SHAD

 

INTERVIEW BY DAVE VERTESI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN TYLER CLOSE

Shad’s laid-back demeanor is not indicative of his hard-earned success or musical ambition. He may be happy-go-lucky and upbeat, but he’s also pensive, curious and hungry to share his views. He’s a talented, mature, and self-effacing artist who makes it all look easy. His understated style is infectious and his music is accessible, engaging and intelligent. Effortless has never looked so cool. Comparisons to the rest of the hip-hop world are absolutely unnecessary. All you need to know is Shad’s material is musically rich and lyrically thoughtful. He isn’t reactionary – he’s philosophical and hopeful. His latest album, TSOL, is another poetic journey in the same direction that helped his last record, The Old Prince, earn nominations for a Juno and Polaris Prize.

DAVE VERTESI—You talk about your parents a fair amount on each of your records. What are the top three records or artists you’d like to thank your parents for getting you into?

SHAD—My parents didn’t listen to too much music, actually. My aunts got me into Simon & Garfunkel, and my dad and I both liked Phil Collins. Other than that my dad listened to lots of Central and East African music and gospel music, which was great, too.

DV—You’ve been enrolled in a part-time master’s program in Liberal Arts at Simon Fraser University since the release of your last record The Old Prince. Have any of your courses influenced the writing on your new album? Does Jane Austen have any place in hip hop?

S—Jane Austen is pretty Queen Latifah-esque in her own way! I really respect her talent and her sense of virtue.

DV—The title of your new album, TSOL, is a word that you made up in part to demonstrate the insufficiency of language to express ideas or emotions. As a lyricist have you come to accept that or are you fighting to overcome those limitations? Do you feel you communicated what you wanted on this record?

S—It’s a fun and interesting challenge for me. I work hard at crafting lyrics but ultimately people interpret them in all sorts of ways and that’s cool with me, too. It’s more than cool, actually; it’s part of the magic of music. I like that it can mean different things to different people at different times. I’m happily resigned to that.