Author: Kevin Bourne

It’s the 1980’s. In a former three-story factory turned nightclub at 206 South Jefferson Street in Chicago, a sound was being created that would eventually sweep the globe. It was there at the club known as the Warehouse, a gathering spot for Black and Latino gay men in Chicago, that DJs like DJ Frankie Knuckles gave birth to what would become House music (a reference to it musical birthplace). Similar to Rock ‘N Roll and country music, the Black origins of House music have been all but forgotten, but it may not stay that way if two Toronto DJs have anything to…

2021 is just around the corner and I’m excited. Even in the midst of COVID, a new year is an opportunity for a fresh start. At SHIFTER, we made a lot of changes in 2020 and we’re looking forward to continuing that growth and we want the artists and talents in our community to level up with us. Here are five ways to level up in 2021. 1. Get a vocal coach The first thing is finding a voice coach. With the popularity of Zoom, have you ever thought about using it to get vocal lessons? An artist can literally…

This may come across as somewhat insensitive in light of everything that has happened this year, but 2020 has been the best year of my life, both in my personal life and at SHIFTER.  We appeared on national television for the first time with CBC News Network. We got to be on media calls with Kevin Hart and Tyrese Gibson. We interviewed one of the stars of the BET show Twenties. We sat on a celebrity panel with Vic Mensa, Hill Harper and Sakiya Sandifer. We started to work with some of the major record labels, and had some very…

In recent years, names like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castillo, and Michael Brown have become household names due to the increased awareness surrounding the killing of Black people at the hands of law enforcement. Canada had its share of horror stories in 2020, both in Black and Indigenous communities, with Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Black woman from Toronto, and Chantel Moore, a First Nations woman from Edmundston, New Brunswick, being murdered during wellness checks conducted by the police. More recently, Ottawa police Const. Daniel Montsion was acquitted in the July 2016 murder of Abdirahman Abdi. One name you may not have heard of…

It’s that time again! SHIFTER’s Canadian Music Video Roundup for October includes videos from The Weeknd, Tory Lanez, Jessie Reyez, Night Lovell, TwoTiime, Savannah Ré, Choclair, JRDN, Maurice Moore, and more! Check out the videos below in order of release date, then help us crown the top video in the country for October. Special shout out to our sponsor, realtor and Canadian hip-hop legend Greg Campbell. Last month you voted and crowned “Floss” by Calgary’s Y.S.R as your Video of the Month. Video of the Month //  Y.S.R – Floss Who will win for October? Karl Wolf feat. Kardinal Offishall Wolf…

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…

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…