When it comes to bridging the worlds of music and video, Fahmeed, widely known as Fahmeedx online, has established himself as a game-changer in the creative industry. Born in Bangladesh and raised in Toronto, the visual artist grew up navigating dual identities: an immigrant balancing heavy familial responsibilities and an artist striving to break boundaries. His passion for creating art that connects people began early, fueled by the explosion of YouTube and his knack for storytelling through motion.
Known for animating album covers, crafting lyric videos, and creating visually striking digital campaigns for some of the biggest names in music, his curriculum vitae includes a long list of prestigious collaborators from Drake, SZA and Nicki Minaj to Ice Spice, Pop Smoke and Meek Mill, to name just a few. In just a few years, the Canada-based artist has grown into a powerhouse of his own, a go-to name inside a bubble many find so difficult, if not outright impossible, to break into.
View this post on Instagram
From the thrill of seeing his visuals on billboards to the challenge of balancing artistic integrity with commercial demand, his journey so far reflects both the triumphs and trials of creating for a living. “It’s a rollercoaster,” he admitted to us, noting that every project is an opportunity to take things further while learning from all the lessons each experience brings about.
With all this in mind, it becomes clear that Fahmeed’s experiences as one of the few Bangladeshi creatives in his field only add another layer to his story. With few peers who share his life trajectory, he’s proving that with the right amount of representation and an abundance of perseverance can lead to impressive careers. Now a sought-after name in the industry, he continues to pioneer new ways of connecting fans to music, championing a myriad of creatives behind the scenes, and proving that passion and grit can indeed transform how we experience and interact with art.
To learn more about the journey that’s brought him to where he is today, we had a quick chat with Fahmeed to hear about his experiences, challenges, and what’s shaped his path along the way.
For those who might not know you, can you tell us who you are and what you do?
My name is Fahmeed, but I go by fahmeedx on social media because some random guy from overseas took my username haha. I was born in Bangladesh, and moved to Canada at the age of 1. I create visuals for some of the biggest artists in the world. I’ve been doing so for 5 years now and I’m just now starting to feel confident in saying that. In any sort of creative industry confidence comes and goes, so I find it important to keep a strong belief in oneself.
Honestly, my job is constantly evolving as the content revolving around music changes. It’s tough for me to say what I’ll be working on next week, or the week after. Similarly, when someone asks me what I do it’s tough to summarize. I dabble in so many different aspects of the creative space – animating artwork, graphics, lyric videos, visuals, concert visuals, edits, vfx, and more. I’ve pretty much done it all.
How did your experiences shape your perspective as a creative in the music industry?
I grew up in Hamilton, a city a bit outside of Toronto, but I left there to come back to Toronto in high school (some quick lore for you). I’m saying this because luckily the low-income area I grew up in had a decent amount of immigrants, refugees, people from so many different backgrounds. I did grow up post 9/11 so there were sadly those few racist kids that would throw the word “terrorist” around every Muslim kid in the vicinity. Subconsciously, I would say I learned to tune out a lot of the noise around me, I never let it affect my creative journey.
I knew from early on I had an interest in the creative space – whether it be trying to make YouTube videos, editing together basketball highlights, playing around in photoshop, etc. I always saw it as an outlet to have as my own, outside of the environment I grew up in. The internet was a place where I could have an identity outside of school, friend groups, and social circles. Of course I love all my friends and family I grew up around, I never hid my interest in creating from them, but I did find peace in having that outlet.
As an immigrant, the creative space is never thought of as a serious career path or way to make a living, and honestly that was the mindset I had as well. I always thought it would be something I would do on the side as a passion, never expecting to earn real money from this.
When I first started earning money from creative work it was the greatest feeling in the world, but eventually I did burn out during COVID as I was accepting every project that came my way. As an immigrant, I had a hunger to want more for my family – so when so many projects and opportunities were coming my way, I had no choice but to tackle everything head on. I went from being a broke, in-debt university student to becoming a serious source of income for my family. From the jump I knew I wanted to move my family to a better space, a larger house. I lived in apartment buildings my entire youth, so I always wanted a bigger space to provide for my family, and be able to flourish creatively. Alhamdullillah I was able to accomplish that, and I attribute that to my immigrant mentality.
Now that I’m more established, I’m able to use those experiences growing up to shape my brand and image as a creative. I love being able to represent where I came from, and show that there is space for our kind in the industry.
Your work bridges the gap between music and motion in a way few others have achieved. What’s your process for turning a song into a visual story?
I wish I had a specific process haha, more often than not it is a case-by-case scenario. If it’s a visual I’m building from scratch – first I do like to sit with the music for a bit, listening to lyrics, soundscapes, the overall vibe of the song, which helps me paint a picture in my mind of which direction to go in. After that, I look at the artists’ branding/imagery across social media and streaming platforms. Most artists do have existing direction in terms of frequent color choices, art styles, which I also take into consideration. From there I can start building out scenes that I feel encapsulate the energy of the song.
View this post on Instagram
As one of the few Bangladeshi creatives in this space, do you feel a sense of responsibility to represent your roots, and if so, how does that influence your work?
My roots are everything to me. I feel that I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today if I didn’t come from that culture and upbringing. I wouldn’t call it a responsibility because that almost gives it a negative connotation. My culture and ethnicity being from Bangladesh is something that I want to represent and push forward whenever I’m able to. Representing my roots definitely influences the way I brand and market myself and my work online. I always try to mention where I came from whenever I have the opportunity to. Showing people that there’s someone similar to them that was able to carve out a career path within the creative space is so important.
You’ve collaborated on projects for Grammy-nominated and award-winning artists like SZA and Drake. How does it feel to have your work tied to such pivotal moments in music history?
To be honest, the industry moves so fast that it’s hard to feel the moment while it’s happening. Even looking back now, it feels like so much time has passed since those moments. For me, it feels amazing being able to look back at those projects because I know how much work led up to those. The work I did on SZA’s SOS project was a culmination of 2 years of working with her, and even more years of grinding up to the point of me being on her team’s radar. Every project I do with her is special because she trusts my ability to create, and allows me to build visuals freely around her flawless lyricism.
People on the outside may treat it as a singular breakthrough moment, but I see it as a confirmation of the years of workload I took on to reach that point. Although, those moments did bring a level of notoriety to my brand and name that I’ll forever be grateful for. I’ve been learning to appreciate the smaller projects as much as the big ones, which is the balance it takes to pursue creativity as a career path.
Tell us a story about when you realized you could pursue this professionally. Was there a specific moment or project that gave you that confidence?
When I got my very first check in the mail from Alamo Records for a cover artwork I designed on Photoshop, it was pretty much go-time from that moment. I say this because I was in my last semester of university when I first started getting paid for my work from an actual record label. It was crazy because at the same time I was applying for entry-level office jobs in marketing (which I studied in university). Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I had gotten one of those marketing jobs. I wasn’t 100% sure that I would be able to pursue creating full-time, but that first check was confirmation that I could actually earn money from it, even if it wasn’t much at the time. I was willing to earn less money to pursue this because I knew I was more passionate for it than any office job. From there I just continued putting in the work and developing my confidence over time, always being quick to accept projects and delivery quality back – which built my name and brand up quickly in the industry.
View this post on Instagram
How did you first connect with some of your favorite artists? Was it a matter of persistence—like sending countless DMs—or did the opportunities come naturally through your network?
Very early on I would be the type to send countless DMs or reach out to artists, but eventually I realized that with dope work and consistency people would reach out to me. The times I did reach out to people after that, would be through my work as well – not through a DM. For example, the lyric video I did for Ice Spice came about through posting a snippet I made for fun on Instagram, her team reached out after seeing it and I was able to build out a full version. The work will always speak more than a DM ever could, and the more consistent you are the more your network will grow and create opportunities for you.
Being a behind-the-scenes creator comes with unique challenges. What steps have you taken to build your name and earn recognition in the industry?
As a creative that does most of their work behind a computer screen, it’s difficult to build a name and platform online. Not being in the scene, or among the artists, you have to find a way to stand out using the internet. Early on I knew that it would be important to showcase my personality and human aspect online. Showing the processes and explaining the stories behind my biggest projects was important in building my name. Nowadays, I try to include my face in a lot of my content as well to show that there’s a real person behind the work, as opposed to posting just the work on its own. Putting my name, face, and personality at the forefront of all of my work was key for me throughout the years.
You’ve mentioned the emotional rollercoaster of creating for a living. How do you navigate the highs and lows of balancing artistic passion with the demands of commercial projects?
It took me years to finally get a grasp of the mental pressure that comes with the industry. It sucks because there’s really no manual to this shit, it’s kind of just figuring out how to balance everything on your own. I’ve learned to always make time for my own projects and ideas because those are the foundation of my creativity. I used to feel so down if something I created didn’t get approved, but now I realize that even in the losses I learned and experienced. Some of those losses led to bigger wins later on, it’s all part of the larger picture of my career.
