To close out April, Ottawa hip-hop artist SVDVM and frequent collaborator Jahriia released the visuals for “Pop Dat”, the latest single off their collaborative project Up In Smoke which was released this past March. The 6ixbuzz premiere was actually a re-release. The video originally premiered in 2019, but there’s nothing like a lockdown to bring a video to a new audience. Shot by SubRosa and directed by Samuel x Jayd, the video features the duo in front a wall and projector with some Bonnie and Clyde vibes. We also see some money and smoke, as well as members of RBLx who also make…
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.
Last night, 40, Oli and a other members of OVO posted the cover art for a new project letting us know the 6 God was about to drop something. Drake later confirmed the project was on its way. What we got at midnight was a new mixtape called Dark Lane Demo Tapes. This project is a breath of fresh air after the 25-song Scorpion that was chalked full of commercial hits, from “God’s Plan” to “In My Feelings” and “Nice For What”, as well as a lot of filler that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Although it…
Burlington, Ontario raised and Mississauga-based hip-hop artist, producer and guitarist, Will Ryte, is back with a new album Nothing In Common. Ryte said of how the project came together, “This project started in December of 2019 when I realized I wanted to get a few artists together and have them featured on my album. Shout out to Tianda, K-cuzz, Gads6y, and 595Century. Everyone that I’ve worked with on this album is extremely talented and I’m beyond grateful for their contribution. This album was executive produced by myself and Gads6y.” The multi-talented artist’s talents are on full display on this album. He…
Lost in all the COVID-19 noise was Scared 2 Love, the debut studio EP from Canadian hip-hop duo Yungcudii & Oeg. Released on March 29th through Baileysmgmt and distributed by United Masters, the EP features five songs— “Fuck a Love Song”, “Die for You”, “Anymore”, “Treesha”, and “Tonight”. Produced by Karim Nasir, aka Kaywaybeats, work on the project began in Summer 2019 after the release of their debut album Purge Season. In comparing the two projects, Yungcudii & Oeg noted, “Scared 2 Love has a different style and tempo and is more concise and more clear compared to Purge Season. The theme revolves around the heartbreak…
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.…
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…
