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CKUA’s Hidden Track podcast brings you stories that change the way you hear music. We’ll get to the heart of the song with the musician who wrote it, reflect on a landmark recording with the producer who helped shape it, or examine the legacy of a musical icon with the person who knew them best. Whoever the guest, we'll provide a moment of discovery you won’t soon forget.

Feb 4, 2022

"The Prairies got something to say."

When he was awarded the 2021 Polaris Music Prize, Cadence Weapon spoke from the heart; giving a long, loving shout-out to his home town and province: Edmonton, Alberta.
Rollie Pemberton a/k/a/ Cadence Weapon always been passionately proud of his roots. His family, his community, his hometown helped make him the renowned, respected creator he is today. And Cadence Weapon, in turn, has always kept where he comes from at the very heart of what he does.

In this episode, we'll trace some of the story of his remarkable career, as we're joined by some of his friends, family and fellow creators. Edmonton jazz and funk luminary Brett Miles was an important early collaborator - and also Rollie's uncle! We'll hear from a key influence in Shout Out Out Out Out's Nik Kozub. We'll talk to renowned fellow YEG hip-hop artist Arlo Maverick, as well as multi-media artist Natalie Meyer; they're the filmmakers behind a brand-new video documentary series about Edmonton hip-hop called Allow Me to Introduce. We'll gather some perspectives from a past collaborator of Rollie's who's well outside the hip-hop tradition: Alberta singer-songwriter Colleen Brown. Plus, we'll be hearing from the ultimate expert speaker on this topic... Cadence Weapon's mom, Michelle Miles! And of course, we'll talk to the idiosyncratic and iconoclastic artist himself, the one and only Cadence Weapon.