Shadrach Kabango (born July 18, 1982), known professionally as Shad or Shad K, is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

rapper and broadcaster. Beginning his career in 2005, has released seven studio albums and three

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

s. He won a

Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year The Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year was introduced in 1991, and awarded for the best rap album in Canada. It was formerly known as Best Rap Recording from 1993 to 2002. Before 1999, because of the relatively limited commercial visibility o ...

in 2011 and five of his albums have been shortlisted for the

Polaris Music Prize The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize. The prize was inc ...

, the most short-list nominations of any artist in the prize's history. In 2013,

CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

named Shad the second-greatest Canadian rapper of all time. Shad hosted ''Q'' on

CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent o ...

from 2015 to 2016, and hosts the

International Emmy The International Emmy Awards, or International Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based International Academy of Television Arts and Sc ...

and

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

-winning documentary series ''

Hip-Hop Evolution ''Hip-Hop Evolution'' is a Canadian music documentary television series that originally aired on HBO Canada in 2016.

'' on HBO Canada and

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Early life

Born in

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

n parents, Shad was raised in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

. His mother worked as a lab technologist in a London hospital and his father was a machinist. He attended

London Central Secondary School London Central Secondary School is a public secondary school located at the corner of Dufferin Avenue and Waterloo Street in downtown London, Ontario. It is a member of the Thames Valley District School Board. It has approximately 1000 students ...

Music career

While an undergraduate student at

Wilfrid Laurier University Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a Public university, public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Ontario, Waterloo, Brantford, Ontario, Brantford and Milton, Ontario, Milton. The ...

, Shad won $17,500 from 91.5 The Beat's Rhythm of the Future talent competition. He was entered in the radio contest by his sister. The prize money was used to finance his self-released debut album '' When This Is Over'' (2005). The album was recognized for Shad's honest lyrics and focus on social causes—for example, the track "I'll Never Understand" examines the

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...

and includes poetry written by his mother Bernadette Kabango. In 2007, Shad was signed by Black Box Recordings for a three-album deal and released his second album, '' The Old Prince''. The album was supported by four singles, most prominently "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home", with its accompanying viral music video. In 2008, The Old Prince received a

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

nomination for Rap Recording of the Year and was a short-list nominee for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize. The music video for the single "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home" was nominated for two

MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards were an annual awards show broadcast annually on Much (TV channel), Much from 1990 to 2018, and Fuse (TV channel), Fuse from 2010 to 2013 that honoured the year's best music videos. Originally debuting in ...

in 2008. Shad released his third album, '' TSOL'', in 2010. TSOL was a short-list nominee for the

2010 Polaris Music Prize The 2010 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 20, 2010.MuchMusic Video Award The iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards were an annual awards show broadcast annually on Much (TV channel), Much from 1990 to 2018, and Fuse (TV channel), Fuse from 2010 to 2013 that honoured the year's best music videos. Originally debuting in ...

, and the album won the

at the 2011 Juno Awards. On beating out Canadian compatriot

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...

for the Juno, Shad said in an interview: "I did not think for a second that I would win. Not for one second. He's massive. He's massive in the States, he's massive in Canada." In 2012, Shad released the EP "Melancholy and the Infinite Shadness" and in June 2013, he released a collaborative EP with

Skratch Bastid Paul Murphy (born September 2, 1982), better known by his stage name Skratch Bastid, is a Canadian DJ and record producer. He is a three-time Scribble Jam DJ Battle winner. He is the first-ever Canadian DJ to be nominated for the Juno Award for Pr ...

entitled ''The Spring Up''. Shad's fourth album, '' Flying Colours'', was released on October 15, 2013. This album was nominated for the

in 2014, and was a short-list nominee for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize."Arcade Fire, Drake, Shad make Polaris Music Prize short list"

CTV News CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name ''CTV News'' is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations (O&Os), which are closely tied to the nationa ...

, July 15, 2014. In December 2014, Shad released a collaborative EP with DJ T. LO entitled "Boarding Pass". In 2016, he released a 90s-influenced soft-rock album, ''Adult Contempt'', under the pseudonym Your Boy Tony Braxton. The alter ego was based on "the idea of a dude named Tony Braxton who likes to sing (but obviously isn't as good as the famous

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won seven ...

)." Musically, the album was inspired by

Michael Penn Michael Daniel Penn (born August 1, 1958) is an American musician, singer, and composer. His 1989 single " No Myth" was a top 20 hit in the US and successful in several other countries. Early life Penn was born in the Greenwich Village neighb ...

Terence Trent D'arby Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, '' Introducing the Hard ...

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...

, and

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

. In the same year, Shad collaborated with Tanya Tagaq on "Centre", a track from her album '' Retribution'', and also recorded for

Homeboy Sandman Angel Del Villar II (born September 24, 1980), better known by his stage name Homeboy Sandman, is an American rapper from Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States. Career Homeboy Sandman recorded and released his first EP, ''Nourishment'', in M ...

, Skratch Bastid, and A Tribe Called Red (on '' We Are the Halluci Nation''). In July 2018, Shad released the lead single, "The Fool Pt 1 (Get It Got It Good)" from his new album, '' A Short Story About a War''. Two follow-up singles, "The Fool Pt. 3 (Frame of Mind)" and "The Stone Throwers (Gone in a Blink)", were released in prior to the album's release. The album was released in October 2018 on

Secret City Records Secret City Records is a Canadian independent record label based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The music label was founded in 2006 by Andrew Rose and Justin West, originally as sublabel of Justin Time Records. It became fully independent in late ...

and included collaborations with

Lido Pimienta Lido Pimienta (born 1986) is a Colombian Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence after her 2016 album, '' La Papessa'', won the 2017 Polaris Music Prize.Kaytranada Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, shortened as KAYTRA), is a Haitian-Canadian music producer, rapper, singer and DJ. Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of m ...

, Ian Kamau,

Eternia ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince A ...

, and

Yukon Blonde Yukon Blonde is a Canadian indie rock band originally from Kelowna, British Columbia.Derdeyn, Stuart (April 22, 2010).Yukon Blonde feels the love: Indie band adding plenty of fans on cross-country tour", ''Ottawa Citizen''. Retrieved May 5, 2010. ...

. ''A Short Story About a War'' is a concept album, which explores the same war from multiple perspectives. The album was short-listed for the

2019 Polaris Music Prize The 2019 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 16, 2019.Tobi's "24 (Toronto Remix)" and its corresponding music video, along with

Haviah Mighty Haviah Mighty (born December 17, 1992) is a Canadian rapper from Brampton, Ontario. She rose to prominence in 2016 as a member of the hip hop group The Sorority (rap group), the Sorority, before releasing several EPs on her own, most notably ''F ...

, Jazz Cartier, and Ejji Smith. In April 2021, Shad released the single "Out of Touch", featuring pHoenix Pagliacci, followed by the single "Work", featuring

, the next month. In June 2021, Shad announced his new album, ''TAO'' , would be released October 1, 2021. He also released the song "Storm", which featured pHoenix Pagliacci and

George Elliott Clarke George Elliott Clarke (born February 12, 1960) is a Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic who served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015 and as the Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate in 2016-2017. Clarke's work addresse ...

. On July 14, 2022, TAO was short-listed for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize.

Television and radio work

''Q'' (2015–2016)

In March 2015, it was announced that Shad would replace

Jian Ghomeshi Jian Ghomeshi (born June 9, 1967) is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician, producer and former CBC personality. From 1990 to 2000, he was a vocalist and drummer in the Thornhill-based folk-pop band Moxy Früvous. In the 2000s, he became ...

as host of

's '' Q''. In August 2016, the CBC announced that he would be replaced by

Tom Power Thomas Francis Power (1869 – February 25, 1898) was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for one season. In 1890, he played primarily as a first baseman, but also played as a second baseman, ...

."CBC's Q replacing Shad as host"

CBC News CBC News is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC ...

, August 15, 2016.

''Hip Hop Evolution'' (2016–present)

In the four-part documentary series ''

Hip-Hop Evolution ''Hip-Hop Evolution'' is a Canadian music documentary television series that originally aired on HBO Canada in 2016.

'', Shad interviewed multiple noted hip-hop and rap artists to explore the origins of this music genre. This documentary was featured in 2016

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and Jun ...

and shown on HBO Canada On December 2, 2016

released the series internationally. The series went on to be one of the 2016

winners and won an

International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming The International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming is presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS) to the best arts programs produced and initially aired outside of the United States. Rules and regulations Und ...

in 2017. On October 19, 2018 Netflix released a second season of the series and a third season was released on September 6, 2019. ''Hip Hop Evolution's'' fourth season was released on January 17, 2020.

Musical style and influences

Shad is described as a "conscious" and "reflective" rapper, known for his witty lyrics on heartfelt subjects. Shad has stated that he was influenced by the artists that he listened to in high school, such as

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

, Notorious B.I.G., and

Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...

Personal life

Shad is bilingual, speaking English and French. He holds a business degree from

and a master's degree in liberal studies from

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It maintains three campuses in Greater Vancouver, respectively located in Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and ...

. Shad and his wife married in 2016; they have two daughters.

Discography

Studio albums

* '' When This Is Over'' (2005) * '' The Old Prince'' (2007) * '' TSOL'' (2010) * '' Flying Colours'' (2013) * '' A Short Story About a War'' (2018) * ''TAO'' (2021)

EPs

* ''Two Songs'' (2011) (with Dallas Green) * ''Melancholy and the Infinite Shadness'' (2012) * ''The Spring Up'' (2013) (with

) * ''Holy Shad'' (2014) (with Holy Fuck) * ''Boarding Pass'' (2014) (with DJ T.LO) * ''Reel Speakers'' (2024) (with 14KT)

Singles

* "I Don't Like To" (2008) * "Brother (Watching)" (2008) * "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home" (2008) * "Compromise" (2009) * "Yaa I Get It" (2010) * "Rose Garden" (2010) * "We, Myself and I" (2010) * "Keep Shining" (2011) * "Give You All I Can" (2011) * "It Ain't Over" (2012) * "Stylin'" (2013) * "Fam Jam (Fe Sum Immigrins)" (2013) * "The Fool Pt 1 (Get it Got it Good)" (2018) * "The Fool Pt. 3 (Frame of Mind)" (2018) *"The Stone Throwers (Gone In a Blink)" (2018) *"Out of Touch" feat. Phoenix Pagliacci (2021)

Guest appearances

Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...

– "Shy Guy" from '' More Than Music'' (2008) * Hey Ocean! – "Vagabond" from ''It's Easier to Be Somebody Else'' (2008) *

Blue Scholars Blue Scholars is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, created in 2002 while the members, DJ Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC Geologic (George Quibuyen), were students at the University of Washington. The name "Blue Scholar ...

– "The Dawn Song" from ''Bayani: Redux'' (2009) * Grand Analog – "Electric City" from ''Metropolis Is Burning'' (2009) *

Classified Classified may refer to: General *Classified information, material that a government body deems to be sensitive *Classified advertising or "classifieds" Music *Classified (rapper) (born 1977), Canadian rapper * The Classified, a 1980s American ro ...

– "Loonie" from '' Self Explanatory'' (2009) * Wax Romeo and

Smalltown DJs Smalltown DJs are a Canadian electronic dance music duo from Calgary, Alberta, consisting of Pete Emes and Mike Grimes. They are most noted for their single "Concorde Groove", which was a Juno Award nominee for Underground Dance Single of the Year ...

– "Boom Ha" (2010) * Dirty Circus – "Into the Sun" from ''Alive and Well'' (2010) * Mike Tompkins – "Only Girl" (2010) * Lights – " Everybody Breaks a Glass" and "Flux and Flow" from ''

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

'' (2011) * Blitz the Ambassador – "Native Sun" from ''Native Sun'' (2011) * The Slakadeliqs – "Beneath It All" from ''The Other Side of Tomorrow'' (2012) * Lushlife – "Gymnopedie 1.2" from '' Plateau Vision'' (2012) * k-os – "Spraying My Pen" from '' Black on Blonde'' (2013) * Mr. J. Medeiros – "Pale Blue Dot"

20Syl Sylvain Richard (born February 17, 1979), better known by his stage name 20syl (pronounced "vain-seel", ), is a French Rapping, rapper, disc jockey, and Producer (music), producer. He is a composer and MC (hip hop), MC in the group Hocus Pocus (gr ...

Remix" (2013) * The Procussions – "Today" from ''The Procussions'' (2013) * Grand Analog – "The Great Rhyme Dropper" from ''Modern Thunder'' (2013) *

Said the Whale Said the Whale is a Canadian indie rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. The band was founded in 2007 by the group's primary songwriters, guitarists and lead vocalists, Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft. Their current lineup consists of Worc ...

– "Resolutions" from '' Hawaiii'' (2013) * Def3 – "The Truth" from ''Wildlif3'' (2014) * k-os – "Boyz II Men" from '' Can't Fly Without Gravity'' (2015) *

– "Earth, Wind, Fire" from ''Kindness for Weakness'' (2016) *

– "Limoncello" (2016) * A Tribe Called Red – "How I Feel" from '' We Are the Halluci Nation'' (2016) * Tanya Tagaq – "Centre" from ''Retribution'' (2016) * Paul Chin – "Take Two" from ''Full Spectrum'' (2020) *

Tobi Tobi may refer to: Palau * Tobi (island), island in the Palauan state of Hatohobei * Tobian language, the language of Tobi * Hatohobei, an island and the southernmost of Palau's sixteen states Media and entertainment * ''Tobi!'', a 2009 te ...

– "24 (Toronto Remix)" from ''Still+'' (2020) *

– “Imagine That” (2022) * Anomalie – “Generations” from “Galleries” *

Snotty Nose Rez Kids Snotty Nose Rez Kids are a First Nations hip hop duo composed of Haisla rappers Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce. They are originally from Kitamaat Village, British Columbia. Their 2017 album '' The Average Savage'' was shortl ...

– “Red Sky At Night (Remix)” (2022)

References

External links

* *
Shad - Live at Massey Hall - concert film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shad 1982 births 21st-century Black Canadian musicians Canadian male guitarists Canadian people of Rwandan descent Canadian male rappers 21st-century male rappers 21st-century Canadian rappers Hip-hop activists Kenyan emigrants to Canada Living people Musicians from London, Ontario Simon Fraser University alumni Wilfrid Laurier University alumni CBC Radio hosts Canadian talk radio hosts Black Canadian broadcasters 21st-century Canadian guitarists Canadian television personalities Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year winners 21st-century Canadian male musicians