Haviah Mighty

Last updated

Haviah Mighty
Haviah Mighty Performing at Algonquin College.jpg
Mighty performing in 2018
Background information
Born (1992-12-17) December 17, 1992 (age 31)
Toronto, Canada
Genres Hip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
InstrumentVocals
Formerly of The Sorority
Website haviahmighty.ca

Haviah Mighty (born December 17, 1992) is a Canadian rapper from Brampton, Ontario. [1] [2] She rose to prominence in 2016 as a member of the hip hop group the Sorority, before releasing several EPs on her own, most notably Flower City, in 2017. Her first album, 13th Floor , was released in 2019 and won the Polaris Music Prize. [3] After her debut, XXL named her one of the "15 Toronto rappers you should know" [4] and CBC Music called her one of the "New Faces of Canadian Hip Hop". [5]

Contents

In 2021, she released the mixtape Stock Exchange, which later won the 2022 Juno Award for Rap Album/EP of the Year. [6]

Early life

Mighty was born in Toronto and took music lessons in Scarborough beginning at the age of four, before moving to Brampton. [7] Her fifth record is named Flower City in homage to the city's nickname. [2]

Music career

Mighty began producing music at the age of fifteen. At seventeen, she independently released her first mixtape, No Studio, in 2010. She then went on to issue three projects, entitled #EIGHTEEN, Dominant 7eventh, and Bass Loud. [8] [9] She won 'So You Think You Can Rap Canada', a national talent competition, and also got the opportunity to perform at CNE's Rising Star Talent in 2016. [10] She released a cypher for International Women's Day in 2017 together with three other Toronto-area female rappers. The four later formed the group The Sorority together. [11] [12]

Flower City (2017–2018)

In 2017, Mighty released her fifth EP, titled Flower City, garnering media attention and critical acclaim. [13] The album was named one of Complex's favourite Canadian releases of 2017. [14] A song from the EP, "Pull Up" , was named one of the best Toronto tracks of the first half of 2017 by Now Magazine. [15] On September 7, 2018, her single "Vamonos" was featured on the third season of HBO's Insecure. [16] Mighty was announced as a member of the Juno Award Masterclass program for 2018/19. [17] [18] In addition, The Sorority released their debut album, Pledge, in 2018 and toured throughout the year. In 2019, Mighty and Book's song "Champion" was featured in EA's NHL 20 .

13th Floor, Stock Exchange (2019–2021)

On March 23, 2019, Mighty announced her debut studio album, 13th Floor , via social media, and stated that the album would arrive in 2019. 13th Floor became one of the most anticipated Canadian albums of 2019, according to both CBC Music and Exclaim! . [19] [20] The lead single, "In Women Colour", was released to positive reviews and was deemed an anthem by Complex magazine. [21] The record was released on May 10, 2019, to positive reviews. [22] [23] [24] In July 2019, 13th Floor was shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize, [25] which Mighty won on September 16. [26]

The album title is a reference to the thirteenth floor phenomenon, where the thirteenth floor of a building is omitted, due to the number 13 being seen as unlucky. [27] Mighty contends it is "something that we remove from our reality because it is something that we don't understand and therefore we dismiss it", and uses the album to deal with subject matter that she believes many choose to ignore. [27] Mighty has also pointed to the lack of discussion surrounding the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, compared to the second or first amendments. [27]

In 2020, Mighty was featured on Tobi's "24 (Toronto Remix)" and its corresponding music video, along with Shad, Jazz Cartier, and Ejji Smith. [28] Her song "Thirteen" was shortlisted for the 2020 SOCAN Songwriting Prize. [29] She also released a single, "Occasion", in December 2020. [30] The music video for her song "Thirteen", directed by Theo Kapodistrias, won the 2021 Prism Prize. [31]

Mighty performed at the 2021 FreeUp! The Emancipation Day Special . [32]

On November 12, 2021, Mighty released the mixtape Stock Exchange. [33]

In 2022, Mighty toured with Arkells as the supporting act for their Blink Once tour. [34]

In 2023, she participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's song "What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health. [35]

Discography

with the Sorority

Solo

Studio albums

EPs

Mixtapes

Singles

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee/WorkResult
2019 Polaris Music Prize Winner 13th Floor Won [36]
2022 Juno Awards Rap Album of the Year Stock Exchange Won [37]

Related Research Articles

Silk-Anne Semiramis Dawn Craig Kaya, better known by her stage name Eternia, is a Canadian rapper who has released several albums of hip-hop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shad (rapper)</span> Canadian rapper and broadcaster (born 1982)

Shadrach Kabango, known professionally as Shad or Shad K, is a Canadian rapper and broadcaster. Beginning his career in 2005, has released seven studio albums and three extended plays. He won a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011 and five of his albums have been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, the most short-list nominations of any artist in the prize's history. In 2013, CBC Music named Shad the second-greatest Canadian rapper of all time. Shad hosted Q on CBC Radio One from 2015 to 2016, and hosts the International Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution on HBO Canada and Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Halluci Nation</span> Canadian electronic music group

The Halluci Nation, formerly known as A Tribe Called Red, is a Canadian electronic music group who blend instrumental hip hop, reggae, moombahton and dubstep-influenced dance music with elements of First Nations music, particularly vocal chanting and drumming. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, the group consists of Tim "2oolman" Hill, and Ehren "Bear Witness" Thomas. Former members include co-founder DJ Jon Deck and Dan "DJ Shub" General, who left the band for personal reasons in spring 2014, and was replaced by Hill. Co-founder Ian "DJ NDN" Campeau left the band for health reasons in October 2017, with the band opting to remain a duo for the time being.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kobo Town</span>

Kobo Town is a Juno-winning Canadian Caribbean music group, led by Trinidadian Canadian singer and songwriter Drew Gonsalves. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the band blends calypso music with a diverse mix of Caribbean and other musical influences, including ska, reggae, dub, rapso, zouk and hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jazz Cartier</span> Canadian musician

Jahmarie Wishart Adams, known professionally as Jazz Cartier, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his mixtapes: Marauding in Paradise and Hotel Paranoia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Kwenders</span> Congolese-Canadian musician

Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi, a Congolese-Canadian musician. His 2014 album Le Dernier empereur bantou was a shortlisted nominee for the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015, and a longlisted nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. Kwenders, who sings and raps in English, French, Lingala and Tshiluba, is noted for blending both African music and western pop music influences, including hip hop and electronic music, into his style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessie Reyez</span> Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1991)

Jessica Reyez is a Colombian- Canadian singer-songwriter. Her 2016 single "Figures" peaked at number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2017 and was certified triple Platinum by Music Canada and Platinum by the RIAA. Her 2017 EP, Kiddo, led to four nominations at the 2018 Juno Awards, winning Breakthrough Artist. Her follow up EP, Being Human in Public, was released in 2018. It won R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Reyez again won the R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, for "Feel it Too" with Tory Lanez and Tainy, at the 2020 Juno Awards, where she was also nominated for Artist of the Year. Reyez has written songs for Calvin Harris, Kehlani, Dua Lipa, and Normani, most notably penning the hit "One Kiss", and has collaborated with Eminem on multiple occasions. Her debut album, Before Love Came to Kill Us, was released on March 27, 2020, to widespread critical acclaim, and saw commercial success, entering at number thirteen on the US Billboard 200.

iskwē is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.

Clairmont II Humphrey, known professionally as Clairmont The Second, is a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. His 2017 album Lil Mont from the Ave received a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2018. He also won the 2019 Prism Prize Hi-Fidelity Award and is a finalist for the 2020 Prism Prize.

Tasha the Amazon, born Tasha Schumann, is a Canadian rapper, singer-songwriter, hip hop producer, author, and host to the Animalogic YouTube channel. She is best known for her debut EP Die Every Day, which was nominated at the 2017 Juno Awards for Rap Recording of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snotty Nose Rez Kids</span> First Nations hip hop duo

Snotty Nose Rez Kids are a First Nations hip hop duo composed of Haisla rappers Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce. They are originally from Kitamaat Village, British Columbia. Their 2017 album The Average Savage was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize, and for the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2019. In 2018, the duo received nominations for Best Hip Hop Album at the Indigenous Music Awards, and for Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Their third album TRAPLINE was released on May 10, 2019 and was later shortlisted for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize. Their fourth album Life After (2021) was shortlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize and was followed by their fifth album I’M GOOD, HBU? in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 in Canadian music</span> Overview of the events of 2019 in Canadian music

The following musical events and releases happened in 2019 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AHI (musician)</span> Canadian singer-songwriter

Ahkinoah Habah Izarh, better known by the stage name AHI is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He has been a two-time Juno Award nominee for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, receiving nods at the Juno Awards of 2019 for his album In Our Time and at the Juno Awards of 2022 for his album Prospect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sorority (rap group)</span> Canadian hip hop group

The Sorority was a Canadian hip hop group founded in Toronto in 2016. The group originally comprised Keysha Freshh, Lex Leosis, Haviah Mighty, and pHoenix Pagliacci. They released their debut album, Pledge, in 2018. Pagliacci left the group in early 2019 to focus on her own R&B project, TRP.P, while the remaining members continued touring. The trio disbanded after their final show on November 24, 2019 to focus on their respective solo careers.

<i>The Average Savage</i> 2017 studio album by Snotty Nose Rez Kids

The Average Savage is the second album from Canadian First Nations hip hop duo, Snotty Nose Rez Kids. It was released independently in 2017 and served as a follow-up to their self-titled debut. The album was a critical success, propelling the duo into the national spotlight. The album was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize, and nominated for the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2019. In 2018, the album received a nomination for Best Rap/Hip Hop Album at the Indigenous Music Awards.

The 2019 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 16, 2019. Haviah Mighty won the $50,000 dollar prize for her debut album 13th Floor, becoming the first Black woman and first hip hop artist to win the prize.

Oluwatobi Feyisara Ajibolade, known professionally as Tobi , is a Nigerian-born Canadian singer and rapper signed to RCA Records and Same Plate Entertainment. He released his debut studio album Still in May 2019, his second album Elements Vol. 1 in 2020, and his third album PANIC in 2023.

Sydanie is a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. She was highlighted as one of the new faces of Canadian hip hop, specifically in the Toronto music scene, by CBC and The Globe and Mail. Her album, 999, was long-listed for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize.

<i>13th Floor</i> 2019 studio album by Haviah Mighty

13th Floor is the debut album from Canadian hip hop artist Haviah Mighty. The album was released on May 10, 2019, and was the winner of the 2019 Polaris Music Prize.

OBUXUM is the stage name of Muxubo Mohamed, a Somalian-Canadian electronic music producer. She is most noted for her album Re-Birth, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.

References

  1. Gamrot, Sabrina (August 25, 2021). "Brampton's Haviah Mighty wins grant to create music video for "Protest" single". The Star. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  2. 1 2 ""I Feel the Formula Is Not Me:" An Interview with Haviah Mighty". Passion of the Weiss. September 16, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  3. David Friend, "NewsAlert: Haviah Mighty wins Polaris prize for '13th Floor'" [ permanent dead link ]. Times Colonist , September 16, 2019.
  4. X. X. L. Staff (January 3, 2019). "The New New: 15 Toronto Rappers You Should Know – XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  5. "Meet the new faces of Canadian hip hop". CBC Music.
  6. "Here are all the 2022 Juno Award winners". CBC Music . May 14, 2022.
  7. Simonpillai, Radheyan (May 2, 2019). "Hip-hop is built for a voice like Haviah Mighty". NOW Magazine. Retrieved May 14, 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. "Haviah Mighty's '13th Floor' Wants To Redefine Women's Role In Hip-Hop". UPROXX. April 8, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  9. Panjwani, Radhika (July 5, 2017). "Brampton artist Haviah has a 'mighty' strong hip-hop IQ". BramptonGuardian.com. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  10. Panjwani, Radhika (July 26, 2016). "Brampton artists to perform at CNE's Rising Star Talent". BramptonGuardian.com. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  11. "The Sorority, A Rare Four-MC Hip-hop Group, Introduce Themselves on 'Pledge'". exclaim.ca. April 25, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  12. "This all-female rap group is promoting solidarity through hip-hop". cbc.ca. March 8, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  13. "Haviah Mighty captivates the crowd twice at Riverfest". The Ontarion. August 27, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  14. "Our Favourite Canadian Music Releases of 2017". Complex. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  15. Rancic, Michael (July 26, 2017). "The best Toronto songs of 2017 so far". NOW Magazine. Retrieved May 14, 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. "All of the Music Played During 'Insecure' Season 3". Complex. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  17. "Winners announced for fourth annual Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class". The JUNO Awards. September 20, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  18. "PUP, K. Flay, Haviah Mighty, and more tabbed for 'NHL 20' video game soundtrack | Indie88". September 6, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  19. "Here Are Exclaim!'s 22 Most Anticipated Canadian Albums of 2019". exclaim.ca. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  20. "Spring 2019 preview: 15 albums you need to hear". CBC Music.
  21. "Haviah Mighty Just Dropped an International Women's Day Anthem, "In Women Colour"". Complex. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  22. "Haviah Mighty: 13th Floor". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  23. "Haviah Mighty: 13th Floor". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  24. Simonpillai, Radheyan (May 2, 2019). "Hip-hop is built for a voice like Haviah Mighty". NOW Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. "Dominique Fils-Aimé, Les Louanges et Elisapie nommés sur la courte liste du prix Polaris". Voir , July 16, 2019.
  26. "Haviah Mighty Has Won The 2019 Polaris Music Prize For The Album 13th Floor". Polaris Music Prize. September 17, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  27. 1 2 3 "'It is time': Haviah Mighty becomes first full-on hip-hop artist to win Polaris Music Prize" . Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  28. Gordon, Holly (May 15, 2020). "How TOBi made 'history for the culture' with his star-studded video for '24 (Toronto Remix)'". CBC Music .
  29. Allie Gregory, "SOCAN Announces 2020 Songwriting Prize Finalists". Exclaim! , July 16, 2020.
  30. "Haviah Mighty Shares New Single "Occasion"". exclaim.ca. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  31. "Haviah Mighty's Thirteen wins 2021 Prism Prize for top Canadian music video". CBC News, July 26, 2021.
  32. "FreeUp!: This Sunday, join artists across Canada to celebrate Emancipation Day 2021". CBC Arts, July 27, 2021.
  33. "Toronto's Haviah Mighty Releases 'Stock Exchange', a Mixtape of Songs Released Separately Phroughout the pandemic". thestar.com. November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  34. Friend, David (October 4, 2021). "Arkells lock in 2022 Canadian tour with Haviah Mighty, plan shows in U.S. and Europe". CTV News . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  35. Brent Furdyk, "Feel Out Loud: Alessia Cara, Serena Ryder & More Canadian Artists Collaborate on New Single Promoting Youth Mental Health Initiative". Entertainment Tonight Canada , March 2, 2023.
  36. "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2019 Winner, Haviah Mighty". CBC, September 16, 2019.
  37. "Haviah Mighty becomes first woman to win a rap album/ep of the year | Juno Awards 2022". CBC, May 15, 2022.