An update on Bedroom Rapper

Three months later

My book Bedroom Rapper came out three months ago today. Thank you to everyone who has read it so far, recommended it to a friend, sent me a message or made a post about the book. The literary world is so different from music. Word of mouth really means a lot, you can see its impact in a clearer way. Seeing how much it has resonated with folks has been such a joy. It’s been unbelievably encouraging to see that hundreds of people been able to relate to my story in their own different ways.

Having a book on my merch table this summer for all the festivals has been a thought-provoking experience. Even if someone isn’t familiar with my music, the fact that I’ve written a book seems to pique their interest. Despite having recorded and released five full-length albums over nearly two decades, people are routinely more impressed that I’ve written a book. That whole panic about literature going out of style during the computer age was totally overblown. Not everyone has a turntable at home but most people have a bookshelf.

I’d like to thank the publications and journalists who chose to cover Bedroom Rapper, a book about underground music scenes and growing up Black in Edmonton. I’ve been thinking of my book as not just my life story but also as a tool for carving out a lane for the next generation of musicians and writers who have uncommon backgrounds. By writing about my book, the media is helping to change the narrative, obliterating the idea that stories like mine are niche perspectives.

If you haven’t read my book yet, you can get the hardcover from your local shop, listen to the audiobook (performed by me!) or borrow either through your city’s library. And if you’ve already checked out Bedroom Rapper, please rate it on Goodreads. You’d be surprised how important that is for authors. Thanks so much for coming with me on this journey!

Read an excerpt from Bedroom Rapper on CBC Music

Read an excerpt from Bedroom Rapper in The Walrus

Get your copy of Bedroom Rapper here

Rate and review Bedroom Rapper on Goodreads here

I’ll also be in conversation with Michael Barclay as part of the Toronto International Festival of Authors on September 24th, you can get tickets for that here

---

You can find me updating my playlist or hanging on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to Cadence Weapon music on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp and you can cop Cadence Weapon merchandise here. Get your copy of Bedroom Rapper here.