The internet has made music simultaneously omnipresent and disposable. There is more music being produced now than at any point in human history, and streaming platforms are the ultimate distribution model—yet algorithms and social media platforms have reduced music to background noise, dissuading listeners from developing their own taste, all while artist royalties plummet. In Ways of Listening: Building a Deeper Relationship with Music in the Streaming Era, acclaimed author Rollie Pemberton—AKA Cadence Weapon, Polaris Prize-winning rapper and producer—outlines a path forward for the contemporary music lover. In a lively conversation with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, he’ll dissect our current musical landscape, from Charli xcx’s groundbreaking Brat album rollout to AI’s struggle to understand what makes a song popular. 

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Event Participants:

Elamin Abdelmahmoud

ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD is the host of CBC Radio show Commotion. He was a founding co-host of the CBC Politics podcast Party Lines, and he is a contributor to The National’s At Issue panel. His work has appeared in Buzzfeed News, Rolling Stone, the Globe and Mail, and others.

Rollie Pemberton

ROLLIE PEMBERTON AKA CADENCE WEAPON is Edmonton-born, Hamilton-based writer, rapper, producer, DJ and cultural commentator Rollie Pemberton. He has released six albums, winning Canada’s 2021 Polaris Music Prize for Parallel World. His writing has been published in Pitchfork, The Guardian, Wired, The Walrus and Hazlitt. His debut memoir, Bedroom Rapper, was a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year.