'I don't hide my fandom': Shad on interviewing the greatest minds in hip-hop

Hip-hop has spread across the globe faster than any other type of music. It cuts across class divisions and it's dissolved a lot of the boundaries between people.

Shad has been documenting the history of hip-hop while living it and creating it at the same time. He's a rapper, the former host of q, and the current host of the Peabody and Emmy award-winning Netflix documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution. The show meticulously chronicles hip-hop's 45-year history, from its beginnings on street corners in the Bronx into its golden era.

The show's fourth season dropped on Netflix last week. Shad returned to the q studio to tell us more about it and what he's learned from interviewing the greatest minds in hip-hop.

If you're in Vancouver, you can catch Shad's first foray into theatre. He co-wrote a show with playwright Carmen Aguirre called Anywhere But Here. It's on stage now at the Vancouver Playhouse from Tuesday, Feb. 4 to Saturday, Feb. 15.

Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link near the top of this page to hear the full conversation with Shad.

— Produced by ​Matt Amha