Album Story (as told by Shad)

Last summer, I decided to write, record, and release a two (or three) verse freestyle every week for 10 weeks on Instagram. I did it as a creative exercise, a fun way to connect with community, and also a tribute to some of my favourite beats for Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary. Those freestyles sparked a collaboration with the super dope producer and artist 14KT, a longtime favourite that I connected with in-person in 2019 at the DJ Jazzy Jeff’s incredible Playlist Retreat. What began with KT crafting a beat for one of those freestyles spiraled up into this project.

A Day In The Life

I wrote this one, like the whole EP, in a free (association) style of rhyming. I’m describing what’s going on in and around me, playing with words, and stumbling onto new meaning in the process. The production is raw and rugged, spiked with some sweet background vocals by Grace Marr. 

Kingdom Come 

“I think the magic of being is in the art of it. Seeing all the paradoxes at the heart of it. Like how the END we fear is also the start of it. And how we’ll most WHOLE when we’re just a part of it.” This was the last freestyle I recorded for Instagram last summer and feels like a fitting end to the project. Exploring the paradoxes of life and music and vowing to continue in both with a radical joy. Musically, there’s an eternal, timeless feeling to the track. I love ending on that soulful note both lyrically and in terms of production. 

Hunting Goats 

“Mans don’t know how to spit and fans don’t know how to listen. Where you gonna go without a vision? I guess I go about it different”. Classic bragging and boasting but there’s a message there too about how true greatness is when the music is about something bigger than yourself. The beat on this one adds eeriness and grit. 

Keep Going (And Don’t Forget)

“My only message is keep going and don’t forget”. There was a moment recently when I realized that, as much as I’ve experimented sonically through the years and touched on a range of topics, my music always comes down to the same 2 messages: Keep going and don’t forget. An encouragement to keeping putting one foot in front of the other, and to constantly remind yourself of what’s true and good. KT putting a bounce on this track and a hopeful energy in music that fits the theme perfectly.  

Shad Reel Speakers

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