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VIDEO
SHAD INTERVIEW PART 2 - CYPHER
I.E. continues his chat with London, Ontario emcee Shad about his musical style, the Polaris Music Prize, and influential artists.
POSTED ON: JANUARY 06, 2009
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:22 [Music]
00:00:04:10 Hey, I like all different types of styles of music,
00:00:06:02 but I really love hip-hop.
00:00:07:23 You guys love hip-hop.
00:00:11:10 ♪ [Music]
00:00:26:23 They told me that you taught yourself how to play the guitar.
00:00:29:16 Yeah, that is true, that is true.
00:00:30:18 How many years that take?
00:00:32:03 Honestly man, like it wasn't even like
00:00:34:10 I was teaching myself.
00:00:35:20 It was more of like there was a guitar in the house
00:00:38:08 and I'd be sitting watching TV.
00:00:40:10 And I just have it on me and I've just been messing around.
00:00:43:18 That's it.
00:00:44:23 ♪ [Music]
00:00:49:14 Next thing I knew, a year or two later,
00:00:52:08 you can play a couple of tunes, you know,
00:00:54:01 and you just keep playing.
00:00:55:18 I just love being able to make
00:00:58:10 my own musical ideas to respond.
00:01:00:18 Yeah.
00:01:01:20 ♪ [Repping]
00:01:17:10 Freestyling man, is that part of your live show
00:01:19:28 or is it something that you like to do?
00:01:21:22 Yeah, it used to be a big part of the live show.
00:01:24:20 Now it is a little bit less,
00:01:27:20 because I try not to freestyle
00:01:30:06 unless I'm really feeling that energy and that vibe.
00:01:33:14 Yeah, no need to press it.
00:01:35:06 But man, for me, like I never even wrote anything
00:01:37:25 until I was like 19 or 20.
00:01:40:07 Before that, in high school, it was just freestyling.
00:01:44:10 That was the only time that I really felt like
00:01:46:21 doing anything musical was just in that environment
00:01:49:23 where it was live and it was just,
00:01:51:26 let's just do it, yeah.
00:01:53:28 So, is it fair to say that MCing was the first element
00:01:57:10 of hip-hop that touched you or maybe BBoying or...?
00:01:59:18 Yeah, it was definitely Mcing.
00:02:01:04 It was the only thing I could do.
00:02:03:19 ♪ [Music]
00:02:14:02 Talk about the Polaris Prize.
00:02:18:03 You made the short list for that.
00:02:19:19 putting some spotlight on the artists who were shortlisted.
00:02:24:00 It's really good that way.
00:02:25:22 So, it's also good too, because it's like
00:02:27:25 an international thing to some extent.
00:02:29:14 Also it's a nice opportunity to meet some people.
00:02:31:15 Some artists I respect, as well as some people
00:02:34:00 that work in music that are some good people.
00:02:38:27 Yeah, it's been cool.
00:02:39:28 Okay, let's talk about some of the artists that you respect.
00:02:42:13 When you're listening to whatever you do,
00:02:45:09 who you vibe into, man?
00:02:47:00 Okay, I've got a shadow of Shaun Boothe.
00:02:48:28 Shaun Boothe is insane.
00:02:52:00 THEO3
00:02:54:10 Kamau
00:02:57:24 Adam Bomb, he is crazy.
00:03:00:28 Tell me something that nobody probably
00:03:03:21 has heard yet about Shad.
00:03:04:28 It could be like a Cypher exclusive.
00:03:07:13 Okay, one thing people probably wouldn't know about me is like,
00:03:11:13 there's not a lot of things that I do.
00:03:14:28 Just music.
00:03:15:28 Yeah, like I work at this community center with kids.
00:03:18:26 They're always like, oh, do you want to do this,
00:03:20:00 you want to take kids to this.
00:03:21:04 I'm like, I don't know how to do that, I've never done that.
00:03:24:13 Like anything related to winter, I've never done.
00:03:27:00 I got my driver's license a year ago.
00:03:30:01 Yeah, if I am not rapping, I'm sitting like this, doing not.
00:03:35:01 ♪ [Repping]
00:03:40:04 Any place from the world that you're hoping
00:03:41:08 hip hop would take you?
00:03:44:06 I'd love to go to Japan, yeah, yeah.
00:03:47:00 The album is out there and we hope to be able to tour
00:03:48:28 there at some point and see something completely different,
00:03:51:24 like I've never seen before.
00:03:53:22 Okay, so all of those watching in Japan,
00:03:55:24 you know Shad wants to come down.
00:03:58:01 So, just let him know.
00:03:59:12 Let him know what's up.
00:04:00:28 Yeah, yeah, hit me up on MySpace,
00:04:02:02 whatever you want to do, man.
00:04:03:15 I get back to people on my MySpace.
00:04:05:14 Cool man! Well yo, thanks for taking the time.
00:04:08:25 Yo! This is I.E.
00:04:10:03 This is Shad.
00:04:11:08 You're watching the Cypher.
00:04:15:17 Coming up
00:04:16:27 It's Eagle Nebs.
00:04:18:10 ♪ [Repping]
00:04:22:21 Protius Indigenous
00:04:24:01 I am Shad
00:04:25:03 What's up? I am Eagle Nebula
00:04:26:07 I am a bad guy.
00:04:28:06 [Music]
00:00:04:10 Hey, I like all different types of styles of music,
00:00:06:02 but I really love hip-hop.
00:00:07:23 You guys love hip-hop.
00:00:11:10 ♪ [Music]
00:00:26:23 They told me that you taught yourself how to play the guitar.
00:00:29:16 Yeah, that is true, that is true.
00:00:30:18 How many years that take?
00:00:32:03 Honestly man, like it wasn't even like
00:00:34:10 I was teaching myself.
00:00:35:20 It was more of like there was a guitar in the house
00:00:38:08 and I'd be sitting watching TV.
00:00:40:10 And I just have it on me and I've just been messing around.
00:00:43:18 That's it.
00:00:44:23 ♪ [Music]
00:00:49:14 Next thing I knew, a year or two later,
00:00:52:08 you can play a couple of tunes, you know,
00:00:54:01 and you just keep playing.
00:00:55:18 I just love being able to make
00:00:58:10 my own musical ideas to respond.
00:01:00:18 Yeah.
00:01:01:20 ♪ [Repping]
00:01:17:10 Freestyling man, is that part of your live show
00:01:19:28 or is it something that you like to do?
00:01:21:22 Yeah, it used to be a big part of the live show.
00:01:24:20 Now it is a little bit less,
00:01:27:20 because I try not to freestyle
00:01:30:06 unless I'm really feeling that energy and that vibe.
00:01:33:14 Yeah, no need to press it.
00:01:35:06 But man, for me, like I never even wrote anything
00:01:37:25 until I was like 19 or 20.
00:01:40:07 Before that, in high school, it was just freestyling.
00:01:44:10 That was the only time that I really felt like
00:01:46:21 doing anything musical was just in that environment
00:01:49:23 where it was live and it was just,
00:01:51:26 let's just do it, yeah.
00:01:53:28 So, is it fair to say that MCing was the first element
00:01:57:10 of hip-hop that touched you or maybe BBoying or...?
00:01:59:18 Yeah, it was definitely Mcing.
00:02:01:04 It was the only thing I could do.
00:02:03:19 ♪ [Music]
00:02:14:02 Talk about the Polaris Prize.
00:02:18:03 You made the short list for that.
00:02:19:19 putting some spotlight on the artists who were shortlisted.
00:02:24:00 It's really good that way.
00:02:25:22 So, it's also good too, because it's like
00:02:27:25 an international thing to some extent.
00:02:29:14 Also it's a nice opportunity to meet some people.
00:02:31:15 Some artists I respect, as well as some people
00:02:34:00 that work in music that are some good people.
00:02:38:27 Yeah, it's been cool.
00:02:39:28 Okay, let's talk about some of the artists that you respect.
00:02:42:13 When you're listening to whatever you do,
00:02:45:09 who you vibe into, man?
00:02:47:00 Okay, I've got a shadow of Shaun Boothe.
00:02:48:28 Shaun Boothe is insane.
00:02:52:00 THEO3
00:02:54:10 Kamau
00:02:57:24 Adam Bomb, he is crazy.
00:03:00:28 Tell me something that nobody probably
00:03:03:21 has heard yet about Shad.
00:03:04:28 It could be like a Cypher exclusive.
00:03:07:13 Okay, one thing people probably wouldn't know about me is like,
00:03:11:13 there's not a lot of things that I do.
00:03:14:28 Just music.
00:03:15:28 Yeah, like I work at this community center with kids.
00:03:18:26 They're always like, oh, do you want to do this,
00:03:20:00 you want to take kids to this.
00:03:21:04 I'm like, I don't know how to do that, I've never done that.
00:03:24:13 Like anything related to winter, I've never done.
00:03:27:00 I got my driver's license a year ago.
00:03:30:01 Yeah, if I am not rapping, I'm sitting like this, doing not.
00:03:35:01 ♪ [Repping]
00:03:40:04 Any place from the world that you're hoping
00:03:41:08 hip hop would take you?
00:03:44:06 I'd love to go to Japan, yeah, yeah.
00:03:47:00 The album is out there and we hope to be able to tour
00:03:48:28 there at some point and see something completely different,
00:03:51:24 like I've never seen before.
00:03:53:22 Okay, so all of those watching in Japan,
00:03:55:24 you know Shad wants to come down.
00:03:58:01 So, just let him know.
00:03:59:12 Let him know what's up.
00:04:00:28 Yeah, yeah, hit me up on MySpace,
00:04:02:02 whatever you want to do, man.
00:04:03:15 I get back to people on my MySpace.
00:04:05:14 Cool man! Well yo, thanks for taking the time.
00:04:08:25 Yo! This is I.E.
00:04:10:03 This is Shad.
00:04:11:08 You're watching the Cypher.
00:04:15:17 Coming up
00:04:16:27 It's Eagle Nebs.
00:04:18:10 ♪ [Repping]
00:04:22:21 Protius Indigenous
00:04:24:01 I am Shad
00:04:25:03 What's up? I am Eagle Nebula
00:04:26:07 I am a bad guy.
00:04:28:06 [Music]