LUCID FORGE

When Lucid Forge last talked to Canadian hip-hop artist Shad K (non-stage name Shadrach Kabango), he was still basking in his sudden success having recorded and released his first album When This Is Over, after winning funds from 91.5 The Beat's “Rhythm of the Future” talent competition. In between then and now he’s released his second album, The Old Prince, and found himself elevated from novice to being called “Canada’s Best Rapper” by The National Post.



“Obviously you’re flattered and part of it was like, ‘Wow, I hope this kind of ides down before people take too close a look at the album and see what I see,’” says Shad on the phone from Toronto. “But I try not to think about it too much, and I feel that people have sort of listened to it with a sympathetic ear.”

“Sympathetic ear” is one way of putting it. The Old Prince receive accolades from Now and Canoe, scored a 10 out of 10 on Rap Review.com and placed in Exclaim’s l0 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2007 list. But Shad says that he’s as surprised as anyone at how well it was received calling it simply, “a pleasant surprise,” although he notes that whether people like it or not, doesn’t affect how he looks at his own work. “It’s still an album that I like for certain reasons but there are still things that I don’t like, and that hasn’t changed,” he adds. “But at the same time, I’m happy to know that it’s been so well received.”

Many of the kind words extended to Shad have had to do with his socially conscious writing. Many Canadian artists are noted for their slant towards issues related lyrics rather than the glamorization of gangster culture. Shad doesn’t think this can be called a mainstream trend because there aren’t many mainstream Canadian hip-hop artists, but he does see a connection. “I think the artists that have had some success like k-os or K-Non have had a certain level awareness, but they’ve also had an interesting bringing together of musical styles as well that could be equally responsible for their ability to gain a broader audience.”

As for his own process, Shad says that when he’s writing he just likes to take his time to find the right words. “A lot of my lyric writing is something I do by myself and even a lot of times away from music,” he explains. “That’s a little bit unusual from what I hear that other hip-hop artists do, where they hear a track and get inspired.” For Shad, the lyrics come first because he doesn’t make a lot of his own tracks, so his control comes through writing the words. When that’s done, he takes it to trusted friends and fellow musicians whom he calls “the right kind of test market;” a good test for what’s honest and engaging, not that it’s ever easy to put something together though. “Man, it’s a messy process,” says Shad. “I hear beats and sometimes they feel right and sometimes they feel just about right. Sometimes I’ll put together the main idea myself, musically on the guitar, or I’ll collaborate with people to flesh it out and bring it to life.” Once the writing is done, that’s when he goes into the studio to lay the tracks down. Shad says on his first album he had no studio experience and for the second one he had more of an idea. But when it comes time to put together his third album, Shad hopes that he will be a little bit more aware of where his voice is and who he is as an artist and being able to capture that a bit easier. “The more you understand who you are as an artist, the more you’re able to capture that, and the more you’re able to step out and show more of yourself and take more chances,” he adds.

But don’t expect that third album soon. Shad says that right now he’s just getting some writing done and if he gets enough to work with that he thinks is worthwhile, then he’ll start thinking about getting back into the studio. “I’m not really on schedule right now, the writing’s just coming out naturally and where that’s going to lead me is to hopefully get a sense of another full-length project.” In the meantime, he’ll keep plugging away on his masters degree at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He took the fall semester off to do some touring, which includes a show in New York City on October 22nd, but he plans on picking up his studies again in January. He pauses when I ask him about balancing music and school and whether he’s finding it as easy as he once did. Shad concedes that it’s been getting busier for him on the music side, which is why he had to take semester off, but he still hopes to finish his degree with a year and half worth of work to go until its completion. The London, Ontario native says he’s been enjoying living part time on the west coast, and taking in the different vibe out there, which he calls “more chilled out.” Shad hopes that the relaxing atmosphere will be able to do help his writing and allow him to do more, but he adds, “The environment to me isn’t so much an influence on my writing than just life in general.”

Truer words, it seems, have never been spoken.