Born and initially raised in Toronto, Haviah didn’t have an easy upbringing. Her family struggled financially for much of her childhood and dealt with racism regularly in their neighbourhood. She recalls going through the Toronto school system convinced she was ‘dumb’. Not knowing what to do with her, teachers placed her in several remedial programs.
That all changed when her family moved to Brampton – a new, promising suburb at the time. People spoke of Brampton with excitement. It was a lot cheaper than Toronto, more spacious, and people could reinvent themselves. Haviah noticed that her school life changed dramatically as well. Teachers supported her and she eventually realized that she was in fact smart.
Giving her the confidence and support she needed to become the bold, illustrious artist she is today, Haviah felt it was a duty to pay homage to the Flower City with an album. She talks of CN Tower insignia on clothing and ‘6ix’ branding saying that she hasn’t seen anything of that sort for Brampton. The EP ‘Flower City’ is set to release in a month’s time.
When asked how she views her role in the male dominated rap industry, she answers poetically
“It’s a man’s world. You gotta learn how to function within it and realize what your value is even if not everybody does. Keep pushing until you get the opportunities that you need. I mean it might take you longer and it just sucks. And the only way you can try and change that is to keep pushing because maybe the girls after you won’t have as hard of a time.”
