While the world underwent social and political awakenings at the peak of the pandemic, Cadence Weapon, given name Rollie Pemberton, wanted to compel the world to listen more.
Parallel World is a 26-minute exploratory and moody rap album that uses distinct references to Black experiences, histories and archives in Canada. Some have called it dystopian and dark which the artist admits he finds frustrating.
The album begins with Africville s Revenge, an ode to the nearly 150-year-old Black community in Halifax that was demolished in the 1960s by the City of Halifax. The song was inspired by his new neighbourhood, Little Jamaica, a cultural heritage locus that has been impacted by gentrification, transit construction and the City of Toronto s failure to claim it as a protected heritage district.
New-york
United-states
Jamaica
United-kingdom
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
America
Canadians
Canadian
American
British