Murda Beatz Invests in the Next Generation of Ballers

The legendary producer returns as an ambassador for a rising basketball academy shaping Canada’s next stars.

By Adriel Smiley

Published on January 28, 2026

Fort Erie is a small town in Ontario’s Niagara Region with just over 30,000 people — the kind of place where high school gyms fill up on Friday nights and everyone seems to know someone you grew up with. Sitting along the U.S. border, it looks much like many other border towns. But from these quiet streets came Shane Lindstrom, better known as Grammy-nominated producer Murda Beatz, one of the area’s most unlikely and impressive exports.

He first entered the hip-hop scene a decade ago, working with the Atlanta-based rap group Migos during their now-legendary mixtape run leading up to their major debut. Since then, he has produced hit singles for Drake, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Travis Scott. He talks to RANGE Magazine over Zoom while celebrating Thanksgiving in Los Angeles.

Murda attended Fort Erie High, at least that’s what it was called when he went there. Now it is Fort Erie International Academy (FEIA), a private boarding school nationally recognized for its basketball program. Known for scholarship development and elite coaching, the academy draws student-athletes from across the country for the opportunity to attend.

The basketball powerhouse recently announced its partnership with Adidas Basketball, enlisting Murda Beatz as an ambassador. FEIA joins the Three Stripes’ inaugural select high school class, making it the first Canadian school to sign a U.S.-based deal.

Boys basketball head coach Kemy Ossé recognizes how important this partnership is for the program.

“It helps us recruit even better talent, helps us financially with what Adidas is doing for us and Murda attaching his name is big for us too,” he says. “The next step we are trying to get to is to broaden our reach and to also be able to recruit American kids to the program. Our hope is that the Adidas partnership, Murda being our ambassador, and our track record will all be appealing to them.”

Aside from being an alumnus of the academy, the parallels between the players and his personal journey make Murda the perfect fit for this role.

“They’re all sacrificing their teenage years to do this and pursue what they want to pursue,” Murda says. “And I know how that feels, so I definitely feel a strong connection with the kids. I just want to support them in any way possible.”

This partnership includes uniforms, facilities, and funding for travel expenses. Murda looks forward to sharing some words of encouragement with the students and recognizes that the advice won’t be the same for each.

When he was in high school, his dreams of being a famous music producer were not embraced.

“I just got made fun of all the time. From pretty much kids in my school to teachers, my English teacher, to the principal of the school. Everyone was kind of just bashing my dreams.”

Shortly after high school, his career as a producer took off, working with artists who would eventually become some of the biggest names in music. A far cry from his humble beginnings of sending his beats to classmates on Facebook.

The young athletes must learn to adjust to living on campus in addition to the pressures of being a student-athlete. For many, this is their first time away from home for an extended period. Coach Ossé and the staff are part of their support system as they acclimate, and he understands how difficult it can be to live away from home for the program.

“They’re somewhere secluded. They have nothing else to do but play basketball and go to school. This really helps them grow as teenagers because they live by themselves in the dorms so it helps them be good with their time management, working out, and taking good care of themselves.”

Canada Basketball is at an unforeseen peak, with reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way. There are now more Canadians in the NBA than from any country outside the United States.

FEIA aims to continue that legacy, and Murda plans to be there every step of the way. The 31-year-old has learned a lot along his journey, continuing the lineage of great Canadian musicians who are known around the world. He didn’t become that overnight, and his lasting words of wisdom for the students are powerful.

“Everyone has their own demons and their own personal problems and personal stuff going on in their life. So it’s just about how you turn that into positivity, because pressure makes diamonds or burst pipes. So just got to be on the right side of that.”