Shad at Songbyrd Music House [DC] - 5/22/2022
Shad at Songbyrd Music House in DC (Photo ©2022 Mauricio Castro)
Shad is both a student and a teacher of hip-hop, and on Sunday night, he gave a textbook performance on the mic. As the host of Netflix’s extensive docuseries Hip-Hop Evolution, the Canadian rapper interviewed key figures in the genre, like LL Cool J, Grandmaster Flash, and Three 6 Mafia, and his enthusiasm for the craft shows. But beyond the series, Shad has many critically-acclaimed albums under his belt, like 2021’s TAO. Shad showed off his flawless, effortless flow full of complex and wordy verses on songs like “Slot Machines” and “Work,” and even dropping the beat and going a cappella a few times. He was all smiles, and his enthusiasm for hip-hop not only shows, but is infectious as hell.
TAO is out now through Secret City Records.
Opening for Shad was DC-area rapper Ardamus. His latest release is the December 2021 album Insurance For Your Self Esteem.
