From Exclaim.ca!
Shad just keeps his TSOL campaign going with news of a tour collabo that can only be called SICK!
Shad and K’naan Team Up for Fall Canadian Tour
6/17/2010 By Stephen Carlick
Exclaim! hip-hop faves Shad (pictured) and K’naan have blown the minds of more than a few Canadian hip-hop fans by announcing that they’ll team up this fall for a five-date tour through some of Canada’s major cities.
Shad is on his own headlining tour of small-town Ontario at the moment and will appear at a number of Canadian festivals later this summer, while K’naan is prepping for a number of Canadian festival appearances on the West coast before embarking upon a headlining tour through Europe. The two will join up in Vancouver in September and will trek through Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg on the way to their final show in Toronto on October 1.
In case you haven’t yet picked it up, Shad is the cover star of Exclaim!’s June issue and is supporting his new album, TSOL. K’naan, who recently took some heat over his controversial partnership with Coca-Cola, graced the cover of Exclaim! in February 2009.
Shad & K’naan Tour dates:
9/25 Vancouver, BC – Malkin Bowl
9/27 Calgary, AB – MacEwan Hall
9/28 Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Event Centre
9/29 Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
10/1 Toronto, ON – Kool Haus %
Previously: NEWS: Eye Weekly Magazine Reviews Shad’s TSOL Album
See, I told you Shad was everywhere! From EyeWeekly.com!
Shad: TSOL
Black Box
BY Chris Bilton
Editorial Rating: 4/5 Stars
Canadian rap sensation Shadrach Kabango may be best known for his video riffing on Fresh Prince and his charming, clever wordplay, but his third full-length, TSOL, is some serious shit. Whether he’s explaining the origin of his handle (“my first name came from a slave in Babylon” from “A Good Name”) or name-dropping superheroes, Shad’s breathless delivery is captivating, while the untouchable production (check the slamming beat on “Keep Shining” or Brendan Canning’s ethereal melodies on “Lucky 1’s”) provide a diamond mine’s worth of sonic discovery. Throw in earworm choruses (“Rose Garden”), greasy R&B politicking (“At the Same Time”) and an inventive take on self-aggrandizement (“Yaa I get it”) and you’ve got a record that’s infinitely playable.
Previous: NEWS: The Vancouver Sun – Top 10 Canadian Rappers
Previous: NEWS: Shad Featured in Now Magazine
Previous: NEWS: Shad Featured In Toronto Star
Previous: NEWS: Shad Cover Story w/ Exclaim!
Previous: VIDEO: In Studio – Shad w/ The National Post
Via ATF! 40, Boi-1da, T.I., Bun B and Nicki Minaj talk the making of Thank Me Later with Complex Magazine! Click on each song title below to find out how they all came about. Thank you Complex.
1. Fireworks (Feat. Alicia Keys) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
2. Karaoke (Produced by Francis & The Lights)
3. The Resistance (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
4. Over (Produced by Boi-1da)
5. Show Me A Good Time (Produced by Kanye West)
6. Up All Night (Feat. Nicki Minaj) (Produced by Boi-1da)
7. Fancy (Feat. TI and Swizz Beatz) (Produced by Swizz Beatz)
8. Shut It Down (Feat. The Dream) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Omen)
9. Unforgettable (Feat. Young Jeezy) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Boi-1da)
10. Light Up (Feat. Jay-Z) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Tone Mason)
11. Miss Me (Feat. Lil Wayne) (Produced by Boi-1da and Noah “40″ Shebib)
12. Cece’s Interlude (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
13. Find Your Love (Produced by Kanye West)
14. Thank Me Now (Produced by Timbaland)
Bonus
15. Best I Ever Had (Produced by Boi-1da) [International Bonus Song]
16. 9 AM in Dallas (Produced by Boi-1da) [iTunes Bonus song]
A list like this without Saukrates just takes away all forms of credibility to me. Just my two cents although I don’t actually know the criteria for their list. Anyways, shouts to The Vancouver Sun newspaper for upping their hip-hop quotient. Features Maestro, Shad, Drizzy, k-os and more…
Few success stories in recent memory can compete with the sudden, startling rise to fame of Drake, a homegrown hero who has made more inroads in the U.S. than any Canadian rapper to date.
His full-length debut, Thank Me Later, arrives in stores and online this week amid an avalanche of hype and expectation. After a pair of Grammy nominations, two Juno wins and collaborations with Eminem, Alicia Keys and Kanye West, he’s within breathing distance of the hip-hop elite. Clearly, his days as an actor on Degrassi: The Next Generation are long behind him.
Although the 23-year-old (born Aubrey Graham) is head and shoulders above the competition in Canada, Drake is a new chapter in a book that has been in progress for more than 20 years. The rap scene in Canada — low in visibility but high in quality — has always been brimming with talent, as evidenced by the list below.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
Caught this in the paper the other day. Here’s the online version! Shouts to Shad who continues to KILL IT. He just sold out The Opera House on the weekend and has basically been featured in every media outlet known to man. TSOL is in stores now!
You may think of Shad as a savvy rapper influenced by smart hip-hop acts like Common, Ras Kass and OutKast, but you’d be surprised at some of his influences.
Shad’s work is often defined by his political convictions and deep personal introspection. At The Same Time, one of the more serious, guitar-driven cuts from his new album, TSOL (Maple), has a noticeable punk message.
“That was largely inspired by Billy Bragg. I’m a big fan of his work,” says Shad from his Vancouver kitchen. “I think hip-hop changes on its own – every day, month and year. The range of influences is constantly growing.”
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
Previous: NEWS: Shad Featured In Toronto Star
Previous: NEWS: Shad Cover Story w/ Exclaim!
Previous: VIDEO: In Studio – Shad w/ The National Post
On Saturday June 19th The Urban Music Association of Canada will be presenting two panels at NXNE ‘s annual music conference for emerging artists at The Hyatt Regency Hotel (370 King Street West),
The panels include:
A) How We Got Here: A Reflection of How Urban Music in Canada Got to Where it is Today (in partnership with The McKee Agency). Confirmed panelists include Michie Mee (ground-breaking MC/actor), Carl Allen (DJ, CKLN 88.1FM), Kerry “KLC” Crawford (Baby Blue Soundcrew), and Derek Brin (award-winning producer), moderated by legendary radio host, Ron Nelson. 3 – 4 pm – Regency A (inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel).
B) UMAC Presents: Ya Heard?!? Demo Listening Session — Confirmed panelists include Kyron “Kid” Clarke (Urbanology Magazine), Flo King (TO-Flo.com), Jeni McKenzie (FLOW 93.5FM), Chris Perry (Songwriter/Producer), and DJ MelBoogie (Host/DJ, CKLN 88.1FM), moderated by UMAC’s VP, Dwayne Dixon. 4 – 5pm – Regency D (inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel).
What can we say about this day that we haven’t either already said on OTA Live or in the commentary we drop on this blog? It doesn’t get any more local-history-in-the-moment than this.
Today, one of our own dropped an album that covers all bases in terms of giving us practical reasons to go pick it up: It’s dope; he’s a sick artist; he’s born, raised and (last I checked) still living in Toronto; his album is the most anticipated hip-hop release so far this year; AND, it has the potential to be the first album from a local hip-hop artist to go American-standard Platinum.
If none of that resonates with you as a hip-hop fan, born and raised in this city, or as someone claiming Toronto as your home, then it is what it is; you can’t fake those types of feelings. But it does beg the question: Are you really still a fan if you’ve lost the inclination to savor these rare homegrown moments?
Shouts to Drake for accomplishing something no one even fathomed was possible 2 years ago.
Shouts to 40, Boi-1da, Tone Mason & D-10 for being the musical back bone of that accomplishment and this moment.
And shouts to every new generation hip-hop kid in this city that lined up outside HMV 333 (some as early as Monday) to get their copy of TML.
You represent the heart this city needed two generations ago.
TML is in stores now.
Incredible to see that our local hip-hop history has grown to the point where we can have a legend like Maestro writing a book sharing his experiences in the industry which features testimonials from new-school phenoms like Drake. The connection over generations is great to see and is a natural and needed progression. Book comes out August 10th (Indigo, Chapters and Coles) or you can pre-order at Amazon.ca! Here’s all the info on the release:
Wes “Maestro” Williams Encourages Readers to “Stick To Your Vision”
Iconic Canadian Rapper/Actor Releases Motivational Book for Readers of All Ages
For Immediate Release
June 11th, 2010
(Toronto) For young adults and people who want help achieving their goals, advice from Wes “Maestro” Williams, based on his life experiences as the “Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop” will guide them on the right path. An iconic legend in Canadian hip-hop, and dedicated actor, Wes draws from personal experiences to motivate and inspire the reader. Sharing the same title as one of his hit singles, “Stick to Your Vision” demonstrates to readers of all ages how to overcome personal hurdles to make the seemingly impossible, possible.
As someone who has experienced the highs and lows that come with being a performer, Wes “Maestro” Williams has had to overcome many challenges in his life. These are also the same challenges that apply to everyone, and Wes’s practical and empowering strategies will help readers to get there. In “Stick to Your Vision”, Wes demonstrates how to define vision, how to achieve it, and what to do once it’s been achieved. He offers useful tips and advice, as well as inspirational stories and quotes, and exercises that will keep readers moving towards reaching their goals, and making dreams into a reality.
(more…)
Toronto native Ivana Santilli, CP Records’ first lady of R&B and Pop, is excited to announce the release of her new record, Santilli, out June 29th. Aptly taking her last name, the album is a gorgeous musical cocktail that is much like Ivana’s heritage. It blends history with present day, a true picture of what makes Ivana… Ivana.
Ivana will kick off the album with a performance on the Wellesley Stage at Pride on July 3rd. The second single, “Letting Go”, is at radio now. Santilli is a collection of twelve songs that Ivana felt strongly belonged together. Six tracks and three remixes from her 2008 release, TO.NY, and three new songs. “I felt like I wasn’t done with the songs that were on TO.NY, and I really believed that they belonged with the new songs I had written,” describes Ivana, “so I just went with what I felt good about, and that was a blend of the past and new. I’m very proud of what this album represents to me.”
