Author: Kevin Bourne

The sports world is buzzing after news of Kobe Bryant’s passing in a helicopter crash on Sunday. TMZ was among the first to report on his passing. “Kobe Bryant died in a helicoper crash in Calabasas Sunday morning … TMZ Sports has confirmed.Kobe was traveling with at least 3 other people in his private helicopter when it went down. A fire broke out. Emergency personnel responded, but nobody on board survived. 5 people are confirmed dead. We’re told Vanessa Bryant was not among those on board.” It was later confirmed his 13-year old daughter Gianna Maria Onore was also on…

The 8th annual Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF), presented by TD Bank in collaboration with Global News, announces the official program and events lineup running February 12 – 17, 2020. The Toronto Black Film Festival is honoured to present SPIKE LEE, Cannes Film Festival’s first Black Jury President, with the Toronto Black Film Festival’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award during an intimate evening where festivalgoers can watch a restored version of his film Bamboozled and hear the Academy Award winning director discuss his journey as a filmmaker as well as his views on today’s socio-economic environment. #TBFF20 will present 9 World Premieres, 5 International Premieres, 1 North-American premiere, 20 Canadian Premieres and 34…

As the world keeps a close eye on the growing conflict between the United States and Iran, there’s one important question to ask. Should Donald Trump be considered a war criminal? The President has provided a plethora of reasons and rationales for the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, many of them direct contradictions, and others unsubstantiated by evidence. Trump believes that Iran hadn’t been properly “boxed in” as they continue to project force in countries such as Syria and Iraq. His strategy in Iran was that he wanted to cut down on their nuclear program and force Iran to…

I am always inspired and excited when it come to Taste of the 6ix, however, as the first edition of 2020, this is a special one. Before we take look at what’s in store for this weekend’s showcase, let’s take a look back at some of the best moments of 2019. 2019, the year that was Last March, Taste of the 6ix introduced the first six gems in its story – Gaby Harvey, Colin Petierre, NDAI, Casino Barnes, Billi D’kid (AKA Black sage) and NINETX, initiated this wonderful journey. Then in April, we saw BebeBoy, NYA, Chantelle C.W, HEVVE, Naquita Russell and…

This past Friday, Eminem surprised fans and the world by dropping his 11th studio album Music To Be Murdered By. The cover art features Em in an Alfred Hitchcock like pose, with a suit and shovel setting the tone for the project. As the intro on “Little Engine” says, “This was meant for your listening pleasure while you’re being done in.” One of the knocks on previous Eminem albums was their features. While he redeemed himself on Kamikaze, working with the likes of Joyner Lucas and Jessie Reyez, some fans questioned how one of the most dark and twisted rappers…

December was another busy month in the capital! This month’s Ottawa Music Video Roundup includes four music videos. Artists include Airborn, Dynamic aka Ya Favourite Lightskin, Arty Warhol and Bobby Brugal (formerly known as Cashtro Crosby). We’re continuing to ask you, the fans, to vote for the capital’s Video of the Month. Check out the videos below in order of release date, then help us crown the top video in the city for December. Special shout out to our sponsor Greg Campbell – Blue Panda Realty. Last month you voted for “No Games” by Aspects featuring 613TINO as your video of…

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, also known as CES, has come and gone. Hundreds of tech companies descended on Sin City to show off some of their latest gadgets and technologies. Although, Canada’s capital isn’t known as a hotbed for consumer electronics, Ottawa has seen some growth in recent years with the popularity of the world famous Instant Pot and the increasing importance of autonomous vehicles. This year, there were a number of Ottawa companies making their presence felt at CES 2020, including Kanata-based Blackberry QNX. In a recent Invest Ottawa blog post, Sean Hazaray of Karma Automotive noted:…

Ottawa rapper FTG Metro was killed Wednesday morning in the city’s first homicide of 2020, making both local and international news. Ottawa’s first homicide of the year has claimed the life of rising hip-hop artist and rapper FTG Metro. Early Wednesday morning the local news reported on the incident in Ottawa’s Centrertown neighbourhood. Authorities encouraged the public to stay away from the area as they pursued the shooter and continued the investigation. The shooting later made international news with BBC reporting on the incident. The Ottawa Sun said of the shooting: Ottawa police homicide detectives are probing the city’s first…

After coming together as a trio in November 2019, bloom has spent the past year fervently writing and recording. Initially planning to release an EP, the group’s chemistry allowed them to amass a large number of demos in a short amount of time. They soon linked up with esteemed Toronto engineer Dominic “Dot” Okune and collectively decided to release these tracks as an album. The moving and enigmatic “no good thoughts” is bloom’s first offering from this upcoming project, scheduled for release in January 2020.  Taking inspiration from a wide variety of artists including Juice WRLD, Post Malone and The Weeknd, the…

June 2019 will forever be entrenched in the hearts and minds of the members of the hip-hop group H.S.G. (HalfSizeGiants). On the night of Friday, June 7th, one third of the hip-hop/dancehall trio was gunned down senselessly. Markland Campbell, aka Jahiant, had rushed to the Byward Market in downtown Ottawa after receiving a call from his daughter saying she had been assaulted by two young men. When he arrived to defend and protect his daughter, he was subsequently shot multiple times in the chest and neck. He was rushed to hospital and died while in surgery. The entire city was…

The 2019 edition of the Camping World Bowl saw the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-2) take on the Iowa State Cyclones (7-5) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Led by senior QB Ian Book, the Fighting Irish showed Orlando why they’re a perennial powerhouse, topping the Cyclones 33-9. Notre Dame surrendered no touchdowns in the win. The star of the Notre Dame receiving core was Abbotsford, BC native Chase Claypool, who finished with 146 yards, one receiving TD and one fumble recovery, his second of the season. The MVP performance put Claypool past the 1000 yard mark on the…

This year we’re back with our end-of-year feature, Top 10 Shifters in the Capital celebrating the accomplishments of cultural, business, non-profit and political influencers in the capital. “Shifter” is a term we coined for people who use their creativity and influence to impact culture, business and beyond. Without further adieu, here’s our list of the top influencers who impacted the capital in 2019. 1. JOHN MANCONI | General Manager, OC Transpo Although Ottawa’s long-awaited Confederation LRT line, the largest infrastructure project in the capital’s history, faced numerous delays and had many glitches, there’s no disputing the fact OC Transpo head, John Manconi, had…