Shad (rapper)

Who is Shad? 4 things to know about the new face of Q | The Star

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Shadrach Kabango (born July 18, 1982), better known by his stage name Shad or Shad K., is a Canadian alternative hip hop recording artist and broadcaster. He hosted Q on CBC Radio One from 2015 to 2016, and hosts the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series Hip-Hop Evolution.

Video Shad (rapper)

Early life

Born in Kenya, of Rwandan parents, Shad was raised in London, Ontario. His mother worked as a lab technologist in a London hospital; his father was a machinist. He attended Central Secondary School and the École secondaire Gabriel-Dumont.

Maps Shad (rapper)

Career

Debut

His debut album When This Is Over (2005) was self-made, financed with the $17,500 he won from 91.5 The Beat's Rhythm of the Future talent competition during his time as an undergraduate student at Wilfrid Laurier University. 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 and includes poetry written by his mother, Bernadette Kabango.

2007-present

In 2007, Shad was signed by Black Box Recordings for a three-album deal and released his second album, The Old Prince. In 2008, that album received a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year, and was a short-list nominee for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize. The album was also nominated for two MuchMusic Video Awards.

Shad released his third album, TSOL, in 2010. TSOL was a short-list nominee for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize, received a nomination for a 2011 MuchMusic Video Award, and won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards. On beating out Canadian compatriot Drake 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 June 2013, Shad released a collaborative EP with Skratch Bastid entitled The Spring Up. Shad's fourth album, Flying Colours, was released on October 15, 2013. This album was nominated for a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2014, and was also a short-list nominee for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize.

In 2016, he released the pop-rock album Adult Contempt under the pseudonym Your Boy Tony Braxton. In the same year he collaborated with Tanya Tagaq on "Centre", a track on her album Retribution.

Radio host

In March 2015, it was announced that Shad would replace Jian Ghomeshi as host of CBC Radio One's Q. In August 2016, the CBC announced that he would be replaced by Tom Power.

Hip-Hop Evolution (documentary series)

In the four-part documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution, 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 and shown on HBO Canada On December 2, 2016 Netflix released the series internationally. The series went on to be one of the 2016 Peabody Award winners.

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Personal life

Shad is bilingual, speaking English and French. He holds a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a master's degree in liberal studies from Simon Fraser University.