Shad
Bio
Shad is certainly no stranger to critical praise, but he’s never let his presence in the spotlight affect his art. His fan base has graciously received both of his previous albums, but it was the Canadian release of his third LP, TSOL that piqued new levels of international interest, making evident a need for an extension to other audiences.
The son of Rwandan immigrants, Shadrach Kabango’s unique first-world experience informs an appreciation for his role as a musician. Born in Kenya and relocated to Canada shortly after, Shad relished his adolescence growing up outside of Toronto where he became fluent in French and English. It was during these formative years that he was initially exposed to hip-hop culture, awe-stricken by the music of true-school graduates like Common, Rass Kass and Outkast. This trans-cultural upbringing rendered a well-rounded young adult, educated on hardship and cognizant of the many opportunities he had been afforded.
After high-school Shad put his nose to the grindstone and wrote his first songs while studying business at Wilfrid Laurier University where he later graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. Sprung from his dorm-room and financed by the winnings from a radio song-writing contest, Shad’s first record When This Is Over was released in July 2005, and was characterized by overt introspection and social awareness. An unadulterated glimpse of young-adulthood, the self-made
album bore promise of even greater accomplishments.
When 2007’s The Old Prince was released on Black Box Recordings, critics immediately incorporated Shad into the dialogue among the most well-regarded MCs in North America. The Juno Awards, the most prestigious honor in Canadian music, nominated the album as Rap Recording of The Year. The Old Prince was also named an official contender for the cutting edge Polaris Music Prize that year.
The initial singles from his latest offering, TSOL, are a testament to his calculated reproach that traverses soulful arrangements with the deft awareness of the rap gods before him. On “Rose Garden” he weighs the convenience of blissful ignorance against his burden of personal truth, stating, “The same things that float your boat can capsize it” and “I know too much and I owe too much to let it rest.” Later, on “Yaa I Get It” Shad seizes the opportunity to flip introspective syllables in the face of a riotous brass ensemble, rapping “So many sold their souls, my sole ambition is to hold solid, soul calm and bright as the solar system”, all the while nodding
knowingly to an oft looked-over pocket of Canadian genius. Northern neighbors Brendan Canning and Lisa Lobsinger of Broken Social Scene add instrumental flourishes to “Lucky 1’s” and Canadian hip-hop legend Classified produces the proud “A Good Name”. Since its Canadian release TSOL has also been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, Shad’s second consecutive nomination. In March 2011, TSOL won "Rap Recording of the Year" at the Juno Awards, beating out the likes of Drake's "Thank Me Later" to take home the prize.
It’s now clear that a failure to broaden his reach to the US would not only be a huge disservice to him as an artist, but to hip-hop culture as a whole. Unafraid to explore personal triumphs and pitfalls, Shad practices absolute transparency, giving all of himself to the listener by touching on issues that are universally relatable and resigning to that fact that he may not even have all of the answers. Simply put, TSOL is an illustration of one man’s attempt to understand the world in which we all live. Shad’s story speaks volumes on the worldly accomplishments of a borderless globe; his music is audible evidence of personal and socio-political progress. Listen, and let it be heard.
_____________________
CONTACT
Label: Black Box (CAN & US) / Decon Records (EUR)
Management: Gaurav Sawhney at The Faculty Of
Booking: Steven Himmelfarb at The Billions Agency (North America)
Publicity: Gaurav Sawhney at The Faculty Of
Shad is certainly no stranger to critical praise, but he’s never let his presence in the spotlight affect his art. His fan base has graciously received both of his previous albums, but it was the Canadian release of his third LP, TSOL that piqued new levels of international interest, making evident a need for an extension to other audiences.
The son of Rwandan immigrants, Shadrach Kabango’s unique first-world experience informs an appreciation for his role as a musician. Born in Kenya and relocated to Canada shortly after, Shad relished his adolescence growing up outside of Toronto where he became fluent in French and English. It was during these formative years that he was initially exposed to hip-hop culture, awe-stricken by the music of true-school graduates like Common, Rass Kass and Outkast. This trans-cultural upbringing rendered a well-rounded young adult, educated on hardship and cognizant of the many opportunities he had been afforded.
After high-school Shad put his nose to the grindstone and wrote his first songs while studying business at Wilfrid Laurier University where he later graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. Sprung from his dorm-room and financed by the winnings from a radio song-writing contest, Shad’s first record When This Is Over was released in July 2005, and was characterized by overt introspection and social awareness. An unadulterated glimpse of young-adulthood, the self-made
album bore promise of even greater accomplishments.
When 2007’s The Old Prince was released on Black Box Recordings, critics immediately incorporated Shad into the dialogue among the most well-regarded MCs in North America. The Juno Awards, the most prestigious honor in Canadian music, nominated the album as Rap Recording of The Year. The Old Prince was also named an official contender for the cutting edge Polaris Music Prize that year.
The initial singles from his latest offering, TSOL, are a testament to his calculated reproach that traverses soulful arrangements with the deft awareness of the rap gods before him. On “Rose Garden” he weighs the convenience of blissful ignorance against his burden of personal truth, stating, “The same things that float your boat can capsize it” and “I know too much and I owe too much to let it rest.” Later, on “Yaa I Get It” Shad seizes the opportunity to flip introspective syllables in the face of a riotous brass ensemble, rapping “So many sold their souls, my sole ambition is to hold solid, soul calm and bright as the solar system”, all the while nodding
knowingly to an oft looked-over pocket of Canadian genius. Northern neighbors Brendan Canning and Lisa Lobsinger of Broken Social Scene add instrumental flourishes to “Lucky 1’s” and Canadian hip-hop legend Classified produces the proud “A Good Name”. Since its Canadian release TSOL has also been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, Shad’s second consecutive nomination. In March 2011, TSOL won "Rap Recording of the Year" at the Juno Awards, beating out the likes of Drake's "Thank Me Later" to take home the prize.
It’s now clear that a failure to broaden his reach to the US would not only be a huge disservice to him as an artist, but to hip-hop culture as a whole. Unafraid to explore personal triumphs and pitfalls, Shad practices absolute transparency, giving all of himself to the listener by touching on issues that are universally relatable and resigning to that fact that he may not even have all of the answers. Simply put, TSOL is an illustration of one man’s attempt to understand the world in which we all live. Shad’s story speaks volumes on the worldly accomplishments of a borderless globe; his music is audible evidence of personal and socio-political progress. Listen, and let it be heard.
_____________________
CONTACT
Label: Black Box (CAN & US) / Decon Records (EUR)
Management: Gaurav Sawhney at The Faculty Of
Booking: Steven Himmelfarb at The Billions Agency (North America)
Publicity: Gaurav Sawhney at The Faculty Of
Releases
