London-raised and Toronto-based rapper Shad is celebrating two decades in music with his latest album Start Anew, a project that feels both like a reflection and a reset. Set to release on Oct. 31 through Secret City Records, the album explores what it means to step outside our comfort zones and embrace growth, all while carrying the warmth and wit that have made Shad one of Canada’s most thoughtful lyricists.
“I feel proud of the effort I’ve put into making music over the years because I find making albums hard,” Shad said. “It’s a privilege for sure and a fun challenge but a challenge every time nonetheless. So I’m proud of the hard, honest work involved. In terms of what I hope listeners take away, I think I hope they feel a sense of calm and also courage.”
That balance of honesty and optimism runs deep throughout Start Anew, which completes a trilogy that began with 2018’s A Story About a War and continued with 2021’s TAO. Where those albums grappled with societal conflict and spiritual searching, Start Anew looks inward, finding light in risk, change, and renewal.
Being one of the most recognized names in Canadian hip-hop — with five Polaris Music Prize nominations, the most of any artist — Shad remains humble about his impact.
“It feels great to know that I’ve made some contributions to hip hop and to music in this country, worlds that I love and owe a lot to,” he said. “It’s amazing to me that I’m a small part of that story now. But I also know it’s not a story that I control and that it’s an evolving one, so I try not to think too much about legacy. I just try to keep making good contributions as long as I have the chance to.”
Beyond music, Shad has also become an educator, teaching hip-hop courses at the University of Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier University. For him, hip-hop is a gateway into understanding the world.
“If you start studying the roots of hip-hop in the Bronx in the 70s, you get exposed to issues of urban planning, de-industrialization, immigration,” he explained. “You also start to get into technology, copyright, and cultural ideas about authorship. So hip-hop is a great starting place for students to start exploring a range of topics more deeply.”
Fans will soon get a chance to experience Start Anew live when Shad performs at the Kitchener Public Library on Nov. 8, a special all-ages show that holds personal meaning for the artist.
“I always try to bring the energy and also bring songs from across my catalogue,” he said. “At this point, I have some fans with kids old enough to go to shows, so that’s a really cool new thing for me to start seeing in rooms. I’m looking forward to that experience.”
As he looks ahead to his 2026 headline tour, Shad admits that while the stage still feels familiar, life off it has changed. “It doesn’t feel that different oddly enough. Although one difference is my kids are now at an age where they actually notice when I’m gone and they miss me a bit, so I try not to go on the road too long.”
When asked to sum up Start Anew in a single phrase, Shad offered three simple but fitting words: “Hopefully good company.”
