by Ben Waldman
Contrary to popular belief, the Canadian hip hop scene is booming with homegrown talent, and London’s very own Shadrach Kabango, better known as Shad, has been a prime example of Canada’s hip hop excellence. Since 2004, he has been wowing audiences with his fast paced, well thought-out, and fan friendly style of hip hop. Previously releasing the albums When This is Over (2005) The Old Prince (2007) and TSOL (2010), the latter taking home the Juno for Rap Recording of the Year and garnering a nomination for the Polaris Prize, Shad is back and bigger than ever on his 2013 release Flying Colours. The new record is packed with wisdom, candor, and lyrics that will leave you pining for more. Luckily for fans in Winnipeg, Shad is bringing his Flying Colours Tour to Union Sound Hall on November 22, bringing along indie group We Are The City. Stylus had a chance to sit down and chat with the man himself, about making honest music, basketball, and Alan Thicke.
Stylus: Where are you right now?
Shad: We are en route to Ottawa right now just finished our shows in Quebec
Stylus: Any crazy stories from the tour so far?
Shad: What can I say, not really just business as usual really, just rolling in the van, doing my thing
Stylus: Who are you touring with?
Shad: A band called We Are The City, a very talented prog rock band in my opinion.
Stylus: How do you manage to stay so true to yourself in your art, while other artists may make music simply to be commercial?
Shad: You know what, I would say that it’s a daily thing. I find I have to try every day to remember what I’m doing and why I’m doing it and trying to do it as best as I can. And that’s me, man, that’s my process.
Stylus: Now that you’re gaining a lot of fame in North America, not just Canada, do you feel that there is a stigma around being a Canadian hip-hop artist when you interact with American personalities?
Shad: I don’t think so actually, for a couple of reasons. First, Canadian is not a youthful descriptor in terms of sound, you know what I mean? We have such a range of musicians so there’s no stigma in that sense. The other thing is that I believe “regionality” has become less and less important, less and less of a youthful descriptor. Take Drake for example, he’s a Toronto hip hop artist with a lot of southern influence. There are famous rappers from Pittsburgh now, you know? There was a time when it was New York and LA and then everything else, but now there’s rappers popping up from everywhere like here (Canada) and Seattle.
Stylus: Speaking of Drake, you beat out Drake for a Juno award a few years back and that was a huge deal for you, correct?
Shad: Yeah, it was wonderful!
Stylus: So, nowadays it seems the award shows don’t seem to be as popular. How do you respond to the general apathy by musicians towards similar recognition via awards, for example when they don’t even show up, when winning was such an experience for you?
Shad: Oh its fine, it was great, it was nice, a nice moment, but that’s about it. For most musicians I know, recognition is not why they do this. I think the awards exist to help elevate artists, and people totally have the right to participate or not. I don’t think its an insult to the voters, I think it’s a matter of conscience.
Stylus: One of my favourite lines from the new album is “Oh Hey Shad, I hate rap, but I like you.” How do you really feel when people say those things to you because I assume it happens a lot.
Shad: Yeah, it’s a compliment and it’s a nice thing to hear, but sometimes there’s something kind of backhanded in it, you know what I mean?
Stylus: That leads me to my next question. People probably judge you based on the fact that you’re a rapper, but what’s the biggest misconception that people have about you?
Shad: I’m gonna ask my band here, is that OK?
Stylus: Yeah absolutely
Shad: They say that I’m tall. Just two days ago, the makeup girl just looked at me right away when I walked in the room and she goes, “I thought you were taller.” First thing she says to me. Then they meet me and I’m like, I’m medium.
Stylus: It’s OK I’m medium too. What’s their biggest misconception about you as a rapper?
Shad: I’m not too sure actually. It really depends on the person. I’m sure there are some situations when people looked at me and thought I sucked [laughs], but I’d say I know what I’m doing [laughs].
Stylus: Another line I really liked was “Don’t be surprised by my IQ” do you feel people underestimate your intellect because you are a hip hop artist as opposed to a lawyer, doctor etc?
Shad: Yeah. Yeah, I think people have that idea in general of artists and rappers even more so.
Stylus: To whom do you attribute most of your success to?
Shad: Good fortune really, I don’t know if I can name someone really other than my family. But good fortune, lots of opportunity.
Stylus: Your lyrics have a tendency to speak about “real issues” in society as opposed to the rap constants of drugs, money, women, fame etc. How do you react when peers rap about those topics?
Shad: I think that, for me, there is always the respect to any artist who does what they do, well, and in an artful way, regardless of the content. For me, there is less friction between artists who talk about A or B, than artists who are kind of good and artists that aren’t. I don’t think its exactly so black and white. There are artists like Killer Mike, for example, who will talk about certain things that seem like the classic rap tropes you described, but then he also has a lot of songs about political situations. People do both to different degrees. I’ve met artists at all points in that spectrum, and they all do what they do well in that sense.
Stylus: Who was your favourite rapper growing up?
Shad: In high school definitely Common.
Stylus: What do you think about his acting?
Shad: He’s still bad at it in my opinion, but hopefully he improves. He has a very slow deliberate way of talking that I don’t think lends itself well to acting.
Stylus: Who is your favourite current rapper?
Shad: Kanye would be way ahead of the pack for me, I like Kendrick, I like Action Bronson, I like Odyssey.
Stylus: What do you like about Action Bronson? The references he makes?
Shad: Oh yeah, sometimes it feels like he’s rapping just for me.
Stylus: Out of all the people you have met, who had you star struck, you’re jaw dropped in disbelief that you were talking to them?
Shad: Alan Thicke, the only time I’ve been star struck.
Stylus: Did not expect that answer at all!
Shad: I watched him as a kid you know. Like “you’re really here!” Alan Thicke in the flesh! My white TV dad!
Stylus: He pretty much raised you.
Shad: More or less he raised me. He’s worked with Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor which is pretty cool.
Stylus: You mention Cosby and Prior, favourite comedian of all time?
Shad: Probably Dave Chappelle or George Carlin.
Stylus: What’s the biggest roadblock you’ve hit in your career?
Shad: Wow, nobody’s ever asked me that question. Uh, I don’t know. My career has had a pretty slow, smooth trajectory with no major ups or downs. I’m trying to imagine that moment in the documentary when the music gets sadder and I can’t, you know?
Stylus: So did you play any sports growing up?
Shad: I played basketball when I was younger, still do.
Stylus: Were you a starter, a sixth man, role player?
Shad: I started out as a starter, but as high school progressed I moved closer and closer to the back of the bench and I got lazier.
Stylus: Any memorable high school ball moments?
Shad: Hell yeah! City champs, grade nine.
Stylus: So you grew up around the time T-Mac and Vince Carter formed a core in Toronto for the Raptors. Feeling any of that now with Demar Derozan, Rudy Gay and the Raps this season?
Shad: Oh yeah, and we got Drake on board now. I bet that in 2017 some of the Canadian players in the NBA will come home to them.
Stylus: Tons of Canadian talent in the association now, right?
Shad: Which is impressive because it’s harder to make the NBA now with the shortened draft.
Stylus: Favourite NBA/NCAA teams?
Shad: I still have my old Michigan Wolverines loyalties from the days of the Fab Five. I like the Warriors. They light it up. Harrison Barnes is not a joke. Those guys can put up 140 in no time.
Stylus: I think they’ll miss Jarrett Jack though.
Shad: Oh dude, I love Jarrett Jack. He is like the best back up in the game.
Stylus: Which non Hip Hop artist is played most on your ipod?
Shad: Right now it’s Thundercat, Kings of Convenience, St Lucia, Kathleen Edwards. I like some mellow music.
Stylus: Favourite TV Show?
Shad: I’d say 30 Rock, but that’s cancelled so… Is Community still on? That one got weaker in the last season but it’s ok. I watch The Newsroom.
Stylus: Favourite City that you’ve performed in?
Shad: New York is always nice, but for the crowd, Guelph is awesome, Victoria is awesome. I give Guelph the title for best crowd. They are very into the experience.
Stylus: What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
Shad: I saw The Roots one time, but ?uestlove wasn’t there. People were bummed, but then Black Thought came out and was like “I know Ques isn’t here, but… We have De La Soul here.” And then Lupé was there. It was pretty sweet.
Stylus: You do a bit of spoken word on Progress. Do you do non-musical poetry often?
Shad: No, that one was a unique case. I had that one part over the beat and then I still had more lyrics so we decided to make an intro out of it. I actually recorded it through a clip track so it does fall exactly in rhythm. Just rapping through a clip track is not easy with no drum.
Stylus: You had a lot of options as to what you wanted to do as a career. At what point in your life did you say to yourself, “This is what I’m going to do and I’m gonna make my living off of rapping”?
Shad: I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment like that but there were definitely times when I said “I’m gonna give this a shot, I’m gonna record the songs I’ve written.” And that was around 2004.
Stylus: Was that decision a hard one to make?
Shad: Yeah, It did take a lot of thought. But once it was resolved, it was resolved. I think it just makes sense to take a chance on yourself.
Stylus: I’m sort of in that position right now where I’m in the midst of deciding what I want to do in life. What kind of advice do you have for somebody at a crossroads, trying to decide what to do?
Shad: My advice would be that if you really care about something, you enjoy something (in a very pure way), those feelings exist for a reason and they’re worth investing time and energy into. And then you see what happens. Why not? Why not take a chance on yourself? If it works out it works out, if it doesn’t it doesn’t, but I don’t see a point in not taking that chance, man.
Shad makes his next appearance in Winnipeg on November 22 at Union Sound Hall.