Two
years ago, Shad collaborated with avant-garde Inuk singer Tanya Tagaq on a
track from her album Retribution. On it, the rapper proved his stylistic
versatility on music that didn’t resemble his own, or most other hip-hop, for
that matter. Not that Shad had ever fit into much of a mould to begin with;
back when he was a business student at Wilfrid Laurier University, he’d often
perform with just an acoustic guitar.
In
the past three years, Shad has been the host of CBC Radio’s Q, as well as the
Emmy-winning HBO documentary series Hip-Hop Nation (it’s on Netflix in Canada,
and is well worth your time). He also dropped a smooth R&B album under a
pseudonym, Your Boy Tony Braxton.
So
for his first proper record in five years, Shad goes for a total reinvention.
First single “The Fool Pt 1 (Get It Got It Good)” draws from the early ’90s
hip-hop that most influenced his early work, but after that he moves all over
the map, from bright pop to dark electronics, with lyrics largely focused on
conflict and violence in its many manifestations, and maintaining his rep as
one of the richest, most poetic MCs working today. He gets musical assist from
Kaytranada, Lido Pimienta, 2oolman of A Tribe Called Red, and B.C. rock band
Yukon Blonde, with some lyrical assist from Toronto underground heroes Ian
Kamau and Eternia on the municipal lament “Another Year.”
Only
the Yukon Blonde track, “All I Need,” sounds like a potential radio hit, but
it’s obvious that elsewhere his music is simply going wherever his lyrical
fancy takes him. The only other rapper that springs to mind, who shares this
level of lyrical density and musical agnosticism, to say nothing of overall
talent? Kendrick Lamar. (Oct. 26)
Shad
plays two nights at the Great Hall in Toronto Dec. 15-16, on a double bill with the can't-miss Bonjay.
Stream: “The Stone
Throwers,” “Peace/War,” “Another Year” feat. Ian Kamau and Eternia
No comments:
Post a Comment