New York, NY (Top40 Charts) For his new album 'A Short Story About A War,' polymath emcee Shad has vibrantly imagined and created an entirely new world. A world at war, where snipers exist in the upper echelons, where factions of Revolutionaries and Establishment and Stone Throwers clash, and where a fearless, foolish person who doesn't believe in the power of bullets traverses the landscape. This trenchant concept album holds a mirror to our world - a provocative story told through disarmingly catchy songs that weaves its way through issues of migration, environment, politics and above all, the human spirit. It will be released October 26 on Secret City Records.
Listen to/watch "The Fool Pt 1 (Get It, Got It, Good)":
SONG: https://smarturl.it/AShortStoryAboutAWar
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/mVHv6Z_UhKo
"The Fool Pt.1" - the first single - is a master class in juxtaposition. A bouncy beat mixed with frenzy. Shad's delivery is breathless, an effusive outpouring that borders on screams, cries and joy. The video for the track, directed by Justin Broadbent, is an ode to Shad's truthfulness. We are flooded with the energy of an exuberant, excited Shad, describes Broadbent. The video is a lo-fi, 1-take shot of Shad performing on a bright and sunny stage of wooden pallets and blooming white flowers in a decrepit parking lot. And it's The Fool's ideal music video: it is purposefully shot hand-held on a phone (literally reflected in the car window) to convey the character's playfulness, and also to reign in on Shad's number one attribute, his authenticity. The style can not be passed off as cocky or bougie - it's just Shad, "no add-ons or code names."
The album follows suit - a mix of menacing and uplifting. A convergence of complex ideas that take on the entire world, driven by beats that cover a wide swath of the sounds of hip-hop, from trap to funk and jazz-flecked. From the first words, Shad's lyrics slice and cut. They dissect the systems of prejudice and hate, institutions of war and violence and money, God, hope, and how to "elevate and escalate." Each consecutive song furthers the narrative, culminating with "
All I Need" and Shad's concluding statement: "The truth is bulletproof."
Shad is also announcing a North American tour set to begin this Fall, see full list below. Tickets on sale now.
The album was created in collaboration with dozens of musicians and engineers: From genre-less luminaries like Kaytranada, 2oolman of A Tribe Called Red, and Lido Pimienta, to crafty indie rockers Yukon Blonde, and Toronto rap vets Ian Kamau, Eternia, and DJ T Lo. Their contributions bring multiple textures and colors to the singular vision Shad created.
In addition to being short-listed for the Polaris
Music Prize for 3 of his full length records and a JUNO Award win for rap album of the year in 2011, Shad is also known for hosting the Netflix Original Hip-Hop Evolution docu-series, which won an Emmy and Peabody award, and is a former host of CBC Radio's flagship arts & culture program 'q'.
TRACK LIST:
Intro: Sniper
The Revolution/The Establishment
The Stone Throwers (Gone in a Blink)
Get it Got it Good Intro
The Fool Pt. 1 (Get it Got it Good)
Magic Intro
Magic (feat. Lido Pimienta)
The Fool Pt. 2 (Water) (feat. Steven Mulcare)
Sniper Interlude
Peace/War
The Fool Pt. 3 (Frame of Mind)
Another Year (feat. Ian Kamau & Eternia)
All I Need (feat. Yukon Blonde)
Pre-order and Pre-Save the album to your music library here.
TOUR DATES:
November 1 - Waterloo, ON @ Starlite
November 2 - London, ON @ Rum Runners
November 9 - St. Catharines, ON @ FirstOntario PAC
November 10 - Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
November 15 - New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
November 16 - Washington, DC @ DC9
November 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Boot and Saddle
November 22 - Ottawa, ON @ 27 Club
November 23 - Montreal, QC @ Le Ministére
November 24 - Quebec City, QC @ L'Anti
December 4 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza
December 5- Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
December 7 - San Francisco, CA @ Café du Nord
December 8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan
December 14 - Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall
