Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud cover image

Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Latest episodes

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Feb 13, 2025 • 25min

Where do we go from here with Kanye West, and the season finale of Mo

Music journalist Ian Cohen and writer/rapper Rollie Pemberton (a.k.a. Cadence Weapon) discuss the latest series of extreme publicity stunts and antisemitic provocations from Kanye West, and the media's role in platforming his problematic views. Plus TV critic Saloni Gajjar talks about the series finale of Netflix’s comedy drama Mo, and why it was so powerful to see Mo Amer’s character return to his homeland, Burin, in the West Bank.
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Feb 12, 2025 • 25min

Two new docs spotlight Jamaican music, and the Juno noms are out

'Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story' and 'Play It Loud' are two new music docs coming to TV and streaming next week. You'll hear how these two films are celebrating the legacy of Jamaican and Jamaican-Canadian music. Commotion guest host Rad Simonpillai is joined by culture critics Danae Peart and Dalton Higgins. Plus, Richard Trapunski of Billboard Canada runs down the nominations for the upcoming Juno Awards on March 30, and what they tell you about the current moment in Canadian music. 
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Feb 11, 2025 • 24min

An Update On Our Family reveals the troubling side of family vlogging, and Disco's Revenge is here

Parenting columnist Amil Niazi and author Jen Sookfong Lee join guest host Radheyan Simonpillai to discuss Crave’s 'An Update On Our Family', a three-part docu-series about the rise and fall of an influencer family called the Stauffers. Plus, former MuchMusic veejay Michael Williams shares his thoughts on the new documentary 'Disco's Revenge', which is a deep dive into the genre's history and legacy.
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Feb 10, 2025 • 25min

How Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show landed, and remembering Irv Gotti

Culture critics Marlon Palmer, Matt Amha, and Pablo The Don join guest host Rad Simonpillai to break down Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime performance on Sunday.Also, they look at the legacy of Irv Gotti, the hip-hop producer and DJ who co-founded Murder Inc. Records. Gotti died on February 5. He was 54.
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Feb 7, 2025 • 25min

The global struggle to hold back American cultural dominance

This week we’re talking about culture as a form of resistance and power against the backdrop of US tariff threats, and talk that Canada should become the 51st state. Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by culture critics Michelle Cho, Louise Bruton & Matt Amha to look at how places like South Korea, Ireland and Nigeria, have resisted American cultural influences, and are now cultural powerhouses exporting their own content to global audiences.
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Feb 6, 2025 • 25min

Trinidad Killa and an Inuit slur, and BookTok hit I Who Have Never Known Men

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is joined by Dr. Jay De Soca Prince, culture critic Sharine Taylor, and Inuk writer and culture critic Jamesie Fournier to react to two recent song releases from Trinidad Killa (with Nicki Minaj) and Kendrick Lamar that use the same 
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Feb 5, 2025 • 28min

Boycotting America and the meaning of cultural resistance in Canada

As tariffs still loom and Donald Trump keeps musing about Canada becoming the 51st state, what does cultural resistance look like? It’s a lot easier when you’re talking about shopping to buy Canadian and skip made-in-America. But how are we thinking about the pillars of national cultural identity: the music, movies, and TV we chose to consume? Columnist and chair of the Canada Council for the Arts Jesse Wente has been thinking a lot about this, not just lately, but throughout his entire life.
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Feb 4, 2025 • 26min

Tariff uncertainty and what it means for Canadian studios and creators, and Fernanda Torres in I'm Still Here

Though the proposed tariffs on Canadian goods that were supposed to take effect on February 3 have been momentarily paused for 30 days, the threat still looms over Canadian industries bracing for their impact. The Globe and Mail’s Film and Deputy Arts Editor Barry Hertz checks in to explain how they could affect the Canadian film and television industries, from production to consumer demand. Plus, culture writers Nicole Froio and Jackson Weaver discuss Fernanda Torres’s Oscar-nominated performance in 'I’m Still Here', a film set in the 70s amidst a military dictatorship in Brazil.
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Feb 3, 2025 • 25min

Highlights and big moments of the 2025 Grammys

ulture critic/podcaster Pablo the Don and music journalists Carl Wilson and Rosie Long Decter give us their morning-after reactions to the biggest highlights, surprises, and snubs from last night’s Grammys. 
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Jan 31, 2025 • 26min

Emilia Pérez star embroiled in controversy over offensive tweets, and The Weeknd's new album is here

Culture writer Reanna Cruz, comedian Marlon Palmer, and arts reporter Jackson Weaver chat with Elamin about the latest controversy around the movie Emilia Pérez and its lead actor, Karla Sofía Gascón, and they discuss The Weeknd’s new album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow.’ 

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