Born in Kenya and raised in London, Ontario, rapper Shadrach Kabango, a.k.a. Shad, self-released his first album, When This Is Over, in 2005 after winning the large sum of $20,000 in radio talent competition, in Kitchener. Critically acclaimed for his politically-charged lyrics and social commentaries, the young artist was soon noticed by record label Black Box Recordings, and two years later released his sophomore album, the JUNO-nominated The Old Prince. In 2010, Shad teamed up with Brendan Canning and Lisa Lobsinger of Toronto collective Broken Social Scene and released a third offering, TSOL.