Shad: "The Old Prince Still Lives At Home" Review by Matt Durham

Self deprecation has always been a part of certain strains of hip-hop. Among the waves of artists who rap about blunts, broads, and Bentleys, there has always been a select few whose subject matter has always leaned towards the simpler things in life.

Canadian rapper Shad has always fallen under the latter of these two groups, and his new single “The Old Prince Still Lives at Home,” is no exception. Rhyming over a minimal drum beat and bass grove, Shad outlines the life that he leads still living at home with his parents.

Shad sounds like artists from rap’s “Golden Age,” like Skee-Lo or Del tha Funkee Homosapien. The bragging and boasting in hip-hop that took over after this period has no place on this track. Instead, the subject matter is focused around how much Shad has to scrimp and save to get by, culminating with the statement that the rapper “couldn’t even afford the whole beat,” after a break in the music.

Songs like these represent the universality of hip-hop. For those who aren’t large fans of the genre, Shad offers clever wordplay and a few laughs, something that most anyone can appreciate. For connoisseurs of rap, Shad offers a welcome return to a more substantive period in hip-hop.