Just when you thought artists would be winding down for the year, we were hit with a number of new releases. In this edition of Dope New Music, we look at new Canadian hiphop and R&B, as well as folk, afro-fusion, Gospel and dancehall from Mustafa, AR Paisley, Nate Husser, TwoTiime, Töme, TOBi, Charmaine and more, in no particular order. AR PAISLEY FEAT. INDERPAL MOGA | “WHAT’S BEEF?” After signing a new deal with 91 North Records, a joint venture between Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India, AR Paisley is back with his new single “What’s Beef?” featuring…
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.
Despite his success so far, his is “still just getting started” says Kevin Bourne in his Daniel Caesar Superpowers Tour review. Friday night, Daniel Caesar brought his Superpowers Tour to Toronto as the Oshawa native performed in front of a hometown crowd. Caesar joins an impressive list of hometown heroes who packed out the Scotiabank Arena in their own city in 2023, including NAV and Drake. Before Caesar took to the stage, opening acts took turns getting the crowd warm. While Toronto’s Charlotte Day Wilson accompanied by fellow Torontonian jazz band BADBADNOTGOOD are a lock to put on a good…
SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says Drake latest project “may have just saved hip-hop” in his For All The Dogs review. When the clock hit midnight, hoards of Drake fans all of the world were left refreshing their favourite DSP so they could get their latest Drake fix. That’s when word spread that the album wouldn’t be dropping until 6:00am. On October 6th. Very 6 God of him. Then came the sound of the pitter patter of footsteps running down the stairs like Christmas morning as For All The Dogs finally arrived. Now. this album is very important for hip-hop which, aside…
SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says Lil Yachty has shown growth and maturity as a performer in his The Field Trip tour review. Tonight, Lil Yachty brought his The Field Trip tour to Toronto, performing in front of a sold out crowd at History. Opening the show were the Concrete Family, made up of Camo, Draft Day, Moe, and Karrahbooo. Then Nick Hakim took to the stage, performing his brand of laid back, trans-inducing, almost psychedelic music. Before the show even started, there was a bit of an uproar when Drake and Adonis entered the balcony area. SZA would also discreetly enter the…
There a number of Black shows debuting or returning to the air and streaming services. Here are returning and new Black TV shows to check out. Over the past few decades, Canada has been sporadic with its offering of Black TV shows. Not only has the selection of shows from Black Canadian creators been few and far between, but we’ve also struggled to gain access to many Black shows available in the United States. Of course, there were some attempts and success stories over the years. There was Vision TV’s Lord Have Mercy!. set in Toronto’s Eglinton West neighbourhood, which…
SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says Liyah Katana “can already boast superior vocals to more seasoned, mainstream artists” in his “8” EP review. Toronto has been churning out some of the best R&B talent in the world in recent years and now there’s another Greater Toronto Area product ready to take the R&B world by storm. Although just 20 years old, Liyah Katana already boasts an impressive résumé. She’s been building a name for herself in recent years with her vocals, live performances around the city, a string of radio hits, and frequent trips to rub shoulder with industry heavyweights in New…
Toronto’s favourite comedy duo, Marlon Palmer and Big Norm Alconcel, have announced their eight-city Extra Gravy Comedy Tour. Today, Marlon Palmer and Big Norm Alconcel, two of Toronto’s rising comedy stars, announced they’re set to go on an eight-city comedy tour. Titled “Extra Gravy” after their podcast and live comedy shows of the same name, the tour will them stop in Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal, Scarborough, Kitchener and Hamilton from October 13th through to December. The duo first joined forces back in March 2017 to launch the Extra Gravy podcast where they put their comedic spin on the latest…
SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Sasha Leigh Henry’s new series “funny, well-written and pretty much perfect” in his Bria Mack Gets A Life review. Since the success of Kim’s Convenience, some have wondered when Caribbean people would get a comedy series of our own. Well, that day is just around the corner with the upcoming Crave Original Series Bria Mack Gets A Life, a coming-of-age comedy about a young Black woman’s transition from college student to adulthood. The series has been gaining buzz since it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Created and written by Sasha Leigh Henry…
This morning, WWE made it official. Jade Cargill has joined WWE after signing a multi-year deal with the sports entertainment powerhouse. She becomes the second major AEW star to join WWE. This morning, WWE ended the speculation by announcing that Jade Cargill has signed a multi-year deal with the industry-leading promotion. She brings an impressive track record of dominance, including a 60-match win streak, and magnetic in-ring presence to WWE. The exact terms of the multi-year deal are unknown, but Cargill will report to the WWE Performance Center today. AEW founder, Tony Khan, had praise for Cargill in a recent…
The 2023 Legacy Awards are back again. From Keshia Chante hosting to a Northern Touch tribute, here’s your 2023 Legacy Awards recap. After a successful inaugural event in 2022, the who’s who of Black entertainment gathered at History for the 2023 Legacy Awards. Hosted by Keshia Chante and executive produced by Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, the ceremony will see some of Canada’s finest talents, in music, film & TV and sports honoured by the Black Academy. WNBA superstar, Kia Nurse, received the 2023 Legacy Athlete Award, Jully Black received the Icon Award, LU KALA took home the Emerging Artist…
Ladj Ly’s latest film is a raw and gritty depiction of the power struggles and racial injustice taking place all over the world says Kevin Bourne in his Les Indésirables film review. Set in an underprivileged suburb of Paris, Les Indésirables sees a family doctor Pierre (Alexis Manenti) suddenly rise to interim mayor following the unexpected death of the current mayor. With his heavy handed policies targeting immigrants, including a mandatory eviction order for an apartment building and shutting down an informal neighbourhood business, he finds himself in over his head. With elevators that haven’t worked in years and graffiti lining the…
SHIFTER editor Kevin Bourne calls Minhal Baig’s latest film “beautiful, creative, and heartfelt” in his We Grown Now film review Set in 1992 Chicago, We Grown Now tells the story of 12-year old best friends, Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) as they navigate life in the Cabrini-Green public housing complex. Initially constructed to house World War II workers in the 1940’s, the community that was once home to 15,000 people with a strong sense of community, is now changing. While we meet the duo outside having fun, that all changes after a neighbourhood tragedy. When Malik’s…
