In this edition of Dope New Music, we look at new Canadian hiphop and R&B, as well as other genres, from artists like Baka Not Nice, Lola Bunz, Lil Berete, Gary Beals, Anaïs Cardot, EverythingOShauN, Private Name Private Number, and more. BAKA NOT NICE | “Thinking About Drilling” Fresh off his performance at the SiriusXM x Partynextdoor show last week, Baka Not Nice is back with a brand new single “Thinking About Drilling”. This comes after the April release of “Took A Trip”. Where “Took A Trip” was more upbeat and raw, the new single is still raw but…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne is the co-founder and editor of SHIFTER magazine. Born and raised in Toronto, Kevin currently resides in Ottawa with his wife Koliah and their three children. He's a big fan of hip-hop, pop culture, and urbanism and spends most of his time keeping up with the Kardashians.
Kevin Bourne calls The Weeknd, Madonna, and Playboi Carti track “a surprising treat that we didn’t know we wanted” in his Popular song review. The Weeknd shocked fans this week announcing the latest single off The Idol Vol. 1, the soundtrack for his upcoming HBO series The Idol set to premiere on June 4th. This is the second single off the soundtrack following the April release of “Double Fantasy” featuring Future. At first glance, the features may have raised a few eyebrows. With the unlikely additions of Madonna and Playboi Carti, what could possibly go wrong, right? Well, if fans…
Shots are fired and the girls have another intervention with Danni. Here’s our review of Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 6 Episode 1. Tonight marked the long-awaited return of Tyler Perry’s Sistas and the show was sorely missed. As with last season’s premiere, we are introduced to a few new looks, including Fatima new blonde hair and natural makeup, which is always a nice touch, giving us a visible cue of her personal growth. The season five finale didn’t answer any questions, instead raising new ones, and the season six premiere was no different. This season we can expect the evolution…
Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer, Nonso Amadi, is back with a brand new project. SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says “Amadi has given us a part of himself” in his When It Blooms album review. Canada has a fast-growing African music scene mirroring the global rise of Afrobeats, Afro-Soul and Afro-R&B. One of the rising global ambassadors of African music is Nonso Amadi, the Lagos, Nigeria born singer, songwriter and producer, credited with being an early pioneer of Afro-R&B. After a two-year hiatus, Amadi, now based in Canada, is back with his debut album titled When It Blooms. On the 15-track album,…
SHIFTER editor Kevin Bourne, aka KB The Boss, talks with Toronto-based photographer, director and creative director, O’shane Howard, about his recent photo series YAAD, being a photographer in Toronto, and much more. Kevin Bourne: We’re going to get into YAAD, but first, take us back to the beginning? What first attracted you to photography? Was there a particular moment when you fell in love with taking pictures? O’shane Howard: I did not intend to become a photographer, much less see myself in the creative industry. In high school, I took a media class, and I dreaded it. I was always…
In this edition of Dope New Music, we look at new Canadian hiphop and R&B, as well as other genres, from artists like Aqyila, JRDN, Bebeboy, Lia Kloud, NTHN and more. EMB feat NIGEL KNIGHT and R.O.Z. | “Nothing New” EMB enlists Toronto’s Nigel Knight and Canadian-Ghanaian, Sony Music West Africa artist R.O.Z. for the his latest single and “Nothing New”. The video shows the suited up duo surrounded by the crew as they enjoy a game of dice at luxurious restaurant. Then we’re transported to the block. Dope track and video. Spotify | Apple Music LIA KLOUD|…
In his Mumble Rap 2 review, Kevin Bourne says Belly brought hip-hop back to the underground reminding listeners why we fell in love with hip-hop. Palestinian-Canadian rapper and songwriter, Belly, returned today with a brand new album Mumble Rap 2. The project is a follow up to his 2021 release See You Next Wednesday and his 2017 release Mumble Rap. Where See You Next Wednesday had commercial hits and big features alongside bars, Mumble Rap 2 follows in the footsteps on its predecessor with few big features and lots of bars and classic hip-hop production courtesy of Hit-Boy, The ANMLS, Danny…
In his CLEAR 2 SOFT LIFE review, Kevin Bourne describes Summer Walker’s latest as “timeless” and “putting the Soul back in R&B”. Summer Walker is back with her new project CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP, a follow up to her 2021 album Still Over It and her 2022 album Last Day Of Summer – Sped Up. On the EP, Walker treats fans to laid back groove after laid back groove. Where many R&B artists today lack Soul in their music, Walker puts the Soul back in R&B on the project. It opens with “To Summer, From Cole”, described as an…
From Weston Holdings to Lauren and Saxe, secrets are revealed. Here’s our Power Book II Ghost Season 3 Episode 8 review. As expected from Power Book II: Ghost, more secrets are being revealed which may put lives in danger. Davis (Method Man) is dealing with the fallout with his brother Theo (Jordan Mahome) and he’s not handing it well. With Davis in poor shape, Saxe (Shane Johnson) goes to represent Diana Tejada Diana Tejada (LaToya Tonodeo) in jail, but he has an ulterior motive. The feds aren’t the Tejadas only problem as the Castillo family are looking for Gordo (Erik…
After releasing two big global hits in “Billie Eilish” and “GOATED”, Armani White proves he has staying power with new EP Road to CASABLONCO. Philadelphia native and viral hitmaker Armani White recently released his anticipated EP Road To CASABLONCO. After releasing viral Tik Tok hits like “Billie Eilish” and “GOATED” which have over 250 million and 20 streams on Spotify respectively, it was left to see whether White is just a Tik Tok hitmaker or an artist who can put together a proper body of work and be around for a long time. Well, he answered that with the new…
In time for the Spring-Summer, MTV is back with series like Love & Hip Hop Atlanta, Couples Retreat, as well as Love & Hip Hop Atlanta “Run It Back”. Here’s your MTV Spring-Summer preview. Back in April, it was announced that a few of leading reality TV series would be moving from VH1 and MTV who are both under the Paramount. Well tonight, two of those series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta “Run It Back” and Couples Retreat are set to premiere with more shows coming this summer. So here’s a preview of the show coming to MTV this spring and…
The investigation against Tariq and the Tejadas mounts and Brayden discovers a big secret. Here’s our Power Book II Ghost Season 3 Episode 7 review. As more dark secrets come to light, the stakes are getting even higher for almost every character. Webs of lies are beginning to unravel and whole new secrets are being revealed. The Tejadas are still dealing with the fallout from the war with the Russians. Monet (Mary J Blige) calls a “family” meeting. Where Cane is Monet’s enforcer, Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) is her thinking and strategist. Unfortunately, Tariq is still a little sour with…
