Brampton recording artist Haviah Mighty made a strong impression on Friday with the release of her highly anticipated solo project, 13th Floor.
Originally making her debut in 2010 with No Studio, Haviah’s latest solo offering is a follow up to her 2017 EP, Flower City, which featured standouts like “For Free,” and the project’s title track, “Flower City.” It was well-received by critics and fans alike, but the payoff for Haviah pales in comparison to what she’s already achieved with the 13th Floor; sonically as well as statistically.
“The next time the Grumpy Old-School Rap Head® in your life groans, ‘Whatever happened to *real* hip-hop?’ get some Haviah Mighty in their life.” – Apple Music
Using Spotify as an example: The average view count on Flower City (7 songs) is just over 3,500 viewers per track, whereas on 13th Floor the average view count is just over 23,500 views per song, with the highest streamed track being “In Women Colour” with at 100K views.
The Sorority
It’s not all about the numbers, but they’re a quick indicator that Haviah’s fanbase is growing at a nice rate and with no signs of slowing down. The boost in popularity could also be attributed to the esteemed work she’s put in as a member of the all-female rap collective The Sorority, along with Keysha Freshh, and Lex Leosis (and previously pHoenix Pagliacc).
The Sorority formed after meeting at a cipher hosted by TeamBackPack in 2016 for International Women’s Day, and the group—four members at the time—released the album Pledge in 2018. A statement was released in February announcing that pHoenix had left the group on amicable terms to pursue her solo career. She’s also a member of the duo TRPP.
13th Floor has received high praise from various notable outlets and is currently a main feature in the iTunes Canada store. Critics have noted her growth and emergence onto the mainstream’s radar.
As Riley Wallace of Exclaim! noted: “Straddling the signature sound she fully realized on Flower City, she’s accented the body of work with extremely accessible bops, glossed with a tasteful radio-ready aesthetic.”
Haviah Mighty
The project was co-Executive Produced by Haviah–along with 2oolman of A Tribe Called Red–and features a strong cast of guest features including Sean Leon, Clairmont the Second and Haviah’s sister, Omega Mighty (who is also her choreographer and makeup artist). Producers include 2oolman, Clairmont The Second, Lambo Beats, Mighty Prynce, Obuxum, Taabu, Young Dreadz, and Haviah herself.
13th Floor is intended to be inspirational, and “for the underdog experience,” as Haviah put it. But it also tackles issues of racism and marginalization head-on. On “In Women Colour,” Haviah unloads about skin tone and her ability to succeed in a male-dominated rap game.
CBC is one of several outlets giving the album positive reviews and highlighting it’s message: “13th Floor’s laser-sharp focus is on marginalization, and the additional offence inflicted by the negation of that marginalization.”
Check out 13th Floor below. You can stream the project on Apple Music, Spotify, and all major digital streaming services.
You can follow @HaviahMighty on Instagram.
