Oliver Square apparently has its benefits.

Roland Pemberton will become Edmonton's poet laureate on July 1.

That sounds so official. Let's try this instead:

Cadence Weapon will be droppin' city-sanctioned slang this summer.

Pemberton, a lifelong Edmontonian who raps under the name Cadence Weapon, was nominated for the post by local artist Trevor Anderson.

"I suggest that Rollie’s work already represents our City to its citizens, and that he acts as one of our most exciting municipal ambassadors when he tours nationally and internationally," Anderson wrote in his nomination letter.

"Roland Pemberton is a poet of the people, and I think that might be the most important qualification for the Poet Laureate to hold."

"I'm honoured that the city of Edmonton has considered me to be their poet laureate, a worthy chronicler of events and a representative of the diversity and cultural breadth of Edmontonians," says Pemberton.

"This guy will bring poetry to a whole new audience, and challenge the rest of us on our conventional perception of what it means to be a poet," says Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel.

"I sometimes hear that young people aren't into poetry. But Roland, as a musician/hip-hop artist, will show them they really are into the art form — they just didn't know it.

"We want young Edmontonians to be involved in shaping our city. I know Roland Pemberton will be a great Edmonton ambassador to the rest of the world."

Pemberton's poet laureate responsibilities will include: serving a two-year term; assuming the role of the city's literary ambassador; producing at least three original works each year; appearing and presenting works of significance at least once a year in front of city council, at least once a year at a city-sponsored fundraising or charity event, and at a minimum of two official city functions each year; and beginning and contributing to an historical archive of events and poetry.

Pemberton will also be allowed and encouraged to present or perform works of other poets if the content or subject is relevant to the event and Edmonton citizens.

Pemberton, 23, is Edmonton's third poet laureate. He follows Ted Blodgett and Alice Major.

Neither of them have released a hip-hop album. Pemberton has two: 2005's Polaris Music Prize short-listed Breaking Kayfabe and last year's Afterparty Babies. He made a 20-track "mix tape" titled Separation Anxiety available to download from his website early this year.

Pemberton has done remixes for Woodhands, Chad VanGaalen, Silly Kissers and The Streets, which he provided links for in a May 13 MySpace blog post in which he talks about his recent activities.

"i just finished the demo version of the new album i'm calling roquentin. i have been feeling very creative. i think people will be pretty surprised when they hear it. i've been calling it a cross between sonic youth, the rza and harry nilsson."

Pemberton adds that he's "looking into completing this album and all the collaborations needed by august so i can spend the dog days of summer shooting contested three pointers, writing poems, drinking wine, dancing in clubs and making out in the park."