Shad

Shad (Shadrach Kabango) is a Canadian rapper of Rwandan descent. He is known for blending humour with weighty themes, exploring a range of topics and sounds over the course of his 20-year career. Shad has carved out a distinctive voice in hip-hop, expertly crafting rhymes that tackle themes ranging from identity and faith to politics and personal struggle, all while experimenting with a diverse range of sounds and styles.

A critically acclaimed artist, Shad has earned a number of prestigious accolades. He won the 2011 JUNO Award for Rap Album of the Year, and he is also the only artist to be shortlisted five times for the Polaris Music Prize for Canadian Album of the Year, more than any other artist in the award’s history, underscoring his consistent artistic excellence and national impact.

Shad’s influence extends well beyond music. He captured the national spotlight in 2012 when he won CBC Radio’s Canada Reads competition, passionately championing Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre. He then served as the host of CBC Radio’s flagship arts and culture program q and Netflix’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series Hip-Hop Evolution. In addition to his media work, Shad has also grown into the role of educator, having recently designed and taught Hip-Hop-related courses at both the University of Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier University, further solidifying his role as a leading voice.

Shad’s 2018 album A Short Story About a War alone has amassed over 3 million streams, contributing to more than 30 million streams across platforms.

His music and voice have received international attention with media coverage from outlets such as Rolling Stone, Complex, Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, The Intercept, The Ringer, Noisey, Fader, NOW Toronto, Globe and Mail, La Presse, and many more. Radio support for his work has spanned the globe, including airplay on BBC 6Music, WNYC, KEXP, KCRW, KZGO, SiriusXM, and many others. Shad’s catalogue has appeared in notable sync placements for shows like Snowpiercer, The Murders, and Tall Boyz.