There might be something in the water in Durham Region. In case you haven’t noticed, Durham, the municipality just east of Toronto, has been punching well above its weight in recent years, producing their share of hip-hop producers and NBA basketball players. With everything from Whitby to Oakville and north to York Region often referred to as “Toronto”, especially to outsiders, and the rise of Drake, The Weeknd and Tory Lanez, the moves being made in specific parts of the GTA sometimes go unnoticed. But today it’s getting a lot harder to overlook the run that Durham Region is on.…
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.
Friday night, college football fans waited with baited breath to see where the two top Canadians would land in the 2020 NFL Draft. With the 49th overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Abbottsford, BC native Chase Claypool who SHIFTER’s Reuben Polansky had the opportunity to interview at the 2019 Camping World Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The 6 foot 4 in, 229 pound, Notre Dame wide receiver, touted for his size, was drafted earlier than most mock drafts had anticipated. The opposite was true for Ottawa’s Neville Gallimore who was expected to be drafted late in the first round or early…
Canada, I have a love-hate relationship with you. I love being Canadian. I love the things we produce and I am generally proud of our leadership role in producing content that is more diverse. However, this past weekend I was reminded of what I do not like about Canadian television. North of the border we do not get access to a lot of the black content we want to see, when we want to see it. “What do you mean Koliah? You have all these streaming platforms available to you”. Case in point, last week I discovered that as a…
SHIFTER’s Artist of the Month for April is hip-hop artist JKing. The Ottawa-based artist and MLB member displays exemplary lyricism and word manipulation in his art. His delivery and effortless flow allow listeners to be captivated by the messages he puts out in his music. His confidence in his musical abilities are strongly reinforced through his versatility and his ability to use different melodies to formulate his unique sound. Artist Name: JKing City/Country: Ottawa, Canada Social media/links: Instagram – @jkingmlb Facebook – /jkingmlb Apple Music – https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/jking/1309806634 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rF6AFQgMRpUHr0v18Vjcd Art form/creative discipline: Rap/Hip-Hop Artist What has been your biggest creative/professional…
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown, Montreal rapper Zach Zoya hasn’t slowed down. Fresh off competing in last night’s Call of Duty: Warzone livestream tournament alongside Toronto Raptor Malcom Miller, Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner, and Methodz from the Toronto Ultra esports team, Zoya is back with visuals for his latest single “Hiatus”. His latest release is the third installment in Zoya’s new DAYZZ OFF video series of original songs with visuals that show a glimpse into his life in Montréal. Directed by Guillaume Landry, the video has a dreary, black and white aesthetic reflecting the winter season, and shows Zach Zoya in…
Last week, we asked our Instagram followers to tag a Canadian hip-hop artist who people were sleeping on. One of those names was Vancouver rapper Teon Gibbs. We decided to check him out and soon discovered why he was an artist the world indeed needed to know about. On the west coast, far away from Toronto, home to Drake, The Weeknd and Tory Lanez, and the epicentre of Canadian hip-hop and R&B, Gibbs is one of the artists working to make sure his side gets their due. With coverage from CBC and Complex, and placement on playlists like Northern Bars,…
Tory Lanez keeps racking up the wins. First, the Brampton native created the biggest and most popular Instagram Live series during the COVID-19 pandemic with Quarantine Radio. It has attracted up to 360,000 viewers, with guests and viewers including the likes of Drake, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Gunna and Chris Brown. Then last week, the Grammy-nominated rapper and singer released The New Toronto 3, the latest installment in The New Toronto series. Right off the bat you notice a few things about this album. First, the album has very few features (two to be exact), similar to both The New…
Days after being included on SHIFTER’s Top 10 Most Slept on Hip-Hop and R&B Artists list according to our Instagram followers, Toronto ‘Trap & B” artist ALSNDRA has dropped a new single “Trust”. The song is a throwback to classic 90’s R&B, channeling the sounds of the late Aaliyah. With lyrics like, “It’s hard enough just trying to trust, when it’s more than a crush. It’s dangerous,” the singer-songwriter gets personal about her own experiences in today’s “swipe left, swipe right” dating climate. “Trust” is a follow up to her 2016 hit single “Blue Dream”, which has over 165,000 streams on…
It’s that time again! SHIFTER’s Canadian Music Video Roundup for March includes videos from Drake, Hueso, Lance Lorenzo, Lil Berete, JaioftheRise, NAV and Jessie Reyez. Once again, we ask you (the fans) to vote for our Video of the Month. Check out the videos below in order of release date, then help us crown the top video in the country for March. Special shout out to our sponsor Greg Campbell – Blue Panda Realty. Last month you voted for “21” by OTG Rhys feat. Arty Warhol as your video of the month. Video of the Month (March) – OTG Rhys feat.…
The creative Quebecois, L1y4h, isn’t afraid to open her heart. Her latest release “Alive” is a lyrical portrait of her emotions from a humble and honest point of view. “The important thing to remember is that we are all humans”, says the now Toronto based songstress. Inspired by her very personal experiences, Lyi4h sings about the process of growing through the challenges, facing her fears and overcoming internal battles. In times of self-isolation, Lyi4h invites you to look at the darkest moments with clarity. “We all go through hardships, it’s normal. This, essentially, is how you build your character; then you…
As the world continues to self-isolate, the music industry has almost ground to a halt. We took this time to ask our Instagram followers one simple question- “Name a Canadian artist people are sleeping on”. We received a lot of responses and discovered some dope artists from across Canada, so we decided to share the responses right here. As you look for some new music to listen to during your self-isolation, here are the most slept on Canadian hip-hop and R&B artists according to our Instagram followers along with the cities they represent. We placed them in order based on…
$VN [pronounced “Seven”] are back on the scene with their second release of the year, a heartfelt ode to the struggles of love, titled “Not True”. The independent Canadian R&B duo, based out of Toronto, is comprised of childhood friends nyXsun and SAGS. The song finds the duo exploring failed relationships and the push and pull that comes with falling deeply for someone. The duo lay it all out on the track providing melodic yet vulnerable verses and hooks on top of a rich musical backdrop courtesy of their friend and collaborator Jahmal Gittens (a go-to producer for artists such…
