Canadian Neo-soul artist Dominique ‘DomLand’ Gorley is back in the spotlight after a short hiatus with her new EP “Dipped in Black”. “This project honours my late partner, Dip Black, who passed away while I was pregnant with our son. Though the journey has been painful, creating this music became a therapeutic way to process grief and transform it into something lasting,” -DomLand. The EP is dedicated to her late partner Dip Black, a celebrated underground artist who passed away in 2022 after an unfortunate drowning incident. Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Ottawa-based hip hop artist rose…
Author: Jhamesha Milord Ashford
Founded by Ottawa-based students Drayton Mulindabigwi and Zaynab Mikou, fintech startup Loop helps African students send money abroad while providing education and community. “There’s a lot of money going back home, there’s a lot of money being transferred to them from their parents…which is where the idea of a digital bank platform came from.” – Drayton Mulindabigwi. African students are struggling with financial literacy and finding opportunities in their fields. Inspired by his entrepreneurial father and a desire to gain international business experience, Drayton Mulindabigwi is building Loop, a digital banking platform for African students to send money across borders…
A Sinners Peace label mates Hey Samyr and Iman Shumpert team up for their new smooth and infectious single “Moon”. Miami-based Canadian producer, Hey Samyr, is back with a new single “Moon” with a little help from A Sinners Peace label mate and NBA vet Iman Shumpert, known artistically as Iman. Produced by the renowned Hey Samyr, the track showcases Shumpert’s incredible artistry and displays his ability to seamlessly transition from the basketball court to the recording studio. With its infectious beat, heartfelt lyrics, and smooth vocals, “Moon” is an impressive testament to Hey Samyr and Iman’s musical prowess. The…
SHIFTER’s Jhamesha Millord Ashford sits down with Atlanta-based Mississippi rapper J Lock to talk about the Grammys, his new single “Selfish, and much more. Jhamesha: Knowing that you started using music as an outlet of expression at the age of 14, could you give our Canadian readers a bit of insight on your background and how you got started? How did music first introduce itself into your life? J Lock: I fell in love with music at a very early age. Growing up in a household in Mississippi, I didn’t start off listening to rap music. It was Motown Records,…
SHIFTER’s Jhamesha Milord sits down with Toronto contemporary R&B singer-songwriter Pisceze to talk about her upbringing and musical journey. Jhamesha: I’m Jhamesha Milord and welcome back to SHIFTER’s interview series. Today, I’m interviewing a special guest who goes by the name of Pisceze. She’s a Toronto-based artist, she’s a singer, songwriter and contemporary R&B soul artist. We will be getting to know her personally and speaking about her musical journey. I’m just going to kick off this interview with your upbringing, and we’ll just get to know you a little better. So tell us about your upbringing as an artist.…
Nefissa Bedri, an international UOttawa student and artist from Ethiopia, recently published her first book at the age of 19 years old, a book relating to mental health. Their Abstract Thoughtsis Bedri’s way of reaching out to those who feel the need to be heard, the voice for those who cannot speak and a source of comfort for all who seek it. The book contains a compilation of 21 poems, covering themes such as depression, love, hope, anxiety, eating disorders, heartbreak, expectations, society, and self discovery, many topics that could affect one’s mental health. In her country, Nefissa Bedri states…
Ottawa-based, Gospel artist, singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer, Dae Andre makes a resurgence and released his first single as an independent artist, Too Late. The release was paired with a visual, shot and directed by Ottawa based videographer, Ben Telford Visuals, available on YouTube. In the video, Dae Andre is clad in all white, surrounded by white walls in an all white room drawing on the Biblical symbolism of purity, innocence, honesty and cleanliness. The single, Too Late is a representation of a light at the end of the tunnel, “and that light is Jesus”, explains Andre. In our current…
Lindasson released his debut single of the year “Accepting My Flaws” along with a music video released with Ben Telford Visuals. His latest single, ‘Accepting My Flaws’ is without exception, a remarkable blend of reflective storytelling, wrapped up in a haunting and dusky hip-hop beat. Releasing on Le Lone Lotus, produced by Prod. CR, and mixed by LINDASSON himself, the single unveiled itself to the world on February 18th, 2022. “I feel like the title speaks for itself as the song is all about me accepting my flaws. The song itself is a different kind of dark sound that I’ve…
After taking an entire year off from music to focus on herself, Ottawa artist Lia Kloud is ringing in the new year with her latest single “On Everything”, available on all digital streaming platforms as of January 14th, 2022. The song is produced by DDbeatz, along with a mix and master from Ottawa’s Lindasson, with whom she performed at the Cranium Festival last October. The track was released today at midnight and the video premiere is taking place at 6 PM, which was shot by Fenti Filmz and edited by Jawnieappletree. “‘On Everything’ is simply a song where I am…
An innovative new French-language radio show for Ottawa-Gatineau’s Black community is now on the airwaves at CHUO 89.1FM. Hosted by Vlad Jean-Gilles aka Don Ayiti, this new program, called Les Intrepides, was made possible with funding support from BILINGUAL OTTAWA. In his new role, Vlad plans on bringing his radio savvy to the airwaves, shaping the sound of new program and mentoring volunteer contributors in media development and delivery. Vlad comes with an impressive list of accomplishments and is no stranger to CHUO’s airwaves. Alongside Kevin Bourne, aka KB The Boss, and the station’s staff, Vlad is a founding member…
The Cranium Arts Project is hosting an all ages event featuring OVO’s newest addition Smiley, with opening performances by local artists. Smiley is a rising star from Toronto who is now internationally known after global superstar Drake, shared a video featuring one of Smiley’s songs. Smiley is now signed to Drake’s label, “OVO Sound”, which has helped grow his popularity significantly. Smiley also released a track with Drake called “Over the Top”, this past summer which is now sitting at 5 Million views on YouTube. Shifter Magazine also teamed up with Cranium Arts Project and launched a ticket giveaway for…
Following the launch of her new mixtape, “Stock Exchange”, Brampton-based artist and producer, Haviah Mighty is now looking to give back to the community. Haviah Mighty recently launched an initiative where she will be donating $10K to a variety of Black-owned businesses to help them further expand and thrive. Business owners are asked to text (647) 424-3490, where a form will be sent with a few questions in regards to the business they want to promote. This will then confirm their entry in the giveaway. Black entrepreneurs will be invited to pitch their business ideas – existing and future, big…
