HAVIAH MIGHTY RISES TO THE OCCASION IN NEW SONG
WATCH VISUALIZER HERE
OCCASION FOLLOWS ATLANTIC AS SECOND NEW SINGLE SINCE 2019 POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE-WINNING ALBUM 13th FLOOR
WATCH VISUALS FOR BAG UP, THIRTEEN AND
SMOKE (FT. CLAIRMONT THE SECOND)
Toronto, ON – December 11, 2020 – Polaris Music Prize-winning (2019) Toronto artist, Haviah Mighty, is finishing off the start of a new decade strong. While she has continued to fight to eradicate the stigma and non-existence of the 13thFloor, as told on her 2019 Polaris Music Prize-winning album, setback remains non-existent in her vocabulary. Today, she launches her second new single of the year – Occasion – rising to it with a mission to continue to blaze her path as a music creator. Listen to the song here and watch the visualizer by BlackPowerBarbie here.
“On this record, I focus on the conquest to continue working towards dominating as a music creator. I’ll continue to create through honest introspection, and a desire to lead rather than follow - even if it makes others uncomfortable. Essentially, this song is about the low expectations that people have of those that don’t follow or fit the status quo, and how I’ll push to overcome those doubts and surpass those expectations. The 'occasion' is my downfall, and in this song, I fight its existence,” Haviah says.
Occasion was produced by Haviah, Mighty Prynce and Sauce Junky, and initially developed during an Instagram Live session in March just as the pandemic set in. Sauce Junky, who was on the livestream, sent Haviah the stems, which she later flipped into a beat, including guitar arrangements by Ben Foran and percussion crafted by Mighty Prynce. From fun project to final product, Occasion follows Haviah’s November single, Atlantic, a track examining the ugly truths of money, the roots of unequal labour, and its impact on marginalized communities worldwide.
Haviah wraps the year by continuing to share her story with others; she graces two magazine covers including the November/December issue of Canadian Musician Magazine and NEXT Magazine’s inaugural issue out this month, is included in Post City Magazine’s Toronto’s Most Inspiring Women Of 2020 list, and brought Complex Canada in-studio for an exclusive look at her creative process for their Northern Clutch series.
In addition, Haviah launched the 12” vinyl release of 13th Floor and new merch, including two t-shirts, with a full-colour design by Alexis Eke (who created Haviah’s Polaris poster) a longsleeve featuring Haviah’s logo, and a signature line of rolling papers in partnership with Ziggi Papers, as a limited edition collector’s series. Fans must be 18+ in Canada / 21+ in the US to purchase. Find everything at Haviah’s webstore.
Last year, Haviah became the first Hip-Hop artist, as well as the first Black woman, to win the Polaris Music Prize for her 2019 album, 13th Floor. The project highlights Haviah’s relentless work ethic and vast sonic influences; ranging from classic Rap/Hip-Hop elements to Caribbean rhythms, frenetic electro and diverse instrumentation, while tackling marginalization and racism head-on as Haviah proclaims self-love as a Black woman.
Haviah started a new decade off with U.S. headline shows, a major freestyle on 5 Fingers Of Death on SWAY in the Morning, a performance session for Paste, sets at Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco, The Basement in Los Angeles, an intimate Boiler Room jam in Vancouver, and plans to rock international festival stages (including SXSW, Osheaga, Ottawa Blues, FOCUS Wales and more) before the pandemic postponed events. While international touring remains at a standstill as Haviah eagerly awaits to get back on the stage to perform, she is staying creative in the studio and actively advocating for change in the community.
About Haviah Mighty
Haviah Mighty didn’t need to change her birth name when she decided to dedicate her career to music. In fact, Mighty couldn’t be more accurate a word to describe the artist, named one of XXL’s 15 Toronto Rappers You Should Know in 2019.
Raised in a musical household in Brampton, Ontario, Mighty started singing at the age of 4, rapping at 11, and producing at 15.
Well-known for being one of the three MCs who make up The Sorority — a hip-hop group born during an all-female cypher on International Women’s Day in 2016 — Mighty is making equally large waves as a solo artist.
Haviah has been releasing music independently since 2009, but it was her project, Flower City (2017), that propelled her solo career into further success. Mighty’s Polaris Prize-winning album, 13th Floor (2019), is her most fully-realized project to date - making history as the first Hip-Hop artist and the first Black woman to ever receive the award. Garnering overwhelming praise from the likes of Pitchfork, Billboard, Hot New Hip Hop, and Lyrical Lemonade to name a few, Haviah continues to carve out spaces that boldly defy gendered expectations for women in Hip-Hop.
Haviah’s explosive live show, filled with in-your-face intensity and her fast, technical flows, has also quickly developed her reputation as one to keep an eye on, earning her opening slots for acclaimed artists like Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Redman and Method Man, Sheck Wes, Nelly, Desiigner, and Kranium.
Listen to Occasion | Watch Occasion
Listen to Atlantic | Watch Atlantic
Listen to 13th Floor here | Purchase 13th Floor on vinyl here
Photo by Yung Yemi (@yung.yemi)
DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Press Photo | DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Occasion Artwork
