The Summer vibes are here as Blue Will teams up with Jamaican artist Sadike on the “Not Love?!” remix. SHIFTER’s Rose Basu takes a closer look. While Canada is just beginning to experience sunny weather, Carnival season is in full effect. Jamaica just finished its carnival with the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival just around the corner. Trinidadian-Canadian artist Blue Will and Jamaican artist Sadike are bringing some Caribbean vibes of their own, collaborating on the remix for “Not Love?!”. Blue Will ventured all the way from Toronto to Jamaica to meet with Sadike to capture the anticipation of carnival. The music…
Author: Rose Basu
EverythingOShauN got fans here in Canada and abroad dancing to his big track “Ala Beke”. Now he’s back with the long-awaited music video. With an increasingly generic-sounding music industry, there’s a sparse number of artists who are out here doing something eclectic. However, Toronto’s EverythingOShauN continues to hit the scene with flair. One distinctive ability packed into this artist’s punch is how multifaceted he is as an artist. EverythingOShauN has kept listeners engaged by maneuvering his voice and flow, mastering the art of sounding like many different acts on one track. He delved into this talent on his 2022 EP…
Duvy is back with a lavish new video for “Barcelona” off his his December 2022 release How Did I End Up Here. Hate it or love it, Toronto rap has been on the rise. Artists like Drake, Tory Lanez, and more recently Smiley and Pressa, have made it easier for other rappers to try their hand at getting their music outside of Toronto. Over the years, we’ve seen a surge of Toronto rappers rise and fall with their music careers. Some promising artists have succumbed to the streets. One artist who has held his position is Duvy who is highly…
Nigerian-Canadian artist Nyma has been gaining steam since her debut, even earning recognition from a certain international Nigerian superstar. Here’s a look at her acoustic video for “Mr. Man”. While Ottawa’s winter weather has many people feeling down, Nyma is giving us refreshing and vibrant music to lift our spirits. Her harmonious voice has gained her quite the reputation in the snowy city, yet she also rocked a recent performance in Toronto opening for Simi. Nyma’s first song was “Wavy” which launched her into the music industry. Her first exposure to music was hearing her father play Afrobeats growing up.…
Vinnin isn’t slowing down on his new single “See Me Now”. Watch the 18-year-old Scarborough artist reflect on his rise up as an independent artist on his new single. While the pandemic may have stunted the careers of many artists, one Scarborough musician found a beneficial opportunity through it. Vinnin had been spending time perfecting his craft and networking over COVID. As fate would have it, he discovered Yanchan. Yanchan is a singer and also experiments in producing. Through this connection, “See Me Now” blossomed. The collaboration between the two artists premiered on Vevo in early November. The visuals for…
Canadian artist Jaioftherise finds catharsis from a relationship turned sour on new single “Toxic”. “You need people like me. You need people like me so you can point your f***in’ fingers and say, “That’s the bad guy.” This quote was declared by the iconic protagonist of “Scarface”, Tony Montana. While the world may love these “bad-guys”, Jaioftherise is tired of being painted as one. In his new track, “Toxic”, Jai chooses to express his feelings about a one-sided love dilemma. “Music is therapy to me. I went to the studio with the intention to let out the toxicity with this…
Ak-Slim debuts ‘Relentless’, a masterful trap-RnB EP which testifies to his consistency in the music game. Dedication and consistency are vital when it comes to the music industry, sometimes to the point where those very skills outweigh talent. These values and actions are the backbone of a musician’s career and can act as a lifeline when points of their career get rough. A prime example of this gritty hustle is Ak-Slim. During the summer, he struck the Canadian scene with his release “Did It Myself”. This release was a collaboration with Jaioftherise and CapCityHipHop. AK-Slim launched himself from that successful…
Canadian rapper Tremayne Stayoutlate is back with the conscious and heavy-hitting new single “A.P.O.W.N.” which speaks to inequities in society. A common occurrence with music is the relevance songs can have on world events, politics and society as a whole. Music has the power to encapsulate a certain time period in an often 3 minute period. On a small scale, we hear songs every so often that bring us back to a moment in our lives we may or may not have fond memories of. However, the most popular examples of this occurrence have happened on a large scale. Some…
Following the release of the ‘ILLAH V’ project, the group’s flagship artist, Pa.II has just dropped a new solo freestyle, an afrobeats meet hip hop cocktail, “Bad Boy Outside”, that speaks to his aptness for rhyming with style. A key to success in the music business is consistently engaging and entertaining your audience. This can be done in an array of ways from live shows or interviews to even just keeping your social media active. Pa.II is just one of the many artists who has tapped into this method of success with the release of his single “Bad Boy Outside”.…
“Burn Everything” marks the most explosive collaboration from Sean Leon and Ye (F.K.A. Kanye West) to date. Read our review on the enigmatic new single and video here. The bridge between underground artists and icons are often uncrossed until the lesser-known artist experiences fame. These crossings can make or break a musician’s career. The world keenly tunes in when they hear of unexpected connections. A recent one of these connections involved Toronto artist Sean Leon. As Sean has progressed through his career, he has built a steady fanbase amassing to 50,000+ on social media. He has been steadily grinding for…
Ottawa-Toronto artist Shubz releases the stunning new visuals for “Don’t Let Me Go”, shot in the deserts of Morocco. Ever since the world saw artists such as French Montana film his breakout hit “Unforgettable” in Uganda, travelling for the sake of music videos has become widespread. Ottawa-Toronto recording artist Shubz has joined in on this practice. While visiting Morocco, he filmed the visuals for his second single “Don’t Let Me Go”. Music videos may have the reputation of being a lost art, yet there is no doubt that stunning visuals can bolster a musicians career. “Don’t Let Me Go”’s video…
“People On The Move” takes a look at people moving on to new and exciting roles in our community and culture. Today, we look at urban Canadian music staple Craig Mannix, also known as ‘Big C’ who has been promoted from his position of Senior Director, Urban Marketing to VP, Black Music at Universal Music Canada. If you know anything about the music industry, you know at least one of the three notorious labels. These being Warner Music Group, Sony Music and Universal Music Group. These giants run the business, with Universal leading the way in Canada. While the ins…
