This is a very interesting article; put together by “The Company Man” at Brooklyn Bodega. The article is a compilation of quotes from previous Shad interviews with various publications as he addresses his style, influences and much more. Check it out below.

“Shad. Shadrach Kabango. I grew up in London Ontario.” — UGSMag.com

“My family’s from Rwanda originally. I was born in Kenya and my sister was born in Uganda. We moved to Canada when my sister and I were young. I would say that kind of influenced my upbringing. You maybe look at things a little bit more critically. You have a little bit maybe of a broader world view. We’re coming up in kind of two different cultures so it kind of broadens your world view a little bit. Some political issues, some social issues maybe become a little bit more important to you. I think that’s how it’s influenced my music.” — MindYourMind.ca

“I didn’t know Rakim, Big Daddy Kane growing up. I knew Maestro [Fresh Wes] and Maestro, he’s the dude. And not just “[Let Your Backbone Slide],” “Drop The Needle,” but you know, “Conducting Things,” “Nothing At All,” — you know, just on and on. He always came with it. So many different styles and a great range in his catalog of songs.” — HipHopSummit Profile/TheMaddBloggers

“When I was younger, we had a lot of Canadian Hip-Hoppers on TV. For me, when I was 11 or 12 years old, Maestro [Fresh Wes] video would play beside a Gangstarr video. It was just all of what we had. When I was really younger it was Maestro, Dream Warriors. When I was around 16 [years old], there was an era with like Saukrates, Choclair — all those guys were killing it.” — HipHopCanada, TheEarlyRisers
Read the rest of Shad, In His Own Words at Brooklyn Bodega