Backtrack: Shad - Brother (Watching)

This was Shad's first major single. That sample is cut so perfectly, I love it. The beat along with Shad's lyrics make you attached immediately. But don't take it from me, check it out for yourself..

Backtrack: Shad - I Don't Really Like To

"Quality music getting quality spins, y'all stay second-rate Chingy's at the quality in". 'Nuff said.

Shad: Passion for Music [WFSL Interview]

Canadian artist, Shad, was recently on his "Warped" tour, where he went to numerous cities across North America to promote the US release of his second album "The Old Prince". He is currently WhatFeelingsSoundLike (WFSL-beatwizemusic.blogspot.com) Artist of the Week. In light of this I, Beatwize, had the honor to have a chat with him.

Beatwize: Hey, Shad! Good to have you here. To start off, tell us a little about yourself.
Shad: Whattup! I'm a hip hop artist from London, Ontario. I've been fortunate enough to make 2 albums so far: When This is Over which came out in 2005 and The Old Prince in 2007.

Beatwize: You just finished the Warped Tour; how did that go?

Shad: It was a great experience and a great opportunity for us. Big shout to everyone who helped us out along the way!

Beatwize: For sure, I was so disappointed when I had to miss your Toronto show. What's your favorite city to perform in?
Shad: There's some towns in Canada - Guelph, Victoria, Peterborough; always a blast. So far San Fran and Hartford were a lot of fun too.

Beatwize: It must have been a struggle to strive in hip-hop music in a city like London, Ontario. How did you overcome these struggles?
Shad: I wouldn't really call it a struggle. Ever since I started out, the people in my hometown have been behind me which has been great. At the end of the day, getting to do something you enjoy and something that matters to you is such a blessing that you dont think too much about whatever challenges might be around.

Beatwize: Real talk. Your album "The Old Prince" has been acclaimed by pretty much everyone and it's one of my personal favorites as well. What were your inspirations during the making of this album?
Shad: Thanks man - I appreciate that. My main inspiration for that album was/is the daily struggle to be a certain kind of person. A more honest, more compassionate person. That's what the Old Prince is a metaphor for - spending your life in search of that 'quality of character' for lack of a better term.

Beatwize: You definitely did a good job of showing that on the album. It released in USA just a little while back (June 30th). That's a big gap between the Canadian release (October 2007). Does this mean we won't be seeing new Shad tracks for a while?
Shad: I plan on recording again when I get back from tour. Definitely itching to put some new ideas down!

Beatwize: That's great news! In 'I Don't Really Like To' you say "I'm down with that pirate stee..pirate me". Do you think piracy has a positive impact on lesser-known artists? Do you think it's particularly important for Canadian musicians?
Shad: I never thought about that connection. Maybe because we don't sell a lot of albums up here in Canada anyways, we dont care as much! I think overall I'm just looking to get my music out there to as many as might enjoy it.

Beatwize: Are there any Canadian artists you feel have paved the way for you?
Shad: I think theres been canadian hip hop artists going back to Maestro Fresh Wes that opened up Canadian audiences to hip hop music. More recently guys like k-os and Kardinal have been exposing the world to Canadian hip hop. Artists in the indie rock scene too that have changed the global perception of Canadian music recently - arcade fire, broken social scene, etc...

Beatwize: Any Canadian artists you've been wanting to work with?
Shad: Lots. I dont do too many collaborations - mostly just 'cause they're annoying to coordinate - but theres lots of Canadian artists that I love listening to: k-os, Feist, Chad Vangaalen, Shaun Boothe, City and Colour, just to name a few.

Beatwize: I personally would love to hear a Shad/k-os collaboration, and I'm sure most of yours and his fans would too! How about outside of Canada? What artists do you look up to and what artists would like to/would have liked to have worked with?
Shad: I respect Lupe Fiasco's music a lot. Mr J Mederios put out a great album a little while ago too many to name!

Beatwize: Lupe is definitely one of the best out. My favorite tracks from you are probably 'Exile' and 'Voice Like an Angel'. What song of yours do you personally think is your best?
Shad: Thanks! Angel is definitely one that took some time for me to pin down. Off the last album, thats probably the deepest one for me. Tough question...I'd probably go with Angel though 'cause I worked pretty hard on that one.

Beatwize: Anything else you would like to say?
Shad: Thanks for the time and the support! Peace!

You can grab both his albums on iTunes and a music store near you!

Shad Freestyle at Toronto

Shad came down to Toronto for his Warped Tour and spit this crazy freestyle. Check it out.

Backtrack: Shad - The Old Prince Still Lives At Home Video

One of my favorite videos of Shad and faves overall otherwise as well. A creative and humorous twist to one of the best shows of all time. Like I said, Shad always has something fresh to give us. This came out a little while back by our current AOTW. Check it out!

Artist of the Week: Shad

Shad is a rapper hailing from London, Ontario, just a short 2 hours away from Toronto. I first heard him on his second album entitled "The Old Prince". I had never heard of him before, nor was I too interested in hearing the album. Nonetheless, the fact that it was a Canadian artist who grew up close by kind of had me wanting to take a quick listen.

I'll never forget that first moment of listening to the album. I just thought "..wow". That's not even a joke, I literally said that. He had me hooked from line one - "Brother please, no more Pamela lee's let's set it straight/I'm the biggest thing out of Canada til Quebec separate". Whether or not it was his plan, I could relate immediately; and maybe that's why I decided to keep listening. A day later I would go and buy his album and begin a month long repeat-session of the album.

I then went ahead and checked out his debut "When This Is Over" which is just as good. If there's a future of hip-hop, it's Shad. He's the best artist you've never heard and the most intellectual hip-hop artist I've listened to in a long time. He doesn't deal with conspiracy theories, he deals with real-life, day-to-day issues in our lives. It doesn't matter if you're from Canada, the US, or even Russia - you can relate to Shad.

"The Old Prince" was released in USA on June 30th, about two years after the Canadian release. If you're in the US, don't sleep my dude here. Check his stuff out and give him his props. Here's a week to you Shad. You've been an inspiration to many Canadian hip-hop artists just like me and I hope you'll continue on your Quest for Glory. We're all rooting for you 110%!

Here's some Shad-related sites to check out. On the right sidebar you can find a playlist of his music. That will remain for the week, but if you want to see the playlist later on, you can jump to this post and find it here!

Website/Blog: http://www.shadk.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/shad
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shadk?ref=ts



Would you like to be featured as Artist of the Week? Get at me! -- beatwize@gmail.com

Shad - Compromise [Video]

I remember when I first heard this song on his release "The Old Prince". It was an favorite on the album and I loved listening to the hook. Not to mention that 'Araujo' line. Dope ishhh right here. Shad is definitely one of my favorite rappers out right now. So much talent. And he's from *ahem* Canada. Check it out!


If you haven't checked out 'The Old Prince' yet, get to it! You're missing out.