Author: Kevin Bourne

Rapper NF brought his Hope Tour to Toronto with a stop at Scotiabank Arena. Here’s SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne with his NF concert review. Friday night, NF brought his Hope Tour to Toronto as the Michigan rapper performed in front of a capacity crowd at Scotiabank Arena. Opening for NF was lyricist and soon-to-be father, Cordae, who performed tracks like “Chronicles” and “RNP”. Known for having a gift with the bars, he also brought the party vibes, performing his new single “Make Up Your Mind”, one of his first times performing the song live. Over his set, Cordae showed that he…

Global is introducing some brand new TV series this fall, including Director X’s Robyn Hood. SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says that despite its criticisms, the series is groundbreaking Canadian television. Here’s his Robyn Hood season 1 episode 1 review.  It was back in early 2022 that Global announced that it greenlit Robyn Hood, a modern adaptation of the legendary tale Robin Hood. Created and directed by Director X and written by award-winning screenwriter Chris Roberts, Robyn Hood tells the story of hip-hop artist Robyn Loxley (Jessye Romeo), whose masked hip-hop group, The Hood, uses videos with anti-authoritarian messaging to address the issues facing their…

North Carolina artist Toosii stopped in Toronto for a sold out show at History. Here’s SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne with his Toosii concert review. Tonight, Syracuse/North Carolina artist Toosii stopped in Toronto as he performed in front of a sold out crowd at HISTORY. It was a full circle moment for the rapper who recalled being booed off the stage his first time in Canada. He treated to fans to some from across his catalogue including his 2020 tracks “Back From The Dead”, “Inside Out”, “Reminiscing”, “Love Cycle” and “Euphoria” with its rock elements, to newer singles like “Sinking”, his unreleased…

Toronto-based, Zambia/Winnipeg native, LAVI$H went from opening act to headliner with his latest show at Toronto’s The Axis Club. SHIFTER editor Kevin Bourne says he showed signs of stardom and gratitude in his headlining debut Tonight, a capacity crowd gathered at The Axis Club in Toronto’s Little Italy to witness a defining moment in the career of another rising Canadian talent. The energy was palpable as fans filed out onto the sidewalk, steps away from a cube truck equipped with LED screens playing videos of the man they came to see. A very nice touch. The night marked the first…

While Edge vs Sheamus was the moment the capacity crowd was waiting for, there were a lot impressive moments at WWE Smackdown in Toronto. After a stop last week in Calgary, the WWE stopped tonight at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for a live episode of Smackdown. While the Edge vs Sheamus match was the big moment in celebration of his 25 years in WWE, there were big moments throughout. Here’s what went down at Smackdown in Toronto. Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar on The Grayson Waller Effect First off, Grayson Waller may very well be the most annoying superstar on…

Manifesto had some big moments from The Circle and The Sorority reunions to a number of memorable performances. Here are some of the highlights from Manifesto 2023. Yesterday, thousands gathered at Echo Beach in Toronto for the 17th edition of Manifesto, billed as “Manifesto Presents: The Block Party” in partnership with CBC Music’s The Block. The lineup featured artists from across the Greater Toronto Area, as well as Ottawa, Edmonton and Calgary. There was Friyie, would brought his melodies and high energy to the stage. There was Toronto/Ottawa supergroup No Tourists who performed from their eclectic catalogue. There was also…

For the mid-season finale, Preston isn’t being himself, and Karen and Fatima clash one more time. Here’s our review of Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 6 Episode 11. The midseason finale of Tyler Perry’s Sistas is all about setting up the second half of the season by raising new questions and leaving viewers in suspense. Still high from the night before, Preston is still not being himself. Not knowing what to do, Danni reaches out to Zac for help. When Zac arrives, he finds Preston is a mess. When Calvin returns home, a despondent Maurice admits he confessed to robbing the…

On August 4-5, the music industry gathered in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the first annual Crescendo Fest. Here’s our Crescendo Fest 2023 recap. This past weekend, SHIFTER was in Halifax for the first annual Crescendo Fest. The brainchild of Micah Smith, who is also the Investment Program Community Liaison at Music Nova Scotia, with support from the team at the Light House Arts Centre and an impressive list of sponsors, Crescendo Fest celebrates Black Music Artists as they gather for music, education, networking, empowerment, and culture. According to the organizers, the free two-day event was designed to “turn up the…

Old romances are rekindled while others are on the rocks. Here’s our review of Tyler Perry’s Sistas Season 6 Episode 10. This week’s episode of Tyler Perry’s Sistas is a feel good, satisfying one as former couples, which went their separate ways a long time ago, have found their way back to each other after much tension and and drawn out story lines. The episode opens with Maurice admitting to the police that he and Que were behind the bank robbery and that Sabrina is innocent. At the same time, Calvin pays Sabrina an unexpected visit as she can use…

Toronto and UK artists came together for The 6ix In London 2 at Aures London in Central London. Here’s a look what went down. From our shared Jamaican and African influences and slang, to the growing popularity of artists like NorthSideBenji in the UK and musical collaborations between artists like Pressa and Bandokay, Baka Not Nice and Giggs, and Drake and the likes of J Hus, Central Cee and Skepta, the connection between Toronto and the UK has never been stronger. Filling the gap is a budding concert event with the goal of helping to foster greater connections between Toronto and…

50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Jeremiah performed in Toronto in front of a capacity crowd. We take a closer look in our The Final Lap tour review. Monday night, 50 Cent brought his The Final Lap tour to Toronto as he performed in front of a capacity crowd at Budweiser Stage. He was joined by Jeremih and fellow New York hip-hop legend, Busta Rhymes, who is fresh off receiving his BET Lifetime Achievement Award. Busta Rhymes praises Toronto hip-hop legend Known as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, live performer in the history of hip-hop, Busta brought his signature…

Travis Scott is one of most talented, visionary and innovative artists of this generation says Kevin Bourne in his UTOPIA album review. It’s been a rough few years for Travis Scott after the fallout surrounding the Astroworld festival, but with the incident in the rearview mirror as much as it can be, Scott is back with his highly anticipated album UTOPIA, a follow up to the critically acclaimed Astroworld (2018). First off, let me say, this album isn’t an easy one to review. As you could expect from a Travis Scott album, there’s a lot going on, in a good way.…