Q&A With Brampton Artist Haviah Mighty

Published May 2, 2019 at 6:48 pm

Haviah Mighty is one of XXL’s 15 Toronto Rappers You Should Know in 2019. She was raised in a musical household in Brampton, Ontario.

Haviah Mighty is one of XXL’s 15 Toronto Rappers You Should Know in 2019. She was raised in a musical household in Brampton, Ontario. She started singing at the age of 4, rapping at 11, and producing at 15. Mighty also won the prestigious 2018 and 2019 Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class. She has opened for many artists such as Sheck Wes, Nelly, Desiigner, Kranium, A Tribe Called Red, and Snoop Dogg. Her new album, 13TH Floor, comes out on May 10. She will be performing live at The Drake Hotel on May 3.

InBrampton recently sat down with the Brampton star to know more about her and her music.

Where did you get your inspiration for your new album, 13TH Floor?
The inspiration for the album came from the idea and concept of marginalized experiences and the fact that those experiences are often dismissed. There’s a concept of what the 13TH Floor represents and in North American culture we omit what experiences that represents. The album can relate to many people because it is similar to anyone’s marginalized experience, which is dismissed and ignored by the public. I am advocating on a standpoint of my personal experiences and sharing my triumph over the things that make me or you different such as my hair, my skin colour or being a female in a male-dominated region.

What was the creative process to create the album?
It was a long process. I put my last album out in 2017 and now I am just releasing this almost two years after. During the two years, I was working with my hip hop group, The Sorority, and working at my full-time job. I was also travelling and experiencing new things. My songs are based on different instances where I’ve made the most growth. I saw what I wanted and what steps I needed to take to get there, and created this album. For example, at my job, I was recognizing that I was being treated differently and learned why I was being treated differently. I was working at a technical job where I was building speakers and dealing with heavy objects. I saw blatant ignorance from certain people. I saw people ask guys for help rather than asking me since I was a girl. These emotions went into the song, In Women Colour.

What music artists do you look up to?
I am admiring other artists in the Canadian industry because it is more similar to me and see the steps they are taking. For example, looking at artists like Jessie Reyez, seeing her trajectory and what she’s able to do. Though she’s not a rapper, I look up to her as an artist and a female. Seeing what she is able to do and watching her stuff is cool. I also look up to the people in my family.
I like any artists who steps outside of a realm of what something is supposed to sound like. I like the older stuff by Kayne West and the way he use to take a sound that is familiar but then add live instruments, like touring with a violinist. Hip hop is more digital and many artists tour with a box to replicate live instruments, so bringing an actual live instrument was different. I am looking at what resources I can utilize to make the best music I can create. I like playing with hardware and gear that can manipulate sounds. I like the concept of doing something different instead of following a trend.

How do you like living in Brampton?
I grew up in East York, which at the time was all Caucasian and low class. There was a lot of sheltering because of the racism. I was never allowed outside or allowed to go anywhere without my sisters. There was always a sense of not being safe in that community. However, I am grateful for that sheltering now. When I moved to Brampton, it was an immediate shift of a new resurgence and a breath of fresh air. Like, “Wow I can ride my bike,” “wow there’s a park up the road and I can go.” I also went to being told that I was a slow learner to being deemed as gifted student when I moved to Brampton. I found the topics and themes that came out in my music now.

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800 ppl, 1600 hands up! #swipe

A post shared by ʜᴀᴠɪᴀʜ ᴍɪɢʜᴛʏ (@haviahmighty) on Mar 30, 2018 at 9:15am PDT

What do you think of the hip hop scene in Brampton?
I think it is great! I think it is in a good place and there is a lot of people putting out a lot of stuff. I think we are finally getting a lot of recognition in the city.

What are your plans for the future?
I am just working on more music. I have not put the record out, 13TH Floor is coming out May 10. I have a lot of shows booked that I hope to execute really well. I hope that the fans perceive the music really well. I am also leaving my full-time job now so I can focus another 40 hours to see what this turns out to and what endeavours it leads into.

How are you feeling about your upcoming concert?
I am very nervous. I think it will be really good and fun. The day is coming, I just need a way to be ready for it! I am performing a lot of songs for the first time. The first singles from the album performed really well and I think all these records are a lot stronger than my older songs. I am excited to see how people receive the song and the entire album. It is definitely scary but I am excited to see people care enough to give the album a listen.

You can read more about Haviah Mighty, here.

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