Forager

My seventh album Forager is out now on all platforms!

It all began with me just finding clothes for myself. I totally rebuilt my wardrobe solely through thrifting and got really good at finding quality items. Burberry dress shirts, discontinued Polo Ralph Lauren boots, silk Hawaiian shirts, etc. I was getting so good at finding cool stuff at rock bottom prices that I turned it into a business and started Searcher Vintage.

I’d fill up my car with clothing racks and crates full of clothes and make my own pop-up store at coffee shops or other places. In the process, I learned a lot about clothing. How to identify silk and linen, how to remove stains, how to figure out how old a garment is, etc. I got the Woolmark tattooed on me, which is this emblem that you find on garments that are 100% wool. All natural, not synthetic.

There is so much clothing out there in the world that was made in the past. I feel like anything I stop from getting shipped to another country or destroyed is a good thing. New clothing is made with cheaper synthetic materials and uses cheaper labour. Fast fashion. True vintage is made from natural materials and was made with a higher standard of craftsmanship. It was built to last. This made me think of the classic hip-hop that I grew up listening to.

At the same time, I was vibing with new rap for the first time in many years. I’d been a bit checked out on hip-hop for awhile. I mostly listened to electronic music and ‘80s synthpop when I made my last album Rollercoaster. After that album, I felt like I went as far as could with experimental electronic rap and wanted to make something more organic.

I was influenced by collaborative albums that the Alchemist made with Boldy James, Larry June, Roc Marciano, MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt, and Action Bronson. That got me thinking about doing a whole album with a Canadian producer which led me to work with Junia-T.

Listening back, I subconsciously reference several rappers that I grew up listening to throughout the album: OutKast, RZA, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, MF DOOM, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Aceyalone. I wanted the album to be both a celebration of rap as an art form and a time capsule of my era as a fashion archivist. I hope you enjoy it! Drop me a comment and let me know how you’re rocking with the record.

Listen to Forager here

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I’m shipping out records today, so if you want to get in on this batch, order your Forager vinyl now.

The Forager markets begin this weekend in Hamilton and Toronto!

I made a video explaining why I decided to put on these markets instead of doing conventional album release shows:

You can find me updating my playlists or hanging on TikTok, Instagram and Bluesky. You can listen to my music on Apple Music, Bandcamp and Spotify. You can get Cadence Weapon merchandise here. Pick up your copy of Bedroom Rapper here and please rate it on Goodreads.