Haviah Mighty - Way Too Fast feat. Jalen Santoy
Two fluent rappers trade positive lyrics on a compelling cut.
By Kerry Doole
Haviah Mighty - Way Too Fast feat. Jalen Santoy (Independent): The career of Toronto artist, rapper and producer Haviah Mighty accelerated when she won the 2019 Polaris Music Prize, though the pandemic has slowed her momentum somewhat. She has continued to record and release new tracks of a uniformly high quality, as with this brand new cut, one featuring North Carolina rapper, Jalen Santoy.
Produced by Haviah and Mighty Prynce, song started to take form in 2019, a press release notes. That was the year Mighty released her Polaris-winning album, 13th Floor. Mighty explains that, with the Polaris nod, "my pre-conceived ideas around what I was capable of achieving completely withered away. What felt impossible, now felt possible - maybe even probable. I felt this internal surge of self-belief – it was belly deep, at the pit of my core.
"From then on, and to this day, I thoroughly believe I have what it takes to achieve my wildest dreams. This song is a reminder to dream big, and to not put a cap on your goals and limit your potential. As a people, we’ve come so far. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the work that has yet to be done, but sometimes, we have to remind ourselves of the inevitable rewards as well.”
The positive lyrics are traded between Mighty and North Carolina rapper Jalen Santoy, who also has an authoritative flow, while a colourful video, directed by BlackPowerBarbie, completes the package.
Haviah Mighty's 2020 video for Thirteen, a standout from her Polaris Music Prize-winning 13th Floor, was nominated for a 2021 Prism Prize last week. Looking upon the pandemic lockdown as “a window of immense opportunity," she has kept working hard in the studio, honing her production skills, collaborating with others, and writing an array of new music.
Links
Management: Christina Cassaro, Valeo Arts Management
Booking (North America): Mike Graham, APA Agency
Publicity: Ola Mazzuca, Indoor Recess