SHIFTER’s Artist of the Month for November is Gatineau, Quebec rapper and singer, Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth is a multi-talented, 20 year-old artist from the Outaouais, Ottawa-Gatineau region. Mixed with Jamaican, Irish and Native, with a profound love for hip-hop, rap and R&B, and she has “mad love for the city”. Striving to make music that is both enjoyable and relatable, she song-writes, raps and sings and infuses heart in all that she creates, and longs to be a voice for her community. She is currently under the management of MIA MNGMT. Artist Name: Babe Ruth (soon to be rebranding…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne, also known as "KB The Boss" or simply "KB", is a Toronto-based host/on-air personality, arts & entertainment journalist, TV/film producer, and communications and content strategist. As a commentator and freelancer, he has appeared nationally as a correspondent on CBC News Network and host on CBC Music. He has also appeared locally on CTV, CBC Radio, CityNews, Newstalk 1010, and ByBlacks.com, and in the United States on Fox’s Black digital TV network, Fox Soul. He has covered some of Canada’s top red-carpet events, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Canadian Screen Awards, and has interviewed everyone from Kevin Hart and "Fast and the Furious" star Tyrese Gibson to Ziggy Marley, Ava DuVernay, Dascha Polanco, Lilly Singh, and Howie Mandel. His years of work as an entertainment journalist led to him being named a Golden Globe® Awards voter and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved critic and being quoted as a critic in national ad campaigns for Black films and TV shows, both in Canada and the United States. Pivoting into the world of film and television, Kevin co-founded the film, TV, digital content, and live experiences company, SHIFTER Entertainment, alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah. Through SHIFTER he has produced a number of projects, including the Bell Fibe TV1 unscripted reality series A Date In The Life, serving as showrunner, executive producer, writer and co-director. Now, with a number of pilot and feature film scripts written and projects in development, KB is poised to continue to be a champion for Black entertainment and culture alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah.
With the popularity of shows like Top Boy and a plethora of UK artists making a name for themselves at home and abroad, the world has never been hungrier for British culture. One of the artists who has been leading the charge for over a decade is London rapper Giggs. After five studio albums and 17 mixtapes, Giggs surprised fans with his latest mixtape Now Or Never. The project features fellow UK artists Kyze, Tiny Boost, Aystar, Emeli Sandé, Jorja Smith, as well as international artists Demarco (Jamaica), Obongjayar (Nigeria-London), A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Jorja Smith. His ability to…
Vancouver singer-songwriter Cole James and Mississauga artist, producer, engineer and guitarist Will Ryte have come together for a new cross-Canada collaboration called “I’m Leaving”. The single tells a story of love, heartbreak and the process of rebounding and getting over it. Written by Cole James and engineered by his brother Craig, the smooth, laid back and melodic release provides a perfect balance of the artists’ styles and event includes a cool back and forth sequence from the artists. When it comes to both their flows and vocals, the two fit together like a glove. What makes the song even more interesting…
SHIFTER’s “Top 20 Canadian DJs you need to know” list is sponsored by You.i TV, the Ottawa-based company and platform that powers Twitch. The COVID-19 pandemic has ground live entertainment to a halt affecting club owners and DJs. But many DJs have taking this time to flex their entrepreneurial muscles, exploring new opportunities, from music production to live streaming on Twitch and Instagram Live with DJs like D-Nice leading the charge. Here in the north, our country has produced some of the best DJs in the world, from A-Trak and Kaytranada to Toronto Raptors DJ 4Korners. But for every celebrity DJ,…
Two months after releasing the single “Six Speed”, which has earned him a coveted spot on the Northern Bars playlist and currently sits at over 80,000 streams and counting on Spotify, SVLM is back with the visuals for his latest release. With a focus on quality over quantity, SVLM doesn’t drop visuals very often, but when he does, he’s known to give audiences a big production as we’ve scene with previous video releases “Day Dreaming”, “405” and Big Fish”. “I really wanted to give the viewer a cinematic experience, something that will be remembered even without the music. I love putting…
It’s been a very busy year for Montreal rapper and songwriter Zach Zoya. After spending the last year dropping singles, his DAYZ OFF freestyle shorts, and amazing visuals, and having his music featured during the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics NBA Playoffs series, Zoya finally released his highly anticipated debut EP Spectrum. On the project, which includes previously released singles “Slurpee”, “Le Cap” and “In Da Way”, Zoya shows off his versatility by skillfully navigating between smooth vocals and melodies, mid-tempo R&B vibes, sharp bars, and club bangers. “It’s important for me to keep my music diverse through different energies and emotions, says Zoya. “The whole…
Although Ottawa isn’t known for pumping out top-tier professional talent like its Big City neighbour to the west, that has changed in recent years. In fact, “America’s Team” just added a little more Ottawa flavour to its roster. Seven months after fellow Ottawa native Neville Gallimore was drafted to the Dallas Cowboys with the 71st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cowboys has acquired fellow Ottawa native Eli Ankou from the Houston Texans in exchange for a seventh round pick. The pair are joined by fellow Canadian Tyrone Crawford of Windsor, now in his eighth season with the…
Recording artist and songwriter JAIoftheRise recently dropped two back to back collaborations with producer Will Moreno in “Do You Right” and “Situationship”. “I feel like we’ve all had a lot to deal with this year, we’re all going through our personal motions except this time we’re all dealing with a pandemic over our shoulders as well, so it just makes everything that much harder”, JAI explains. “I’ve still got my story to tell, but I think right now the people need some uplifting. So I’ve been trying to figure out how I can communicate the harsher parts of my story…
Chase Claypool has quickly gone from rookie to household name virtually overnight in a statement game. It’s safe to say that at the time Claypool was drafted, it wasn’t to replace Antonio Brown but more to facilitate the pain and transition into a new era of wide receivers in the great city of Pittsburgh. How swiftly that idea has changed. Selected in the second round of the NFL Draft (49th Overall), Canadian-born player Chase Claypool came into the locker room as the third ranked receiver on the depth chart, ready to fight tooth and nail to make a name for…
At SHIFTER, I always love a new store opening. Late last month, October’s Very Own, affectionately known as OVO, opened their latest store at CF Rideau Centre in downtown Ottawa. We weren’t able to get inside for our usual video coverage due to COVID-19, but here’s a quick look at the new OVO store at CF Rideau Centre. The storefront is crafted from hand-finished blackened steel, featuring a brushed brass owl and wordmark signage. Continuing the upscale vibe seen at other OVO locations, the interior is fitted with Herman Miller furniture which features natural concrete panels and Nero Maquina marble…
Veteran Winnipeg rapper Fresh IE is back with his latest album “Heartbreaks”. The message of the project is very timely in light of the many heartbreaks of 2020. “These Heartbreaks are echoes of inner bruises that journey through our souls…OOH when we become stronger through our affliction, then Pop Goes the Weasel and we emerge as Overcomers”, he says of the 17-song project. “Life’s ups and and downs are like a Yo-Yo that test our humanity. Through rebirth we discover that we are no longer Slaves to the bondages and Shackles of the past, but we have a unique Purpose…
Three months after the release of “Up2Me”, which has 76K views on YouTube to date, Ottawa-based recording artist and songwriter TwoTiime has released “Bigger Issues”, his fourth official single and third music video of 2020 so far. Once again teaming up with New York producer GloryGainz, who also produced “Up2Me” and has worked with the likes of Polo G and YFN Lucci, the young and clearly mature beyond his years rapper talks about getting his life in order and taking care of his family before worrying about fame and jewellery on his new release. “Everybody goes through issues in life but…
