Afterparty Babies
by Cadence Weapon
  • Record Label: Anti
  • Release Date: Mar 4, 2008
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 20
  3. Negative: 1 out of 20
  1. AllMusic
    80
    An album that accepts its imperfections as a part of its charm, and, all things considered, a pretty irresistible release.
  2. cokemachineglow
    70
    The record is a virtuosic display of talent (I don’t even know what sounds I’m hearing on the chorus of “Juliann Wilding”) but it comes across both too eager to impress and too self-satisfied to edit.
  3. Drowned In Sound
    90
    It’s just brilliant.
  5. Filter
    80
    With Afterparty Babies, he proves he truly belongs on the other side of the speakers. [Winter 2008, p.105]
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  6. Observer Music Monthly
    80
    Straight out of Edmonton, Alberta, fast-talking MC Rollie Pemberton's impeccable second album confirms that the history of Canadian electro did not end with Neil Young's Trans.
  7. Paste Magazine
    80
    As a knowing send-up of youth culture, Afterparty Babies can be both funny and obnoxious.
  8. Pitchfork
    70
    If the satisfying Afterparty Babies doesn't have the same thunderclap impact of its predecessors, it's because that element of adventure is subdued.
  9. Prefix Magazine
    75
    Over and over, we get the sense that Cadence makes records for that gaggle of kids on the album cover, for the look on their faces. If any of the rest of us likes it, all the better. It works: We’d like to know more about Mr. Weapon, and his buds.
  10. Q Magazine
    80
    A dense, innovative follow-up to Canadian MC Rollie Pemberton's promising 2005 debut. [Apr 2008, p. 112]
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  11. The A.V. Club
    75
    Throughout, Pemberton comes off like a clever friend who just happens to be lyrically gifted: He's the perfect hip-hop hero for the MySpace age.
  12. The Guardian
    80
    Pemberton doesn't strain to impress. He doesn't need to: his darting intelligence and racing imagination are evident in every line.
  13. The New York Times
    70
    He backs up his insolence with dense, tricky productions that pile samples and scratching atop techno and electro beats and go increasingly haywire as he gets more worked up.
  14. Tiny Mix Tapes
    70
    Pemberton’s lyrics can be long-winded, but on the whole, they display a postmodern reflexivity that is profoundly mind-boggling.
  15. Under The Radar
    70
    His arrangements this time range froma a cappella loops and glitchy beats to videogame synyths and deconstructed dance grooves, adding up to an indie hip-hop classic. [Winter 2008, p.90]
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  16. Urb
    70
    His latest outing, Afterparty Babies, doesn't derail that path, but it struggles to stay on course.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. BryanH.
    Mar 6, 2008
    8
    Not as strong as the brilliant "Breaking Kayfabe" but still a damned good album. The review from "NOW Magazine" (a publication that earns Not as strong as the brilliant "Breaking Kayfabe" but still a damned good album. The review from "NOW Magazine" (a publication that earns itself no respect, generally speaking) couldn't possibly be any further off the mark. Comparing something this biting and fresh to Tom Green's novelty rap is a straight up insult to Cadence, Canadian hip hop, and (why not?) even Green himself.… Full Review »
  2. MattA.
    Mar 5, 2008
    9
    Apparentely it's cool now to give a Cadence Weapon album a bad review and say that "he hasn't mastered his craft yet." Well, his Apparentely it's cool now to give a Cadence Weapon album a bad review and say that "he hasn't mastered his craft yet." Well, his true fans didn't get the memo. While not as good as Breaking Kayfabe (which felt other-wordly it was so good), this is no disappointment. There is a slight lag in tracks 8-10, but other than that, this is a worthy follow-up with a handful of just classic rap tracks (Limited Edition OJ Slammer, True Story, and House Music, just to name a few). The NOW Toronto is so out of touch he needs to retire. The Lost at Sea guy isn't far behind.… Full Review »
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