A Notable ‘q’ and A with Shad

After Jian Ghomeshi’s dismissal, the fate of CBC’s Q was pretty questionable.

For five months, culture-craving Canadians debated who would replace CBC’s once golden boy as the host of one the country’s top rated arts and culture programs.

Then, in March, it was announced that Shadrach Kabango – a Juno Award-winning rapper (he beat Drake for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011) known simply as “Shad” – would take over Ghomeshi’s chair of the newly rebranded q (note the lower-case ‘q’).

The 32-year-old London, Ontario native comes armed with a proven track record in the Canadian music scene, two university degrees, and a naturally smooth-talking demeanour.

What he doesn’t have is a breadth of journalistic experience.

Controversy aside, Ghomeshi left some big shoes to fill in that department – and nobody knows that better than Shad…

Were you a fan of Q beforehand? I know you were actually a guest…
Yeah, I was. I had been on the show a couple of times and was a fan of it. I felt like it was an interesting meeting ground for a lot of diverse people. The thing about Q is that it attracts a broad demo that spans across the country. They would all come to the show, and – because it centres on entertainment, arts, and culture – everybody feels like they have a place there. They can enjoy it, and at the same time take something away, and be a part of the conversation.

Journalistically, do you feel pressure to fill Jian’s shoes?
It’s a learning experience. To be honest, I don’t feel that much pressure. There’s only so much I can do; this is entirely new for me. I really try to be patient with myself, and work hard every single day and understand that it’s all that I can do. I haven’t really felt pressure in a negative sense. I do feel it in the sense that this is a unique opportunity and I need to give everything every day to get better. There’s a long way to go.

Do you rely on any mentors for advice?
I tried to maintain this posture of being open to any criticism or feedback. At the same time, you have to narrow it a little bit, so that you don’t have a million voices in your ear. I kind of rely on the rest of the q team of producers and executive producers. We have a good little team. A couple of people outside give feedback as well, but you can definitely get too many opinions at once – and that’s not constructive. So, I lean on the people who know the show and its mandate the best. At this point, they know me the best too.

Do you watch old broadcasts of the show as research?
Yeah, especially if there’s a guest that really interested me, I’ll go back and watch or listen. The guests were spectacular, and the ratings were spectacular. Sometimes it’s useful to do so when a guest comes back to the show, because you don’t want to tread on the same ground.

Have you found yourself at a loss for words in any interview so far?
I have. Most of the time, it’s when somebody’s telling you some sort of crazy story. You’re just like, ‘whoa’ – that’s all you can say. This guy was on last week and told a story of this crazy film that he made. Long story short, it was supposed to be this family film, but the family lived in this house that is chock-full of jungle cats. I mean, like 100 jungle cats. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. It was shot in the 1970s, so there’s no CG – it’s real – and you’re just watching this family being terrified and attacked by tigers, lions, and panthers. My guest was one of the teenagers in the film, and when he’s explaining it all you’re just dumbfounded.

Which upcoming guests are you most excited for?
It’s so crazy, because every day we have three or four super interesting people. There’s such a range. The other day, David Suzuki was on. The next day, we had Nick Offerman from Parks and Rec, and the iconic modern dancer Louise LeCavalier. Every day, all the stories are interesting, but one or two names pop out for different people.

What issues do you think young people should be most concerned with?
What our generation will probably be judged is on our relationship to indigenous life and rights, I think in particularly in regards to the epidemic of suicides. In general, I think that’s one thing that’s on us. But so much is on us. We live in a crazy, crazy time of change, but with that change, I think there’s a huge awakening with our generation in terms of global issues and the interconnectivity of so many of the world’s problems. I think you see that with what we’re taking in online and how we’re digesting the body of information available. Our generation is starting to put the world together into this coherent picture.

How do you plan to use your platform to contribute to this?
I’m just excited because I feel like this is something that’s happening, and I feel a part of it. I don’t think my role is to usher everything in as it is to be a part of what’s already going on, which is so exciting right now.

What’s been a career highlight to date?
I recently played at Massey Hall. That was a special moment for sure. It’s a beautiful, historic venue, and it felt like the culmination of a lot of time and hard work.

Has your music taken a backseat with the new gig?
It’s still on my plate, but for the short-term, it’s taken a backseat because I need to focus all of my energy and attention here, on trying to get up to speed and improve quickly. For now, I’ll play whatever I have booked, but I’m going to postpone recording for a while.

What are your favourite spots in Toronto?
I still like Snack Bar on a Monday or Tuesday, when it’s not too busy. I like Farmhouse Tavern on a Sunday night when the food’s half price. I also love the Loveless at Dundas and Gladstone.

What parts of Canada have your heart?
Any touring musician will tell you that Vancouver is amazing. The coast, the mountains – it’s off the hook. Toronto is Toronto in all its charm. I love Toronto. Going home to London is always a treat. A lot of people look down on Winnipeg, but I think it’s great and filled with super down-to-earth people.

Finally, I know Kanye West is your dream guest. What would you ask him?
I would probably start by asking him about collaboration, because people think of him as the ego guy. It’s ironic because he’s probably better at collaboration than anyone I can think of in music. He collaborates so broadly and it’s always good. I would ask him about that contradiction, and it would probably keep going from there because you don’t really ask questions with him. You just let him talk.