This year we’re introducing a brand new end-of-year feature, Top 10 Shifters in the Capital celebrating the accomplishments of influencers in the capital. “Shifter” is a term we coined four years ago for people who use their creativity and influence to impact culture, business or the social sector. Without further adieu, here’s our list of the top cultural, business and social influencers who impacted the capital in 2017. 1. GUY LAFLAMME | Executive Director, Ottawa 2017 Bureau The person who had the single biggest cultural and business impact on Ottawa in 2017 was Ottawa 2017 Bureau executive director, Guy Laflamme. Charged with bringing…
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.
Reviews of Eminem’s latest album Revival are mixed. Even though it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and is his ninth #1 album, the album was called “trash” by Everyday Struggle’s DJ Akademiks. Eminem and Jay-Z are building the blueprint on how to be an almost-50 rapper who’s a mature version of themselves, yet still relevant. Both of their albums had no real lead single and both were heavy on social commentary, but each of them are achieving different results. While some people have called Jay-Z’s “4:44” his best album yet (and he’s leading the pack in Grammy nominations), Eminem’s Revival hasn’t…
Femi Lawson is one of Toronto’s big talents. Femi is well-known for his Youtube comedy skits, and phrase “Tantalization”. He has since then expanded his career in entertainment, acting, and event hosting, and has worked with some of the top entertainers in the industry. Femi’s genuine personality is what draws you to him. He has a way about him that makes you feel like one of his longtime friends. Femi’s love for his community is what motivates him to make it to the top. He has given back in many ways and continues to inspire the youth. Listen to his full story…
Are you listening to Chris Brown’s latest album? Do you have an opinion on Get Out being nominated in the “Best Comedy” category? It seems like we’re living in a time where popular opinion by default becomes representative of a whole group of people. For example, look no further than Black Twitter, known in the Twitterverse as #BlackTwitter. There’s no set definition for the online audience known as “Black Twitter”, so I will define it as such: “Black Twitter is a sort of cultural identity existing on the Twitter platform. Not all black tweeters are apart of Black Twitter and…
Jordan Oram, is one of Toronto’s talented DOP (director of photography). Jordan’s gift for storytelling is what makes his films stand out. He brings an authentic perspective with an intent to articulate deliberate, candid compositions with a strong passion for credible collaboration, and the aptitude to work with but not limited to the elements of a story. Jordan has a natural ability to find the best look for a project. Listen to his full story here. Ep. 27 – Jordan Oram, Director of Photography PODCAST: iTunes | GooglePlayMusic Photos of by Jodianne Beckford For more photos visit eproject.media JORDAN ORAM SOCIAL…
Around the world, Canada is known for one sport and one sport only- hockey. It’s a part of the culture and identity like maple syrup and Tim Horton’s coffee. But the Canadian sports landscape is changing. Soccer is the largest participatory sport in Canada with nearly 1,000,000 registered players in 1,200 clubs across the country. And similar to our neighbours to the south, it also happens to be the fastest growing sport in the country. Soccer is growing in Canada and this Brit couldn’t be happier. Here are five reasons Canadians should become soccer fans in 2018. 1. You can choose your club Being raised in…
When Instagram started introducing their Snapchat knockoff features like stories and filters, critics all over the world, including yours truly, said it was the end of Snapchat. Although Snapchat is having some problems, it turns out us critics were wrong. All over the world the 13 to 34-year-old crowd has remained dedicated the service. As the saying goes, ‘Real recognize real” and to millions of dedicated users, Snapchat is the real deal while Instagram is a knockoff. Although services like Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube are working hard to set themselves apart, one thing they have in common is that they’ve…
Lynn M. Sainté is the founder and designer of Papaya & CO. Her main source of inspiration is African inspired prints, she uses wax print fabrics to create tote bags, makeup pouches, ties, and so much more! Her love for the community is what drives her to make such unique and culturally impactful designs. Lynn and talked about her journey as a designer, how she started, why the name “Papaya & CO, mentors and so much more. Listen to Lynn’s full story below. Ep. 26 – Papaya & CO founder, Lynn Sainté Click on the links below to listen. PODCAST: iTunes | GooglePlayMusic Photos…
Canadian filmmaker, Ben Hoskyn, is set to premiere his debut feature film “8 Minutes Ahead” at the 2017 edition of the Whistler Film Festival. Written by Allan Mackey, Nick Dolinski and Nate Estabrooks, and directed by Hoskyn, the full-length international drama explores the conflicting themes of greed, loyalty, and ambition within a family of Chinese Canadians and their Hong Kong relatives. After decades spent building a shipping company from the ground up, and now at the end of his life, the workaholic and success-obsessed Zhou Li, played by Tseng Chang (Romeo Must Die, Dim Sum Funeral), is wondering what it…
Ottawa’s very own Maurice Moore delivers a very solid offering for his debut album, The Amber Room, proving why he is one of R&B’s most exciting prospects. This album is fresh, smooth and enjoyable all at the same time. With his talents on full display, the album is by no means perfect, but it is a great introduction for Moore into this topsy turvy R&B world. Maurice shows off his radio friendliness on tracks like “Little More” and “Yeah Yeah Yeah”. On the latter track he capitalizes on the current Afrobeat movement. He breezes so easily and so smoothly on tracks…
On episode 1 of The SHIFTER Show, Kevin and Vlad debate who is currently the bigger superstar between Beyonce and Adele, and who will be remembered as the bigger superstar in 10-20 years. Warning: Kevin and Vlad get a little heated.
The Kardashian-Jenner clan are continuing to clean up in 2017. This past August it was revealed that Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics line was worth a whopping $400 million. Then in October it was reported that the world’s most popular television family renewed their TV deal with E! for $150 million over five years. Then this week we learned that Kendall Jenner dethroned Gisele Bundchen as the highest paid model in the world, earning $22 million in 2017. Bundchen held the title of highest paid model since 2002. Natalie Robehmed of Forbes provides telling insight into Jenner’s big year: For the first…
