That was long before Cardi B had charted with Bodak Yellow and Stefflon Don sashayed on to sold-out tours. Born to Nigerian parents in Islington, Simz starred in various television shows and released a whopping five EPs before her first album, in 2015. Perhaps that’s because the north Londoner was always a touch ahead of her time. “The silence surrounding Little Simz’s name,” said one critic, “has become deafening.” You do not see her name atop festival bills like her contemporaries J Hus and AJ Tracey. Her star has risen in tandem with grime’s renaissance and yet that hasn’t translated into the kind of accolades given to Stormzy and Skepta. Her last album, 2017’s Stillness in Wonderland, was reviewed positively but didn’t reach the Top 100. And yet for the past nine years, Simz, AKA Simbi Ajikawo, has evaded household-name fame. A track with Gorillaz and another that was featured on hit HBO TV show Insecure. A spot on Forbes’s prestigious 30 Under 30 list. There have been props from Kendrick Lamar – who once called her “the illest doing it right now” – and tours with Lauryn Hill and Nas. The 25-year-old rapper has released two albums and will drop her third, Grey Area, this week. T he waiting game can be long and lonely – just ask Little Simz.
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