Shad

Born Shadrach Kabango in 1982, the Kenyan-born rapper Shad, now based in Canada, secured the release of his debut album When This Is Over in 2005 after claiming nearly $20,000 from a talent contest held by a Kitchener-Waterloo radio station. Critics praised the project for its socially conscious lyrics, and the acclaim earned him a recording contract with Black Box Recordings. His follow-up effort, The Old Prince, arrived on October 16, 2007. The next year brought a nomination for Rap Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards for both Shad and that sophomore album.