British rapper Little Simz has never been shy about calling out discrimination and exploitation. Her new album, No Thank You, released in December 2022, takes aim at the music industry itself. The record criticizes those who profit from musicians’ work but turn a blind eye to their personal struggles, like depression or drug abuse. On the opening track, “Angel,” Simz expresses her regret about signing unfair contracts with record companies:
They don’t care if your mental is on the brink of something dark
As long as you’re cutting somebody’s payslip
And sending their kids to a private school on a spaceship
Yeah, I refuse to be on a slave ship
Give me all my masters and lower your wages.
Just like in the Kanye West song, “Spaceship,” that she nods to in the line, Sims compares present-day exploitation to historical systems of slavery and colonialism.
Simz’s record industry qualms seem to be part of a bigger question: what should the 28-year old do with her hard-won success? The track “Gorilla” reflects on how Simz got to this point in her career—from underground prodigy to commercially successful artist facing high expectations. Sonically, the song returns to a stripped-down, drum and bass-heavy palette used on her breakthrough 2019 album, Grey Area. It’s not the only time on No Thank You where Simz seems to be consciously revisiting an earlier, more unburdened period in her career. If her new album is any indication, fame has been a challenge for Little Simz, bringing as many dangers and temptations as opportunities.
At the same time, few could deny that she merits success. Even before the release of her debut record in 2015, Simz had gained a reputation as a grime virtuoso, earning praise from critics and peers alike. At the time, Kendrick Lamar went as far as to call her “the illest doing it right now” in a BBC Radio interview. Her early work already showed her characteristic combination of technical ability, fiery energy, and introspective, socially-conscious writing. Since then, the production on her albums has improved, and become more diverse. While early releases reflected Simz’s UK grime roots, her last three studio albums were produced by Inflo—the secretive British record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist behind the R&B collective Sault, and the first Black man to win “Producer of the Year” in nearly 50 years at the 2022 Brit Awards.
The first album Inflo produced for Simz, her 2019 Grey Area, was a breakout critical and commercial success—her first to chart in the UK. And for good reason: crisp, stripped down instrumentation leaves plenty of space for Simz’s voice, which is more than powerful enough to fill the rest of the mix. According to Simz, Grey Area was recorded over a one-month period in 2018. As she explained in an interview shortly before the album’s release, she had “some things to say”. An undercurrent of heartbreak and betrayal haunts the album and gives an edge to Simz’s voice. Her sense of urgency and intensity is apparent in both the conceptual and personal content on Grey Area. On “Pressure,” she talks about systemic issues of climate change, police violence, and poverty, and later expresses bitter anger and disappointment about a romantic partner who let her down. The song begins with Simz rapping over sparse piano chords:
The same [people] that be killing off the planet
Are the same [people] advising you...
But I don't lose, I refuse
Take a walk in my shoes
Or any other young Black person in this age
All we ever know this pain
All we ever know is rage
“Pressure,” and Grey Area as a whole, exemplify what makes Simz’s work so gripping—her ability to talk about significant social and personal issues with a deep sense of musicality.
Simz's 2020 album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, was also a triumph. More spanning and lush than either Grey Area or No Thank You, and significantly longer, it interrogates Simz’s family life and Yoruba background, and reflects upon a violent attack on the rapper’s cousin. It also incorporates more elements of R&B -- likely thanks to producer Inflo -- and rich orchestral arrangements.
Little Simz displays a rare degree of artistic maturity and technical mastery-- especially for someone less than 30 years old. Whether she’s airing grievances with the record industry, or exploring complicated family relationships, Little Simz’s original writing and seemingly effortless lyricism make one of the most exciting rappers on either side of the pond.
