"Whoever has the most insightful, poignant, compelling insights into the human condition and the conditions we live in … That's who I want to have at the desk."
Those words are from Canadian rapper Shadrach Kabango, better known as Shad, and now known as the new host of CBC Radio's "Q."
"Q" has been getting by with guest hosts since the dismissal of former "Q" host Jian Ghomeshi in October after allegations of violence against women that he dated and other sexually related charges.
Shad will be introduced on this morning's program. He will officially start out as host on April 20.
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So who is Shad? The answers are a bit complex.
Shad was born in Kenya but the family moved to London, ON when he was 11 months old. He has a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a master's degree in liberal studies from Simon Fraser University.
His rap cred includes beating out Drake in 2011 to win the Juno for Rap Recording of the Year.
Shad served as a guest host on "Q" for five days in late January so he is familiar with the show and format. He did say as a guest host that he would ideally like to interview Kanye West or U.S. President Barack Obama as "dream guests."
As we've learned, even if we did really know this, "Q" comes together based on a huge team of people from hosts to producers. The show has run well in the interim, proving that the show is bigger than its host. In the first few days after Ghomeshi's departure, some were concerned about the future of "Q" based on Ghomeshi's magnetism.
To the credit of "Q" and CBC, the forces involved with the show proved the show has merit on its own.
The show did need a face and that face is Shad.
The CBC and "Q" have to strike a balance to let Shad take the show in a direction where he is comfortable but making sure another Ghomeshi mess does not happen again. That isn't a knock against Shad; just the reality for whomever took over the show.
There is some speculation of a name change to "Q" once Shad takes over as host. People know the show as "Q" and a new name would be a defeat to those who have maintained the show through these dark times.
"Q" is heard twice daily on CBC Radio One at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. as well as airing in the United States through Public Radio International (PRI) on numerous radio stations. The TV version of "Q" airs on select stations on weekends in the United States. I have access to the TV version and we'll look to see what impact Shad has on the TV version as well.
If you want to learn more about "Q," you can click on the official Q Web site.
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