April 4 edition: Meet Vancouver’s viral rapper

Hey there. We made it through another month! That means there’s another print edition hitting newsstands across the Lower Mainland today. 

This month’s cover star is none other than bbno$—the Vancouver rapper done good.

Find your closest pick-up spot here, and get reading!

— V.
Associate Editor

FEATURE

The world according to bbno$

It’s 7:45 in the morning when bbno$ calls. The Vancouver-born rapper has found huge success in the music scene, where his brand of internet-raised idiosyncratic braggadocio has won him billions of streams and millions of adoring fans. We get deep on what goes on inside his funhouse mind.

CITY & CULTURE

Commentary: Strathcona Park’s off-leash problems highlight inequities

Strathcona Park used to be a chill off-leash dog park in the Downtown Eastside. But a series of decisions from the City of Vancouver has instead led to it becoming a place of frequent fines, reactive dogs, and ill-equipped staff. Maria Stanborough unravels how Vancouver created a situation that once again demonstrates municipal disregard for the marginalized neighbourhood.

• Rain or shine, it’s officially patio season

• Gardens BC wants you to stop and smell the flowers

• Sakura Days Japan Fair celebrates all things Japan, from Japanese food, performances, to arts and culture. Look forward to taiko drumming, theatre performances, and more!*

*sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY CHOR LEONI

Harmonia: The Leonids & Chor Leoni

Experience the spine-tingling sounds of high harmony as The Leonids return to Vancouver and take the stage alongside Chor Leoni and the singers of their Emerging Choral Artist Program. Time travel across the past millennium in this a cappella feast featuring Chant, Polyphony, folk songs, pop songs, and world premieres.

ARTS

Persian women embrace main character energy in Parifam

Parifam doesn’t just star two Iranian-Canadian women, Foojan Nixie Shabrang and Nazanin Shoja. It’s also written and directed by Persian women—a unique position for the play, premiering today at The Cultch. Shabrang and Shoja get deep on identity, intrigue, and what their characters mean to them.

• Review: Broadway Across Canada’s Hairspray delivers big wigs and bigger choreo

• Realwheels Theatre’s Zombies, Mannequins, and Talking Heads debuts three in-development works

• DOXA Documentary Film Festival reveals 2024 lineup

• After three years, Little Mountain Gallery reopens in Gastown April 12, breathing new life into Vancouver’s comedy scene!*

• Gather your family and attend Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth’s Sunday Fun Day event on April 14 to enjoy movies and an all-you-can eat pancake breakfast!*

• On April 12, celebrate the launch of the new memoir Gaman – Perseverance by Art Miki at the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre!*

*sponsored listing

MUSIC

Punjabi rapper NseeB is on the cusp of greatness

While most of the Punjabi music scene is dominated by singers, rappers are making waves within it, too. Vancouver’s own NseeB is proud of being from the 604, repping the region to the 180,000 Instagram followers who love him as one of the few rappers spitting bars in Punjabi. “When you make the flow without any singing,” he says over the phone, “that’s the real game.”

• Orville Peck is coming to town this summer 

• Mission Folk Fest announces the lineup for its July return

SPONSORED BY DAVE NICHOLSON

Independent Investment Advice - The way to your future

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"Solid work Dave! For anyone who doesn't know Dave is a honest guy. If you're anything like me you care about that" - Ben Sarma

FOOD & DRINK

Chambar is celebrating its 20th anniversary with 2004 prices

“We almost didn’t make it through Covid,” Chambar co-owner Karri Green-Schuermans admits. But the beloved Belgian restaurant has managed to weather 20 years in the city. To celebrate, they’re offering a nostalgic trip down memory lane: an anniversary menu, priced like it’s 2004.

• Where to get to-go cocktails in Vancouver

• Sing Sing is opening a new spot on the Drive

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

VISUAL ART 🖼️
Meet the artists at Hello April‘s opening reception. (April 4 @ Gallery George)

DANCE 💃
OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity explores artificial intelligence and the gig economy. (April 4 to 5 @ Orpheum Annex)

VISUAL ART 🖼️
How to Appreciate Graffiti: The Exhibition showcases the beauty of local street art. (April 5 to 12 @ Fingerprint Gallery) 

FILM 📽️
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival features films and shorts from all-Indigenous creatives. (April 6 to 7 @ Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema)

MUSIC 🎤
Mom Jeans proves emo isn’t dead yet. (April 6 @ Harbour Convention Centre)

SHOPPING 🛍️
Explore vintage clothes and oddball fashion at the Bizarre Bazaar. (April 7 @ Heritage Hall) 

FILM 📽️
Keep the kids entertained with the Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth. (April 7 to 16 @ Roundhouse Community Centre)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

That’s it!

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