Little Simz, whose real name is Simbiatu “Simbi” Ajikawo, had just been awarded the prestigious Mercury Prize in the United Kingdom when she decided, in mid-December, to release an unexpected fifth album, No Thank You. Independent artist for a dozen years, brilliant actress for the series Top Boybroadcast on Netflix, the 28-year-old British rapper is finally recognized in her country.
She even won, in February 2022, a Brit Award as a new British artist. To receive the prize, she brought her mother, of Nigerian origin, to the stage: “Look, mom, what you have done”declared the young woman, before continuing: “I’m from North London. I grew up in a housing estate. I’m an independent artist, and being here tonight is a blessing. I am so grateful. »
This is one of the first awards she receives for her remarkable fourth album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvertpublished in September 2021. Since then, the artist no longer feels so beholden to the English recording industry.
Change of attitude
In the introductory title of the album No Thank You, entitled Angel, performed with singer Cleo Sol and produced by her childhood friend, Inflo, she talks about her separation from her manager, her tour in the United States, canceled for “Protecting Your Mental Health”. On this album, she returns to the essence of her art, using symphony orchestras, mixing African percussion with gospel choirs.. With the energy that characterizes her, she denounces the scourges that still strike her audience: the circulation of bladed weapons in the streets of London, the racism that also affects the recording industry, too slow to recognize the talent of black British artists. , and then depression, while wondering “Why is it still a taboo? »
Little Simz could seem ungrateful, but she reveals very early in this disc the reasons for this change of attitude. She left a manager who made decisions ” in his name “, and describes the consequences that systemic racism had on her. From the first rhymes, she affirms: “Being immortal never interested me. » Although she recognizes in No thanks, who hijacks the tube of his Canadian colleague Drake, God’s Plan, having yielded for a time to the sirens and mirages of glory. On this album, she returns to what she knows how to do best: unformatted pieces, which explore her soul and extend her musical research with Inflo, such as the remarkable Silhouette or X.
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