BASKETBALL FEELINGS
BASKETBALL FEELINGS
The Basketball Feelings Podcast, Episode 29: Rollie Pemberton
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The Basketball Feelings Podcast, Episode 29: Rollie Pemberton

Rapper, author, producer and activist on definitions of personal success, basketball's best jolting moments and turning this into a fantasy basketball podcast.
Photo by Mat Dunlap

I must be the only rapper to reference Kelly Olynyk in a song.

I first met Rollie Pemberton, a.k.a. Cadence Weapon, way back when I worked for Vice and our circles overlapped mostly in music and just like, living and being in the west end of Toronto at a certain time. That circle eventually widened for both of us, skipping into completely different circles, as Rollie dug into producing, touring, activism, writing (his acclaimed memoir, Bedroom Rapper, published this past year), and back to music (his acclaimed album, Parallel World, also came out this past year), plus many other creative avenues. Also basketball.

Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, Rollie grew up a Vancouver Grizzlies fan until the team was shipped south to Memphis. Later, living in Montreal, his fandom switched over to the Raptors. We talked about that, the influence of his grandfather and dad on his fandom, and whether NBA fandom in general is changing.

We also talked about the creative process — whether it’s any different for him toggling between writing and making music — and what he does when he’s stuck. We talked about how his definition of success for himself has changed over time, fortitude in the music industry and tying it back to fortitude within the NBA, the jolting moments basketball brings sometimes when you need them the most, plus, the obsessive merits of fantasy basketball. It’s also probably the first and last time I’ll 1. Get to reference Gowan and, 2. Have the person get the joke.

Rollie also has a Substack you can read and subscribe to here.

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