It’s a strenuous battle when it comes to loving oneself through flaws and strengths, and Mississuga, ON hip hop artist Vivek Mehmi showcases this internal struggle in his newest single, “Love Myself” — available now.
Serving as a self-reminder to accept his position during hard healing moments, Vivek looks to instill a forgiving message into his listeners. Asking listeners to surrender, and to not be overly critical of the challenges people face daily, Vivek hopes to push self-reflection and awareness onto his growing fanbase. “Loving ourselves sounds cliché, or like a catch phrase used in the spiritual community,” he says. “But it’s really important, and not something someone else can do for us.
“Sometimes we have layers of trauma that need to be healed before we can get to this point.”
It’s a journey Vivek knows first-hand; having a long-held fascination with hip-hop culture and all its grace, he found a passion for breakdancing early in life — studying Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo as if preparing for the dance-off of a lifetime. The fuel for this fire was exposure to groups like A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, and LL Cool J, culminating it-self into Vivek’s eventual dive into music.
Finding himself working closely with musicians throughout his adolescence, Vivek eventually made his way to the renowned Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College. Discovering his voice and fine-tuning his personal sound and vision, Vivek began performing in the local music scene of London, Ontario. The underground hip-hop circles adopted this aspiring artist while he developed his craft — all until things took a dramatic turn.
Staring down the double-barrel shotgun of life, Vivek was presented with a huge obstacle as he started to experience severe liver and skin conditions in 2009. Believing he would need a liver transplant during the course of his life, Vivek spiraled into a deep depression. It wasn’t until 2015 that Vivek discovered a competent team of professionals who could help him manage his condition, giving him a renewed sense of self-worth and the confidence to pursue his music career once more.
It was this renewed sense of confidence that led to Vivek’s debut album, Right as Rain in 2019 — a collection of personal and introspective tracks that were inspired by his life and the challenges he faced.
Fast forward three years and Vivek is still working to spread his message of positivity and self-love all while expanding his horizons and pushing himself as a musician. After winning the 2021 People’s Choice Awards at the MAC Music Spotlight for his video, “Rubik’s Cube,” Vivek has been on an upward climb of musical growth.
Reflecting on his development, Vivek says “‘Love Myself’ explores a new genre for me in indie-pop; all my other music is Hip-Hop... This song is the first time I fully sing on a track… I wanted to be vulnerable.”
Vulnerability is the key influence in Vivek’s newest single, “Love Myself.” “Growing as an artist in my craft, as well as a person is very important to me: To learn from lessons — to not replicate but to evolve,” he continues. “Loving myself is a process, and the growth hasn’t always been linear. But I stay persevering and trust I am on the right path, having positive intentions.”
“Love Myself” is available now: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
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