Shad (rapper) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shad
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shadrach Kabango |
| Also known as | Shad K Your Boy Tony Braxton |
| Born | July 18, 1982 Kenya |
| Origin | London, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Alternative hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
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| Associated acts | Skratch Bastid, Holy ..., Dallas Green, DJ. T. LO |
Shadrach Kabango (born July 18, 1982), known as Shad, is a Canadian rapper and TV host. He started his music career in 2005. Since then, he has released seven studio albums and several shorter music collections called EPs.
Shad won a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011. Five of his albums have been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize. This is more than any other artist in the prize's history! In 2013, CBC Music said Shad was the second-greatest Canadian rapper ever. Shad also hosted a radio show called Q from 2015 to 2016. He now hosts the award-winning TV show Hip-Hop Evolution on HBO Canada and Netflix.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Shad was born in Kenya. His parents were from Rwanda. He grew up in London, Ontario, Canada. His mother worked in a hospital lab. His father was a machinist. Shad went to London Central Secondary School. He later studied at Wilfrid Laurier University. He also earned a master's degree from Simon Fraser University.
Shad's Music Journey
Starting His Music Career
While in college, Shad won $17,500 in a talent show. His sister entered him in the contest. He used the money to make his first album. It was called When This Is Over and came out in 2005. People liked the album because of its honest lyrics. It also talked about important social issues. For example, one song, "I'll Never Understand," was about the Rwandan genocide. It even included poetry written by his mother.
Releasing More Albums
In 2007, Shad signed with Black Box Recordings. He released his second album, The Old Prince. The song "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home" became very popular. The album was nominated for a Juno Award in 2008. It was also nominated for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize.
Shad's third album, TSOL, came out in 2010. This album was also nominated for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. The music video for his song "Rose Garden" was nominated for an award. TSOL won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011. Shad won against famous rapper Drake. He said he was very surprised to win!
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In 2012, Shad released a short album called "Melancholy and the Infinite Shadness." In 2013, he worked with Skratch Bastid on an EP called The Spring Up. His fourth album, Flying Colours, was released in October 2013. This album was nominated for a Juno Award in 2014. It was also nominated for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize. In December 2014, Shad released another EP with DJ T. LO.
New Sounds and Collaborations
In 2016, Shad released a soft-rock album. He used the name Your Boy Tony Braxton for this project. The name was a funny take on the famous singer Toni Braxton. This album was inspired by artists like Michael Penn and Janet Jackson.
That same year, Shad worked with other musicians. He was featured on songs by Tanya Tagaq, Homeboy Sandman, and A Tribe Called Red.
In July 2018, Shad released a new song called "The Fool Pt 1 (Get It Got It Good)." This was from his album A Short Story About a War. Two more songs came out before the album. The album was released in October 2018. It featured other artists like Lido Pimienta and Kaytranada. A Short Story About a War tells a story about a war from different viewpoints. It was nominated for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. This was Shad's fourth Polaris nomination!
In April 2020, Shad said he was working on a new album. He also appeared in a music video with Tobi, Haviah Mighty, and Jazz Cartier.
In April 2021, Shad released "Out of Touch." It featured pHoenix Pagliacci. The next month, he released "Work" with Skratch Bastid. In June 2021, Shad announced his new album, TAO. It was released on October 1, 2021. He also released the song "Storm" with pHoenix Pagliacci and George Elliott Clarke. On July 14, 2022, TAO was nominated for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize. His newest album, Start Anew, was released on October 31, 2025. The first song from it was "Bars and BBQ."
TV and Radio Work
Hosting Q
In March 2015, Shad became the host of CBC Radio One's show Q. He hosted the show until August 2016.
Hip Hop Evolution
Shad hosts a documentary series called Hip-Hop Evolution. In this show, he talks to many famous hip-hop artists. They explore how this music style began. The show was first shown in 2016. It was on HBO Canada and then on Netflix.
Hip Hop Evolution won a Peabody Award in 2016. It also won an International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming in 2017. The second season came out in October 2018. The third season was released in September 2019. The fourth season of Hip Hop Evolution came out in January 2020.
Musical Style
Shad is known as a "conscious" rapper. This means his songs often have deep meanings. He is known for his clever lyrics. He sings about heartfelt topics. Shad has said that artists like Common, Lauryn Hill, and Eminem influenced him. He listened to them a lot in high school.
Personal Life
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Shad speaks both English and French. He got married in 2016. He and his wife have two daughters.
Albums
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)
- Start Anew (2025)
