Ottawa and Atlanta have officially joined forces: Canadian rapper City Fidelia and Shelley FKA DRAM release Soulmate. Here’s Rose Basu’s review of the new single and video. Nostalgia is something we all crave, and so is intimacy. City Fidelia’s new video for his track “Soulmate”, featuring Atlanta rapper Shelley FKA DRAM, captures that craving perfectly. The video, shot in Atlanta, has a raw, organic energy to it, possibly because it features real couples. These couples are of all ages and walks of life. The palette of the video is muted which gives a dreamy-feel. This makes the audience remember their…
Author: Rose Basu
The Hustle by Malik offers 21 self-produced, sonically diverse songs that speak to the power of persistence in pursuit of dreams. When many think of the Soundcloud era, they think of the industrious underdogs, the underground, and the hidden gems. Melodic rapper Malik embodies all these qualities and owns them. This Ottawa-grown artist has achieved many milestones to support the release of his album, The Hustle. From opening for YBN Nahmir, having his first EP rack up 250,000 streams on multiple platforms, charting on Soundcloud, and officially starting his company “Cake Records”, Malik is truly self-made. He has lived up…
Ottawa-based CapCityHipHop drops debut single “Did It Myself” featuring Canadian talents AK-Slim and JAIoftherise. Debuts are notorious for being highly-anticipated and exciting for listeners, and a fresh one has just been released by an Ottawa media staple. CapCityHipHop has collaborated with AK-Slim of Calgary and JAIoftherise of Ottawa to drop its very first record, “Did It Myself”. It’s a dynamic anthem revolved around the highs and lows of the artist grind. CapCityHipHop, founded in 2012, has become Ottawa’s go-to platform for hip-hop music coverage centered around the capital city. Now, it has made the decision to become more directly invested…
Ottawa-based MC and songwriter, Freddy Printz, explores how the past influences the present on his new EP “The Candidate” inspired by the film The Manchurian Candidate. The hip-hop heads know old school rap is coming back, slowly but surely. Whether expressed through beats or flow, old school hip-hop is creeping its way back into mainstream music. Artists like Benny the Butcher and many others have found ways to balance both styles while still appealing to the masses. However, there is one Ottawa artist who deserves the spotlight for releasing a perfectly crafted EP in this style. This month saw Freddy…
Canadian vocalist JYDN HILL is back with a Donell Jones inspired gem called “3AM”. SHIFTER’s Rose Basu calls it “intimate and tantalizing” and perfect balance of “romance and seductive energy”. JYDN HILL has made a name for himself in R&B circles in recent years. Now, the promising R&B star has collaborated with Jeff Sanon on the release of a fresh new track inspired by R&B legend Donell Jones’ “Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me)”, but HILL’s take on it, however, is more intimate and tantalizing. With alluring vocals and acoustic guitars, “3AM” is an impactful release for JYDN HILL. The…
TwoTiime drops new single Find My Way. On the passionate and introspective track he addresses his legal troubles and more. TwoTiime has geared up for his third release of this year titled “Find My Way.” Backed by the success of his previous single “On the Edge”, this new gem is highly anticipated. Bearing it all with flourishing honesty, the 20 year-old Ottawa artist has a strong purpose behind the song―to update his fans on his recent life events. Art is a form of expression and TwoTiime has encapsulated this idea in this new track. TwoTiime is known for the transparency…
“Our goal as a non-profit is to help facilitate the growth of Ottawa’s marginalized youth in the areas of music, technology and financial literacy. To give back what we earn is our way to close the circle.” Is Ensemble’s mission statement, and they are living up to this statement this year by setting off FRMULA season 2. FRMULA is a 6-month program for artists and artist managers which helps them develop professionally, as well as create and produce. This opportunity is a serious advantage for those in Ottawa who don’t have access to certain tools or resources for their career.…
Canadian alt pop artist dropped her debut full-length release Afterlife. Here is SHIFTER’s Rose Basu’s look at Afterlife by Vi. From opening for Bulow to being on the Bluesfest stage, Vi has been on her grind. To add to this list of triumphs, Vi recently released her debut full-length album. The main goal of this album, titled Afterlife, was to show her sprouting into a refreshing new era in her music. Afterlife was given its name to represent life after death. This is a metaphor for Vi’s ‘rebirth’ and next chapter. Prior to this album, her focus was on her…
Despite creatives often participating in and appreciating multiple forms of art, they often excel in one. However, Jonny Gems is proving this theory wrong. This poet-turned-rapper recently released his debut project as a recording artist titled Write On Time. Jonny Gems is proud to hail from the capital city and shows this especially through the trailer video for his new EP and the fact this EP is studded with Ottawa talent, including executive producer Benjamin Cooligan, engineers Glenn Schick and RIPVCTR, recording artist Dumi Dija who appears in a skit. The trailer was artistically crafted and features multiple Ottawa landmarks,…
ILLAH.V is a new versatile album released by PA.II, which has proven to be a victory for this artist. PA.II is a creative soul hailing from Nigeria and came to Canada in 2012. Since then, he has been on his grind and has been releasing projects consistently. “ILLAH.V” released in September 2021 shows true adaptability of the multi-genre artist. Correspondingly, this album showcases genres from Afrobeat to R&B. PA.II manages to do this seamlessly and effortlessly on “ILLAH.V.” Thus “Paiin”, cleverly spelling his name in the title, takes the topic of hurt and turns it into a feel-good track. PA.II’s…
A French-Danish artist emerging into R&B? Well, that’s fairly unheard of. However, it’s exactly what Thorgan is doing. This independent artist has already gained lots of traction from his debut album “TENEBRIS” which features artists such as 12AM and Limi. “TENEBRIS” gained over 1.7 million streams which gave Thorgan a promising start in R&B. Recently, Thorgan has released his comeback single titled “Demons in Paris.” The song’s title already gives you a feel for the song, which is dark, 808 heavy and lusty. The single was created during Paris Fashion Week, and this event was Thorgan’s main inspiration for “Demon’s…
“Chitty chitty bang bang, you get smoked up.” This line is from Charmaine’s new single “Friends With Benefits” and she is indeed smoking her competition. Yes SHIFTERS, Charmaine is starting off the year strong with a brand new single. As always, her voice is packed with punch and power as she spits about loyalty and taking care of your sisters. The single is perfect for cruising on a late night with your crew, a party playlist or even if you just want to feel refreshed and positive. The start of the song is slower and more melodic, then hits the…
