Sizwe Sibiya
Artists severing the tether of a record label and releasing music independently is a wave which is gathering pace, but no one is doing it quite as well as British-Nigerian rapper Little Simz.
Earlier this month, she released her fourth studio album under her own London-based record label, Age 101 Music, with AWAL Music Distribution Company.
The project has been met with universal praise, and is the latest peak in a career which is bound to keep rising.
In 2015 the rapper, whose real name is Simbiatu Ajikawo, managed to land herself at number 43 on the UK Independent Charts with her debut album, A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons.
Her second album rose 42 places to number one, as did her third studio album, Grey Area, 2019. This and her latest effort are both competing with industry giants Drake and Kanye West’s recent releases.
When you first hear Little Simz you can’t be sure what genre you are listening to. You get lost in a wave of smooth melodic instruments at the hands of Inflo, who produced every song on the album.
Then she starts rapping with a London accent which is infused with her Nigerian heritage.
It is the 27-year-old’s lyricism which stands out. They are a cascade of metaphors and puns which show her creativity with words, while they also share a deep knowledge and a sense of self-pride.
Her singles from the latest album are “Point and Kill” featuring Obongjayar and “Woman”, which brought back Cleo Slo, a singer who also featured on Grey Area. Both songs carry the same energy which lights up all 12 tracks on the album.
Video source: YouTube
