Allow me to reintroduce myself: Shad

Gain more insight into significant hip-hop figures by checking out their revealing answers to our questionnaire.

For a dude who doesn’t have a new album or track out, there’s a bit of buzz around Canadian superstar Shad right now.

Word on the street is he’s working on a new LP and just last month, Aux Presents: Shad aired on Aux TV. The doc chronicles a year in his life following the release of TSOL, which culminated in Shad beating out Drake for rap recording of the year at the 2011 Junos. Here Shad tackles our patented questionnaire.

What was the first hip-hop record you ever bought and where'd you get it?

I don’t know if I remember the first hip-hop album I bought. Possibly Midnight Marauders [by A Tribe Called Quest] when I was in Grade 5 or 6. There was something about the “Award Tour” video that made me want to get the tape. I think it was the beat. I bought a Fu-Schnickens tape around then, too. And P.M. Dawn's first one; I was really into that.

Where did the name that you perform under come from exactly?

I never felt comfortable referring to myself by any alias. I tried at first (Catfish!) but it didn't last long. There was just no part of me that was "Catfish." In my raps I would always refer to myself as Shad or Shadk or SK, so that just became my rap name.

What was the last book you read and how was it?

Last book I read was The Game by Ken Dryden. It was surprisingly good. I say surprisingly because I didn’t think I would care much for a book about hockey but it was really well written and structured and just really interesting. It was kind of sad though, too, because it's written by a player somewhere near the end of his career and he's sort of trying to gather the energy and courage to play his best every night, even though his best playing days are behind him. Beautiful book though.

Where is your favourite place to eat on planet Earth and what are we having?

I’d have to [go] with my parents’ house. And we're having my mom's meat pies.

Which artist, living or dead, would you most like to collaborate with and why?

I’m gonna cheat: perfect collaborators on one track would be Curtis Mayfield on the hook, Preemo and Kanye on the beat with Brian Wilson consulting on the arrangement, and a guest verse from André 3000.