Author: Kevin Bourne

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…

Benny Bing is a self-taught Toronto based artist of Nigerian descent. We sat down and talked about his journey as an artist and how his wife helped him to rediscover the artist inside. What was first just a thoughtful gift from his wife while visiting in Paris, became the very thing that would shift his life forever. Benny’s vibrant and alluring portraits of women of colour is what sets him apart. His use of colour, great attention to detail, makes you stare with wonder. Benny’s paintings convey the type of emotion that really makes you step back and think. Listen…

One of the most promising menswear designers coming out of Toronto right now is none other than Jamaican-Canadian Rhowan James. On the heals of his appearance at Toronto Men’s Fashion Week where he won the World Financial Group | Emerging Menswear Designer Awards (EMDA), our Koliah Bourne had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about how he got started in the industry, who his creative influences are, and what life has been like since TOM and winning the EDMA. Koliah Bourne: So you’re a self-taught fashion designer. How did you get started in the industry? Rhowan James: Yes, I…

Hip-hop is on the rise, and there’s no bigger evidence of that than in First Nations and Native American communities across North America. For years Indigenous hip-hop acts were slept on and overlooked, but now they’re increasingly stepping into the limelight, winning awards and playing the summer festival circuit just like their non-Indigenous counterparts. What’s refreshing about this brand of hip-hop is that it’s probably truer to the origins of the culture than some newer hip-hop acts. First Nations and Native American artists use their music as a tool for social change and to elevate their community the same way…

Fans of DC comics and superhero films rejoice! Justice League is here and it is awesome. It may not be perfect (it is certainly far from it), but there is so much fun to be had watching this film. Boasting an excellent blend of action, astounding visuals and great characters, Justice League is the team-up film that many, including myself, have been waiting for for years. Being a film that has the unique circumstance of being directed by two directors with essentially polar opposite styles, Justice League should’ve been a mess. Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon (who directed both Avengers…

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” -Tupac Shakur, rapper/actor __________________________________________________________ Also read: https://shiftermagazine.com/music/tupac-still-influencing-culture-20-years-later

It was just a year ago that entrepreneur, Mehdi Jourabbaf, founded TEN, short for Tonight Ends Never, a creative agency specializing in artist and model management, creative direction, product production and marketing. You’ve probably seen his work on Instagram without realizing he was the man orchestrating things behind the scenes.  The vision for Tonight Ends Never is clear. When asked what inspired him to launch the agency he stated, “Everyone wants to become a superstar, but when we looked closer we realized no one was interested in managing those superstars to-be. Ottawa is our home and it’s fueled with limitless talent,…