6ixBuzz

The company has been criticized for spreading misinformation, disinformation, right-wing bias, racism, islamophobia, homophobia, anti-feminism, and perpetuating racial and religious stereotypes, particularly Anti-Asian, Anti-Sikh sentiment and Anti-Indian sentiment. 6ixBuzz began in 2017 as a meme and parody news profile on Instagram with a focus on showcasing Toronto's underground music scene. In January 2021, the company launched a re-faced website and mobile app. Its founders, Sarman Esagholian and Abraham Tekabo, attribute the success of their online presence to the "lack of voice" of communities surrounding Canadian hip hop culture. As 6ixBuzz grew to over a million followers on Instagram, its account has become known for its virality, encouragement of erratic stunts, bullying, and racial divide. A CBC Arts episode in May 2025 summarized this tension: while 6ixBuzz initially served as a voice for underrepresented Black and brown youth, as its influence grew, it isolated those very communities as it spread anti-immigrant, anti-Asian, and anti-South Asian hate and became a central focus of public scrutiny. In 2019, Toronto Life tasked a journalist with interviewing Sarman Esagholian, one of the founders of 6ixBuzz. However, the magazine declined Esagholian's request to keep the founders' identities confidential.