Category: Music

  • Justin Bieber: From small-town boy to Superstar

    After a rocky journey, Bieber’s upcoming album, Changes, could not come at a better time By Will Lofsky Born and raised in the small town of Stratford, Ont., by a single mother in a tiny apartment, 25-year-old Justin Bieber never could have imagined how his life would turn out. Bieber entered a singing competition when…

  • Snotty Nose Rez Kids and the rise of Indigenous artists in the Canadian music scene

    By Isabella Lopes Meet Snotty Nose Rez Kids (SNRK): the duo of Haisla rappers who express their Indigenous experience through hip hop View this post on Instagram We took some time off on our homelands to do what we needed to do to reground ourselves and refocus after an amazing year of touring 🌹 2020…

  • Artist Profile: Max Cohen – From Twitter to Billboard

    By Hadi Azad Photo courtesy leanflavoredkoolaid via Max Cohen (mxxchn) on Instagram Max Cohen, a 19-year-old graphic designer from Waterloo, Ont., went from making thumbnails for YouTubers to landing his artwork on the Billboard Hot 100. Cohen started to develop his craft in high school with the support of the online gaming community. “I started…

  • The Weeknd’s story: Toronto’s most elusive pop star

    Courtesy of WEEKEND XO, LLC From homeless to Forbes list  By Christina Flores-Chan Abel Tesfaye, commonly known and loved as The Weeknd, presents himself as the shy and mysterious (but also kind of cool) guy we all secretly wanted to be friends with in high school, and we’re here for it. But before he was…

  • Kanye West is reborn on Jesus is King

    Kanye’s ninth album has a very prominent Christian theme throughout, and features three songs with writing credits from Toronto artist and producer Sean Leon Photo courtesy Peter Hutchins/Wikimedia Commons By Xavier Eeswaran “No more living for the culture, we nobody’s slaves.” The last words Kanye West speaks on the chorus of  “Closed on Sunday” sum…

  • 6 Canadian music producers you should know

    Photo courtesy Jesman Fabio Who are the Canadians behind some of the world’s most influential artists? By Rosie Leonard Behind many famous musicians are producers who help with not only the technical process, but also the creative process of making music. From creating beats, to mixing, and — in some cases — co-writing songs with…

  • Daniel Caesar shines in his return to Toronto

    By Xavier Eeswaran Grammy award-winning artist, Daniel Caesar, brought his Case Study 01: Tour for two sold-out shows to Budweiser Stage on Sept. 28 and 29. Caesar’s set on Sept. 29 began with the opening skit of his newest album’s first song, “ENTROPY,” which was accompanied with black and red visuals shown on the curtains.…

  • Savadouchi: “For Big Boy We Mourn”

    Photo courtesy Christopher Jameer By Vanessa Nim “Here I say, ‘for Big Boy we mourn.’” Over the sounds of Bay Street construction, Savadouchi (Sava) played me a short line from his song “Man Down.”  Best known for his popular song “Katana”, the up-and-coming Scarborough rapper reflected on the subtle inspiration behind his music. “In the…

  • Canadian artists breaking into the mainstream

    Some of the highest-selling and best-known artists in the world are Canadians, but how does it happen? Canadian singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco. (Courtesy Imnotcmjames/Wikimedia Commons) By Manus Hopkins Drake is one of the most popular hip-hop artists in the world right now, outselling numerous American peers. A slew of pop-punk bands that rose to prominence in…

  • Yung Tory’s new EP is the comeback he deserves

    By Will Lofsky View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yung Tory (@yungtory) on Nov 27, 2018 at 5:07pm PST Photo courtesy yungtory on Instagram Yung Tory’s major-label debut, Still Here, is sure to rebuild his status in Toronto. After a tough year for Tory, the project shows that he is still having…

  • Language Arts: Soothing the soul through forward thinking art pop

    By Tashon Daley Image courtesy Language Arts “Neighbour” Official Video – Director of Photography Charles Hutchings Kristen Cudmore swiftly plays her guitar while her serene vocals fill the room, her eyes focusing intently on the words from a songbook she created. The sounds echoing from guitarist Patrick O’Reilly’s guitar causes Cudmore to pause for a…

  • Artist Profile: Superior

    Courtesy Michele Vu Toronto-based artist and director, Superior, is making a difference in the city By Will Lofsky When Jay Doodnauth, a Guyanese artist known as Superior, was in his last year at Ryerson University for the media production program, he decided to take a different approach for his final practicum than most other students.…

  • Positive messages in rap could evoke hope for Toronto

    By Will Lofsky As violence escalates in Toronto, celebrities and up-and-coming artists in the city are advocating for peace According to CTV News, by the end of 2018 there were 96 homicides and 51 gun-related murders in Toronto. These incidents included the daylight murders of 21-year-old Regent Park rapper Smoke Dawg following his release of…

  • Tequila Nosedive steals the show at Ryerson’s Battle of the Bands

    By Federico Sierra Tequila Nosedive performing “It’s OK Keep Dancing.” (CanCulture/Federico Sierra) Ryerson rock group, Tequila Nosedive, won the seventh annual Musicians@Ryerson’s Battle of the Bands, sweeping the two biggest awards of the night. The first place was determined by the judges of the competition: David Cramb, a member of the board of directors for…

  • Artist Profile: Hudson Alexander

    Toronto producer Hudson Alexander never slows down By Manus Hopkins Hudson Alexander is a Toronto-based music producer and artist (CanCulture/Manus Hopkins) Originally from Winnipeg, 26-year-old musician and producer Hudson Alexander is making a name for himself in Toronto’s music scene. Surrounded by music since he was young, Alexander naturally picked up guitar as a teen.…

  • Daniel Caesar: Behind the genre-defying sound and soul

    By Will Lofsky grammy weekend diary, for @ssense. shot & styled by @byseanbrown + @keavanx. #ssense Feature image courtesy Sean Brown and Keavan Yazdani via danielcaesar on Instagram Toronto’s music scene has drastically changed over the decade from Drake-inspired moody R&B to auto-tuned trap that very few musicians have failed to stand out, with the…

  • Review: Anvil at The Rockpile West

    Toronto’s speed metal veterans got heavy with hometown fans last Friday By Manus Hopkins Anvil frontman Steve “Lips” Kudlow delivers a real rock ‘n’ roll show to a crowd of diehard fans on March 8. (CanCulture/Manus Hopkins) It’s not so common anymore to see the living, breathing legends of days past up close and personal…

  • Opinion: Tory Lanez’s Constant Need for Attention

    The Toronto rapper constantly makes headlines with his penchant for starting conflicts Photo courtesy of Anton Mak/The Come Up Show/Wikimedia Commons By Manus Hopkins Having a hard time keeping up with all the feuds Tory Lanez keeps seeming to land himself in? You aren’t the only one. The 26-year-old Brampton rapper has earned himself a…

  • Get to Know: Drew Yorke, the Toronto-based creative who works harder than you do

    By Will Lofsky Photo courtesy mr.koa At just 23, Drew Yorke has become a contributing editor and staff photographer for lifestyle and culture publication Sidewalk Hustle, started his own video podcast, The Drew Yorke Show out of the Red Bull office on Queen Street West and completed a joint-degree in media studies and journalism at…

  • Canadian artists that will stand the test of time

    Win Butler of Arcade Fire performing at Coachella 2014. (Flohmann/Wikimedia Commons) By Calvin Leung Thousands of musicians each year enter the music industry hoping in 20 years they will be remembered fondly as their generations The Beatles or Led Zeppelin. While many lose their relevance before they had a chance to release the second record,…

  • Patrik talks about Toronto inspirations in recent ‘Spadina’ EP

    Montreal-based rapper Patrik performs his song “Diamonds” off of his new EP, Spadina, at Lee’s Palace on Jan. 25. (Cole Brocksom/CanCulture) By Cole Brocksom Canadian rapper Patrik talks about the Spadina EP, his experience in Toronto and his artistic message. It was -14 C outside on January 25th but things were getting heated inside Lee’s…

  • The Evolution of Canadian Music Videos

    From left to right: photo courtesy Mark Estabrook/Wikimedia Commons, courtesy Kayla Johnson/Wikimedia Commons, courtesy Sara Naegels/Wikimedia Commons (added filter) A decade-by-decade look through Canada’s music history By Manus Hopkins There is a handful of standout artists in music that have come to be known as uniquely Canadian exports. Canada has produced pop mega-stars like Celine…

  • Future stays in his own lane on The WIZRD

    Photo via Pixabay The WIZRD is good – but not great like the other Future projects that served as the blueprint for Toronto’s rap sound By Xavier Eeswaran Atlanta-born rapper Future’s impact on this generation’s rap music cannot be understated. When it comes to rap’s hottest sub-genre, trap music, Future is the leader of an…

  • Tory Lanez unites Toronto hip hop scene at Ryerson’s Loud Festival

    Brampton-born rapper Tory Lanez headlines the Ryerson Students’ Union annual concert on Jan. 19. (CanCulture/Timothy Falco) By Timothy Falco Tory Lanez and Pressa were some of the up-and-coming Toronto artists that performed at Rebel nightclub on Saturday for Loud Festival, a concert organized by the Ryerson Students’ Union. Lanez, a Brampton native rapper, headlined the…

  • The Hockey Song Inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

    Stompin’ Tom Connors son, Tom Connors Jr., stands on stage at the induction ceremony at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 27 for his late father’s song The Hockey Song. (Photo by: Brent Smyth) By: Benjamin Hargreaves At a ceremony held at Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 27, the late Stompin’ Tom’s The Hockey Song was officially cemented…

  • Toronto’s Always Never perform like seasoned vets at their debut show

    Photo/Benjamin Hargreaves By: Benjamin Hargreaves Just after 10 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2018, Toronto’s very own Always Never took the stage for the first time ever. Mark your calendars because I sense a rapid climb in popularity for the R&B duo. With the crowd reciting the lyrics to their opening song, “Wylin’” from the first…

  • Lil Uzi Vert and Juice Wrld headline Western’s Purple Fest

    Western alum, Loud Luxury, and multi-platinum producer, Murda Beatz also performed at the six-hour long day festival during FOCO last Saturday in London, Ont. Clad in a ski-mask with four bags hanging off of his shoulders, Lil Uzi Vert performs in the on-campus parking lot turned festival venue. Photo / Benjamin Hargreaves By: Benjamin Hargreaves…

  • Album Review: The Wake by Voivod

    (Photo by Realbeatle/Wikimedia Commons) By Kate Ng Heavy metal has always been an isolated tribe, proudly immune to influence and complaints from the mainstream. Yet, within this tribe of musical outsiders are mad scientists; welcome to progressive metal. Led by bands like Dream Theater and Opeth, prog-metal is a subgenre that subverts many traditional rules…

  • Artist Profile: Black$tar

    Photo by: Vparenas Rap artist Black$tar’s music career is branching out of Alberta and into British Columbia, as he becomes more nationally known. Music followed Black$tar for most of his life, but he discovered his passion for music as a little boy in the in his Church choir. From then to now, 21-year-old Black$tar is making…

  • Artist Profile: Little Boxer

    Juan Udarbe, Zack Erickson, Dave Silani, and Liam Driscoll before their set at the Rivoli on Feb. 21 (RSJ/Manuela Vega)