TSOL (album)

TSOL
Studio album by Shad
Released	May 25, 2010 (2010-05-25) (Canada) October 5, 2010 (2010-10-05) (U.S.)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	40:55
Label	Black Box Decon
Producer	DJ T Lo I.K. Koiter Ric Notes Me&John Classified Rel McCoy EOM Rich Kidd Heights
Shad chronology
The Old Prince (2007) TSOL (2010) Flying Colours (2013)

TSOL is the third studio album by Canadian rapper Shad. It was released in Canada on May 25, 2010[1] and in the United States on October 5, 2010.[2] It is his second album released on Black Box Recordings, and his first album of new material since 2007's Polaris Music Prize-nominated The Old Prince.

The first single, "Yaa I Get It", was released in April 2010. A music video was released on April 20.[3][4]

The album was a shortlisted nominee for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize,[5] and won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2011 Juno Awards.

Tour

The album was supported with a cross-Canada tour, featuring opening acts Grand Analog in Western Canada and D-Sisive in Ontario.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100[7]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk	95%[8]
HipHopDX	[9]
Pitchfork	7.2/10[10]
PopMatters	[11]
Robert Christgau	A−[12]
RapReviews	8.5/10[13]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[7]

The album was ranked number two in Exclaim!'s 2010 hip-hop rankings, with the magazine writing that Shad is "the rare MC who conveys wisdom without being preachy. More than anything, he's versatile, able to seamlessly switch from fierce, hilarious battle raps on "Yaa I Get It" to heartfelt reflection over the contemplative piano and guitars of "At the Same Time" without seeming contradictory."[14] Complex named TSOL the 14th best Canadian album of the 2010s.[15]

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"	DJ T Lo I.K. Koiter	1:52
2.	"Rose Garden" (featuring Lisa Lobsinger)	DJ T Lo	2:59
3.	"Keep Shining" (featuring Lady Londa)	Ric Notes	3:28
4.	"Lucky 1's" (featuring Ian Kamau, Brendan Canning, and Lisa Lobsinger)	Me&John	4:04
5.	"A Good Name"	Classified	2:28
6.	"We Are the Ones (Reservoir Poetry)" (featuring Rel McCoy)	Rel McCoy	4:09
7.	"Telephone" (featuring Lisa Lobsinger)	DJ T Lo	3:39
8.	"Call Waiting (Interlude)"	Ric Notes	1:52
9.	"Yaa I Get It"	EOM Me&John	3:51
10.	"Listen" (featuring Brett Fliesser)	Rich Kidd	2:57
11.	"At the Same Time" (featuring Justin Nozuka)	Heights	4:55
12.	"We, Myself and I"	Me&John	3:42
13.	"Outro"		0:59
Total length:			40:55

Expanded edition bonus track

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"It's About Time" (featuring Promise)	Rich Kidd	3:18
Total length:			44:22

Charts

Chart	Peak position
Canadian Albums Chart[16]	24

References

1. "Exclusive: Shad Preps New Studio Album for May Release" Archived 2010-04-13 at the Wayback Machine. Exclaim!, April 6, 2010.
2. Rap Release Dates: Atmosphere, Trae Tha Truth, AZ, Vado, Nas, Redman. HipHopDX, September 21, 2010.
3. Shad - New Album: "TSOL" x Tracklist x Tour Dates x "Yaa I Get It" Teaser. Beats and Bombs, April 8, 2010.
4. Shad - "Yaa I Get It" (video) Exclaim!, May 19, 2010.
5. Thompson, Ciaran (September 20, 2010). "Karkwa win 2010 Polaris Music Prize". Aux. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
6. "Shad Announces Canadian Tour with Grand Analog and D-Sisive". Exclaim!, April 7, 2010.
7. "TSOL by Shad". Metacritic. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
8. "TSOL". AbsolutePunk. May 6, 2024.
9. Ketchum, William (October 14, 2010). "Shad - T.S.O.L. (U.S. Version)". HipHopDX.
10. Patrin, Nate (October 1, 2010). "Shad: TSOL". Pitchfork.
11. Amidon, David (November 18, 2010). "Shad: TSOL". PopMatters.
12. Christgau, Robert. "Shad". RobertChristgau.com.
13. Hernandez, Pedro (October 5, 2010). "Shad :: TSOL :: Black Box/Decon Records". RapReviews.
14. "Hip-Hop: Year in Review 2010- Page 1 of 10". Exclaim!. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
15. "The 15 Best Canadian Albums of the 2010s". Complex. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
16. "Shad : Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2013.

External links

• TSOL at Discogs (list of releases)