Del Cowie

“What are you sayin’?” asks Lance Sampson, the man behind the musical project known as Aquakultre, greeting me at the beginning of our conversation. In the daily life of Sampson – for whom the phrase was a daily occurrence growing up in Uniacke Square, a Halifax neighbourhood with strong ties to Black Nova Scotian history – the question is multi-layered, at once externally inquisitive and internally reflective.

Kalisway may be only 25 years old, but you could be forgiven for thinking she’s an old soul. Heavily influenced by 1980s R&B and funk, Kalisway presents a fresh and contemporary take on that sound with her latest album, A Kid From Toronto.

Can you name 10 Black Canadian musicians who’ve made a significant contribution to music history? It’s a question Phil Vassell asks people who are interested in working with him on the Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) in Toronto. “Most people struggle with getting to 10,” he says. “Now, what does that tell you? It tells you we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Vassell and his partner, Donna McCurvin, are the architects of CBMA, an initiative they spearheaded to highlight and honour the largely u...

A look back at some of Montreal producer Kaytranada's essential early recordings

TOBi’s music has a knack for speaking directly to the times in which we find ourselves.

“I think I’m in Season Four of my life,” says singer-songwriter Liza (pronounced LEE-zuh) when we catch up with her. “The episodes have been really wild, so I’m excited for the next project, for sure.”

Toronto hip-hop artist Friyie (pronounced free-yay) has been enjoying the success of his current Off the Map mixtape. Blending the Toronto MC’s knack for melodic flows over atmospheric soundscapes, the project is just the latest manifestation of his artistic evolution.

Re-emerging after seven years with a new album in tow, the L.A. based, Toronto-raised and UK-born singer Rochelle Jordan has clearly taken time in the interim to tap deeply into her musical heritage and familial lineage.

If you've never heard Wayne McGhie and the Sounds of Joy's "Dirty Funk," then you've been missing out on one of the most treasured intros to a Canadian soul track ever recorded. Anchored by the undeniably ear-bending drum break by drummer (and former q guest) Everton "Pablo" Paul, "Dirty Funk" soon blossoms into an organ-girded groove, sprinkled with effervescent guitar work. Given the fact that people have been willing to fork out hundreds of dollars to own the Wayne McGhie and the Sounds of...

I worked as a writer on three episodes of the CTV/Netflix music docuseries This Is Pop, which examines untold stories from pop music history, focusing on Boyz II Men, Britpop and protest music.

I worked as a producer of this limited series CBC Podcast. Breaking down seminal moments in Drake's career to explore the history and evolution of hip-hop, R&B, gender dynamics, and Black culture. This podcast won the 2021 RTDNA Award for Best Podcast and was also nominated for a Prix Italia Award.

I worked as an associate producer and writer for the award-winning Netflix documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution. The documentary series won an International Emmy for best arts programming, a Peabody award in the Documentary category and 2 Canadian Screen Awards.

For Brampton-born, Lagos-based singer Falana, the mantra to “keep it moving”—an oft-invoked pledge on her latest single “Joy”—is not an empty motivational statement, but an accurate aspirational statement she manifests on a daily basis.

When Toronto singer Ebhoni describes herself as a “hot gyal trying to make it in a cold world,” it’s not just a catchy mantra. The oppositional nature of the phrase is intentional, giving you insight into how Ebhoni’s personality manifests itself in her music, often taking a situation and flipping it on its head.

Beatchild's career has often been hidden in plain sight. This can be attributed to his chameleon-like work across many different genres — traversing pop, house, rock, hip-hop and R&B — and to the way he shapes these sounds to fit his various personas.
Byram Joseph began as Slakah the Beatchild, and has since issued solo and collaborative projects under the Slakadeliqs, the Art of Fresh, Sandie Black and now, simply Beatchild.