Emma Beko, a Peruvian-Canadian artists based out of Montreal, came up in the Canadian hip-hop scene as one half of group Heartstreets. The duo has been a staple in the Montreal music scene for almost a decade now, and has opened for acts like Gallant, The Internet, Daniel Caesar and more.
After years of exploring the sounds of Heartstreets, Emma is opting to reintroduce herself as a solo artist. With the experience necessary, Emma is more in tune with her artistry than ever before and it shows with the level of vulnerability that she’s willing to share in her latest single “MHS”. The track, inspired by Emma’s high school years in New York, is named after Mamaroneck High School.
With “MHS”, Emma reflects on a feeling that a lot of us know too well, believing drugs and alcohol will help us fill the voids that we feel as we grow up. As deep and powerful as the song is, there is still an overlaying sense of empathy and understanding that engulfs the song.
“In MHS, I confess that in some cases, [dark times] are just necessary motions we go through in order to grow into the person we are meant to be”.
The nostalgic guitar riff that begins the song is complimented well by Emma’s airy rapping voice, but it is also contrasted well by a heavy reverberated kick. The energy of the video is relaxed and casual, reiterating the fact that the dark undertones of the lyrics aren’t necessarily meant to create an “sad” song, just a real one.
Emma is now a few singles into the rollout of her upcoming project, BLUE, which continues the themes of candid records that “revisit the past, and propel her into the future”.
Check out the music video to “MHS” above and stream the previous singles on your favourite platforms. Also, be sure to check out the digital magazine that Emma and her team put together to celebrate the release of the new singe!