Vivek Mehmi takes a long, hard look in the mirror with his latest single and video Love Myself — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Mississuga hip-hop artist’s latest single not only spotlights his own internal struggle, but hopes to spread a message of self-reflection, awareness and forgiveness among listeners. “Loving ourselves sounds cliché, or like a catch phrase used in the spiritual community,” Mehmi 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 he knows firsthand; 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 in Vivek’s eventual dive into music. Discovering his voice and fine-tuning his personal sound and vision, Mehmi began performing in the Ontario music scene and released his debut album Right as Rain in 2019.
Fast-forward three years and Vivek is still working to spread his message of positivity and self-love while expanding his horizons. 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. And he’s continued to push himself as an artist: “Love Myself explores a new genre for me in indie-pop,” he says. “This song is the first time I fully sing on a track… I wanted to be vulnerable. 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. 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.”
Watch Love Myself above, hear more from Vivek Mehmi below, and connect with him at his website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
