Born and raised in Ontario Canada, Hip-hop and R&B artist, “Mischa” is based out of Ottawa, Ontario. Mischa began writing music in her early teenage years and was influenced by her friends who were musically inclined themselves. After a lot of dedication to her music working with various of artists, and releasing catchy melodies, Mischa has found a unique way to add a pop flavor to the hip-hop tunes she creates.
Mischa released her single and video “Up Now” and this was a BOP. I was fascinated by the transitions from her singing to her rapping and she had this unique ability to make hip-hop look more vibrant. “Up Now” is a catchy song that is bound to become glued to your memory. After the first listen, you’re instantly replaying the single due to how addictive it is. This is a major sign of an artist who knows how to gain traction to her music. The lyrics were clean-slated with a well-executed flow and delivery. The rhythmic motion in the beat represents the pop elements that are weaving in-between with your standardized hip-hop components. “Up Now” is a song that has you feeling bright, charismatic, and fun. These optimistic vibes are just radiating through its listener, and it was enough to transform you into a fan of Mischa. She raised the bar high, now we’re excited to see how she keeps this momentum!
Listen to “Up Now” here and get to know more about Mischa below!
Check out Mischa's new EP "Like, Whoa" here!
What’s up Mischa! Welcome to BuzzMusic. How was it growing up in Canada? Was your artistry influenced by your environment?
Hey! Thank you so much for having me. Canada is an amazing place. I currently live in the Capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. Ottawa is such a great city. The music scene is really developing from when I first moved here in 2015 and it’s amazing to grow with it. I grew up in Kitchener- Waterloo, Ontario. It’s a small town with some amazing people. I go back to visit as often as I can! I have also spent a large amount of the time being in Toronto, since KW and Toronto are about an hour in distance and a lot of my friends and family live there. That’s the city where my music started out of. So that’s a shout out to the 613, 519 and 416!
I think the first time I ever wanted to see if I was capable of rapping was when I was 17. I had an extremely talented friend named Spiff, who would listen to instrumental hip-hop beats and freestyle over them. I would low key, go home and bring up instrumentals on my laptop and freestyle. I would either write down what I remembered in a notebook or I would record the cypher on my phone. Then one day I was like “okay, I can do this.” and started freestyling to him and I just never wanted to stop. So growing up, he was the one that really got me into it. I’m so grateful he did.
What was the ultimate vision behind the music video for your single “Up Now”?
I knew I wanted to film a music video at this location as soon as I heard the beat. I knew this was going to be the single on the project “LIKE, WHOA.” I didn’t want this video to not have a theme. I’m such an organized person. I quickly put this plot together and knew how to bring it to life. I called up Quest, told him the plan and he was instantly on board with it. I had the pleasure of bringing on Stephanie Plouffe, Jonny Brown, Vante Poems and WLFKT to the cast and crew. We all worked so well together and just overall had the most fun with it. The video was filmed at Ward14, this hidden gem in Ottawa. It’s a consignment bar. Everything inside it is for sale! Except for the penguins in the video, those are mine. Anyone who knows me, knows how much those penguins mean to me! Honestly, I wanted this video to be a vibe with some of the people I care about most. Why not drink Moscato out of a teapot at 3pm on a Monday? I mean, it makes blowing up a 6 foot inflatable flamingo and filling it with colourful balls a lot easier!
Were there any obstacles you encountered in creating this record?
Organizing a music video takes a lot of time, effort and hard work. You have to have a vision. You have to have a plan. The difference is in the details. But to be honest, I really feel like all of the finer details are my strong suit. I’m blessed that everything was just amazing with this track, video and the whole EP.
Can you tell us more about your project “LIKE, WHOA”?
“LIKE, WHOA” is a 5 track ep produced by Dvd2x, recorded/mixed and mastered by Geoff McNeely and written and performed by myself. This ep is a big project for me as it not only closes a door but opens a new one at the same time. There were things that I had to battle in the past 2 years that would have made it very easy for me to give up my career as a hip-hop artist. However, these same things pushed me to want to be my absolute best. I found with some of my older music, I wasn’t being as true to myself as an artist with how I wanted my music to sound. I started making the change about 10 months ago when I realized I had found my sound. In “LIKE, WHOA” there are some hidden references and elements from some of my earlier music as I wanted it to take those elements to close off that chapter. At the same time, in “LIKE, WHOA,” I showcase my sound and express that you haven’t heard all you’re going to hear from me.
What's next for you?
Oh my favourite question! I’m having a huge ep release party on the date “LIKE, WHOA” is released so I’ve had my hands full with a lot! I am currently finishing off writing an album that is set to release in 2020! I won’t say too much, but I’m excited. I have a project with Vante Poems on the go titled “Head over feels”. It’s set to be released later this year. I’m also in the midst of collaborating with a few Canadian artists. On top of that, I absolutely love performing. So I will be releasing more show dates shortly!
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