Cadence Weapon’s latest single “When It’s Real” is a summer jam featuring Los Angeles soul star Jarell Perry and production by Muneshine.

What do Biz Markie, Busdriver, and Blueprint all have in common? Aside from the fact that all three have each made their mark on the hip-hop scene, they all seem as far apart in their lyrical and song delivery approach as possible. On his new album, Hope In Dirt City, Canada’s Cadence Weapon fuses the best elements of all three, most-likely unbeknownst to himself, to form a conceptually, musically, and lyrically dynamic listening experience.

H.I.D.C. is an album that doesn’t rely on formulaic loops and musical arrangements, and is equally diverse in subject matter. From rock, to reggae, to dance music, and a number of other genres, Cadence Weapon offers varied production that flows seamlessly with the unique song concepts he brings to the table. Oftentimes, the idea of this many styles of music being utilized ends up like a train wreck, but it is done to perfection here.

Having served as a government appointed poet laureate in Edmonton from 2009-2011, it’s no wonder that his respect for the spoken word is in top shape. Cadence’s songwriting can best be summarized as storytelling that fuses lyrical tangents and abstract lyrical approaches to create a consistent package. While this may not make sense upon reading, a quick listen to the record will help clarify. There is nary a hint of an emcee rapping for rap’s sake on this release, as each song offers a creative and humorous approach to original concepts. Notable standouts deal with an emcees best friend on stage on “Hype Man”, an appreciation for ghetto blasters on “Jukebox”, and the title track that closes out the album. However, there is really no filler here, and almost every song is guaranteed to offer something original, which makes it an album that requires active listening and not just a background throw on.

While the three aforementioned emcees probably will never be in the same location together, they are creatively summoned on Hope In Dirt City to create an album worthy of auditory exploration. Take Biz Markie’s humorous approach to songwriting; add the alternative production choices, and often humorous abstract lyricism of Busdriver; blend in the vocal projection that Blueprint has utilized effectively on some of his work, and you are left with a breakthrough artist from the frozen North. The time he put into this album shows, and the time it may take to fully crack what is going on may be comparable for the listener.

     After garnering huge critical success (not to mention being tapped to remix songs for Lady Sovereign and Vice Records, respectively), it was time to bring Cadence Weapon’s Breaking Kayfabe to the U.S.  Signing a stateside deal with Epitaph’s Anti- imprint, Cadence released Breaking Kayfabe independently here in March of 2007, with an (apparent) official Epitaph re-launch of the album scheduled for October of 2007. 

     So what is it that makes Cadence so fresh? Perhaps it’s his commanding presence on the mic, or the surprisingly confident attitude he carries, despite being more or less a rookie emcee. Or perhaps it’s the fact that Cadence is producing his own music, with a unique sound that combines 80′s electro keyboard beats with today’s abstract production style. Whatever the case may be, Cadence will be easily compared to other sarcastic backpack rappers like Aesop Rock, Blueprint, or Kool Kieth, so it should come as no surprise when he inserts himself right into their respective fanbases.

      From the moment the opening song starts, “Oliver Square”, the first thing the listener notices is how different the production is, but Cadence immediately grabs your attention with his seasoned delivery and crisp enunciation, educating you about his hometown.  “Sharks” follows, where after spitting the first verse, he employs a 16 bar instrumental interlude of blisteringly sticky synth and then reveals cockily “that means stop biting my shit”. “Black Hand” combines sampled layers of cracking funk drums, banjo licks, and jazzy interludes, while Cadence kicks cleverly penned braggadocio and shit talking. 

     It’s not all rapping for the sake of rapping, however. He tackles tougher subject matter such as on the dark “Diamond Cutter”, which explores the life of a prostitute, or “30 Seconds”, which examines capitalism, big corporations, and their effects on society. 

     While Cadence has something noteworthy here, it does not come without criticism. Thankfully, his lyrics are pretty straightforward, however his production is not. Songs like “Fathom” and “Vicarious” seem to go overboard with the spaced out keyboard synth. Considering that Cadence produced the entire album himself, most of the songs have a similar sound, which on one hand creates a unified sound for the record, but on the other hand begins to sound monotonous after a while.

     Regardless, Cadence Weapon is a true diamond in the rough, and at only 21 years of age, he’s got plenty of room to grow and hone his craft. While it is obvious that he used the most basic tools to produce this record, Breaking Kayfabe also suggests that he could be a dangerous producer with the right equipment at his disposal. Coupled with the fact that he’s also ill on the mic, it’s only a matter of time before he’s considered on of the underground’s favorites.