Reader Review: Shad - When This Is Over (2005)

(For today's Reader Review, Patrick lets us know about Canadian emcee Shad's first effort, When This Is Over. Be sure to leave your comments and questions for Patrick below.)


Regardless of what you may think, we have emcees in Canada who aren't named Drake or Snow. Some of the most notable ones include k-os, Choclair, Saukrates, Classified, Rascalz...I could go on, but today I'm going to focus on Shadrach Kabango, who performs as simply Shad (or Shad K, if you wish to be formal).


If you're not familiar with Shad (and most people aren't), allow me to expand on his story. Shadrach was born to Rwandan parents in Kenya, but was quickly relocated to London, Ontario, Canada, where he grew up. So for those of you who heard that he was from London and were wondering where the hell his accent was, now you know. Yes, Canada does have a London (and a Paris, too, but I digress).


After starting classes at University, I can only assume that he woke up one morning and decided to rhyme, as he entered and won a radio station freestyle competition, walking away with $17,500, with which he recorded his debut album, When This Is Over, which was a showcase for both his writing skills and his guitar playing abilities (k-os plays guitar, too – hey, the more you know).


So. (*presses play*)


1. NEW SCHOOL LEADERS
To me, Canadian Hip Hop has always had a unique sound. It isn't as though all of the beats are completely different than they are anywhere else: it's just that you can usually easily distinguish between a Canadian producer (or emcee) and their American peers. With that being said, this beat is upbeat, light, and awesome. Once Shad starts to rhyme, you can tell what kind album you are in for. Scratches are included, and as almost every hip hop song benefits from these, their appearance was appreciated. Although the scratches at the end are little off-sounding, they are there to demonstrate Shad's point of only being in music for the right reasons. I wonder if Busta Rhymes is mad about this song's title.


2. I GET DOWN
Another great beat; I'm not sure if Shad is playing his guitar on here, but there is clearly guitar on here. Shad starts off by giving props to 91.5, the radio station that put on the contest. Shad comes with some ridiculously corny puns, but he manages to get away with it. Some sample lyrics: “I'm the biggest thing out of Canada since Pamela's double D's"; "My IQ is so high you couldn't even fly to it"; “And try to fit with the killers like OJ’s glove”. So far, Shad is two for two.


3. OUT OF LOVE, PART I
The sample on here reminds me of some Dilla/Kanye West soulful hybrid, but not really. On here, Shad rhymes about his frustrations with love and women. Apparently, he's looking for his Claire Huxtable. The lyrics are also quite conscious, but don't let that scare you off.


4. I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND (FEAT BERNADETTE KABANGO)
With Shad’s parents being Rwandan, you shouldn't really be surprised by this song's lyrical content. The drums don’t kick in until the 1:40 mark, but the story is so powerful that you won’t even notice. Shad alternates his rhymes with his mother’s spoken word performance (one of her lines being “I untied the chains / letting go /of those who propelled the grenade scattering my brother's brains”; yeah, now you have an idea how strong this is). They even shot a video for this track, which you can view by clicking here. So far, Shad is four for four.


5. ROCK TO IT
Okay now this is definitely Shad rocking the acoustic guitar (with a backing band... or at least a drummer and a beat-boxer), but don’t let that discourage you, as this is a great example of how rock music and hip hop can coexist. My favourite lines: "Even back in '82 my ultrasound was the jam”; “I could fill my mouth with Prozac pills and I’d still get down”; “If you want to make dough, then homey move to the States” (sucks, but he's right).


6. THE GREATEST CONSTRUCTION CREW
A very dope concept. A crew of people (with names such as 'Imagination' and the like) with a female foreman ( named 'Intellect') building a human being. Beautifully constructed. The song, anyway, not the person (although I'd bet they have a great personality.)


7. QUESTION MARKS
The concept is good, and if I'm mellowed out enough I love the beat. But it is quite slow and Shad's flow is delivered quite softly, so much so that you may fall asleep to this song. If you are able to stay awake, you will hear Shad discussing the Bible, religion and existence. He doesn't use any biblical quotes or overly religious tones (I'm not sure how that's even possible, but trust me on this one), so it isn't exclusionary in any way. This is really a great song, but the beat and the lyrics make it very hard to stay awake. Damn. And When This Is Over was doing so well, too.


8. REAL GAME (FEAT B. GREEN)
I don't want to say this, but I have to: meh.


9. WILD
Less chipmunk-like then Kanye West’s beats, but this song will wear on you. Lyrically, though, Shad does a great job. I guess you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy this track.


10. A STORY NO ONE TOLD
Rather slow paced, but I still find this song amazing. This simple tale is summed up with a quote toward the end: "The greatest story no one ever told was just the story of an ordinary man growing old”. There is some great lyricism to be found here, too. Well, at least it ended better than I had hoped.


FINAL THOUGHTS: Shad strikes me as Common plus k-os, with a dash of Will Smith/Fresh Prince (because of his profanity-free lyrics) and something unique. I can say I really liked When This Is Over. The first six songs were bangers, and the entire album only runs for ten tracks, so that ratio is amazing in hip hop. When This Is Over is a fun listen, full of humour and great beats. You’ll find yourself hitting 'rewind' to catch all of his jokes and you’ll be very surprised that Shad doesn’t curse once, which is mostly unheard of in hip hop.


BUY OR BURN?: Unfortunately, if you want a physical copy, the only place you may get it is London, Ontario, and I do mean only in that town. I personally live a couple of hours away from there, and I can't find any copies anywhere. So it will have to be a digital copy, which can easily be found on Amazon. If you are still on the fence, you can listen to some of the man's work on his official website.


BEST TRACKS: On a good day, all except “Real Game”; on a bad day, all except “Question Marks”, “Real Game”, “Wild” and “A Story No One Told”.


-Patrick (or exkimo64 (my YouTube Channel))


(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Hate mail? Leave your comments below. And if you wish to share your thoughts about your favorite albums, hit me at the e-mail address in the sidebar.)