Shad

Shadrach Kabango, aka Shad, is a JUNO award winning hip hop artist from Canada.

Born in Kenya, of Rwandan parents, Shad was raised in London, Ontario. His mother worked in London as a hospital lab technician; his father, as a machinist. He attended London Central Secondary School.

His debut album When This Is Over (2005) was self-made, financed with the $17,500 he won from 91.5fm The Beat's Rhythm Of The Future talent competition during his time as an undergraduate student at Wilfrid Laurier University. The album is recognized for Shad's self-deprecating lyrics which is often atypical of the current rap scene. and focusing on social causes—for example, the track "I'll Never Understand" examines the Rwandan genocide and includes poetry written by his mother, Bernadette Kabango.

In 2007, he was signed by Black Box Recordings and released his second album, The Old Prince. In 2008, The Old Prince received a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year, and was nominated 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 nominated for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize and won the Juno Award for Rap Recording Of The Year at the 2011 Juno Awards.

Music critics have compared his style to that of k-os and of Common, and also to a "London (England) sound circa 1990".

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

On September 2, 2010 it was announced on MTV News Canada that Shad had been in the studio with City & Colour (Dallas Green) working on an original song to be released as a single (entitled "Live Forever") along with a remix of TSOL's "Listen".

Shad has also appeared as a guest musician on songs by Wax Romeo ("Boom Ha"), Grand Analog ("Electric City"), Dirty Circus ("Into the Sun"), Blue Scholars ("The Dawn Song") and Hey Ocean! ("Vagabond").