Shad
“Call Waiting”
“Yaa I Get It”
One of our favorite releases this week is Shad’s TSOL, out on Decon Records. Shad’s [Shadrach Kebango]output is diverse in sound and modest in lyricism. The Ontario resident digs into relatable topics, but knowingly hands out the realization that being relatable can veer into boring territory. Because of this, Shad really shines — he can make fun of himself, even rapping, “I hope I ain’t boring y’all rappin’ ’bout rap/ But the only thing I love more than rappin’ is nappin’/ And I know nobody want to hear me rap about that.” Shad’s level head and love of golden soul sounds floated over dense beats make TSOL an album worth spending time with and this isn’t his first acclaimed release. 2005’s When This is Over and 2007’s The Old Prince were excellent starting blocks for Shad’s current pace with soulful success, getting props from Kanye and being nominated for awards [Juno and Polaris].
With TSOL, Shad recently played out the background on each track on Spinner. In regards to “Yaa I Get It” (listen above), he explains, “‘I got this beat a long time ago and was like, ‘Wow, this beat’s pretty sick, it hits pretty hard.’ So I just wanted to rap on it. There was no idea for a chorus. I had different ideas of where to stop the song, but eventually decided to keep going for a while. It’s just fun, just rhymes about a whole range of stuff. I liked it as a phrase, how laid back it was, even though it’s such a hard beat. And yeah, the rhymes go in a few directions. The Method Man line isn’t a diss. I’m clarifying that officially on Spinner! That’s just me rapping and going.” ‘
Sonic Diet 