Little Simz | Artist

Simbiatu "Simbi" Abisola Abiola Ajikawo aka Little Simz is an English rapper born 1994 in Islington, London. She rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums, the last of which Grey Area was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won the awards for Best Album at both the Ivor Novello Awards and the NME Awards. Her fourth album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert received widespread critical acclaim, with several publications deeming it the best album of 2021. The album also earned her the 2022 Mercury Award, Brit Award for Best New Artist, and the Libera Award for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record. Her fifth album, No Thank You (2022), was also released to critical acclaim. All five of her studio albums are highly recommended. Ajikawo was born to Nigerian parents and was raised on a council estate with two older sisters. She is ethnically Yoruba, of West African origin. She attended Highbury Fields School in London and later studied at Westminster Kingsway College and The University of West London. Ajikawo grew up listening to rap artists Busta Rhymes, Nas and Biggie Smalls, which influenced her to pursue a rap career. Lauryn Hill has often been cited as one of her biggest influences, particularly the album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Ajikawo took on the Little Simz moniker and began performing when attending St Mary's Youth Club in Islington, which pop stars Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke also attended. There she met producer Inflo of the R&B band Sault, and he would produce three of her albums including Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Outside of music, Ajikawo's acting career began with the role of Vicky in the BBC children's series Spirit Warriors, and as Meleka in the E4 television series Youngers. She was narrator for the television series Afrofuturism, and played Shelley in Netflix's revival and third series of Top Boy. She also appeared as herself in the Sony's Spider-Man Universe film Venom: Let There Be Carnage, singing her song "Venom" in a nightclub rave. Little Simz, who is regarded as a musical prodigy due to her extraordinary talent from an early age, has become an authoritative and lyrical rapper and actor, and one of the most notable voices on the hip-hop scene.

Artist Website: littlesimz.bandcamp.com

Featured Albums: Little Simz

Related Artists: Space Age

Collections: Movers Shakers