03 September 2021 10:51
In every artist’s career there is a record where you try to take the big leap, to move to the next level. For Little Simz that record probably is Sometimes I might be introvert. It is evident right from the percussion and the grandiose orchestral arrangement that accompany the first piece, Introvert. The Nigerian-born London rapper and actress, aka Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, is only 26 years old but has long been a leading name in British rap (Gorillaz wanted her to tour with them in 2017). With this work, his ambitions seem to have grown a lot. If the albums of the past, despite the quality of the arrangements, pursued an aesthetic that was all in all underground and closely linked to the British hip hop scene, Sometimes I might be introvert is a broad spectrum fresco, which quotes the classics of black music (Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Etta James, the Smokey Robinson sampled in the piece Two worlds apart), fishing from jazz and funk with the spirit of someone trying to write a classic.
The 19 songs of Sometimes I might be introvert are built as an inner journey, with the narrating voice of actress Emma Corrin (who played Lady Diana in the series The crown) which glues between one piece and another. Most of the lyrics are autobiographical (the passage I love you, I hate you talks about the difficult relationship between Little Simz and his father, Little Q tells the story of his cousin, who miraculously escaped the violence of the London baby gangs), but they also deal with great themes: feminism (Woman), racism and African culture (the splendid Point and kill, where the Nigerian Afrobeat singer Obongjayar is a guest).
“I didn’t think about it much, it came out naturally. I felt that with this record I had to move to the next level. I was very proud of Grey area, my previous job, but I wanted to go further, put myself and my personal story at the service of the music, ”Little Simz relates on Zoom from his management offices in London. She is sitting on a white sofa, her long dreads tied over her head.
The opening piece, Introvert, is one of the most political. He speaks explicitly of inner wars, apartheid and corrupt politicians. “In the song I say that different parts of the world are living in apartheid, but that’s not new. I wanted to shed light on some situations that are there for all to see, even if many pretend not to see them: that of the Palestinian people, but also South Africa, where apartheid is certainly not over. My heart is with them ”, explains the rapper, who must overcome her natural shyness when she speaks: at first she is much less talkative than you would expect.
Regarding the style of the record, Little Simz confirms that she has looked a long way back, especially with the help of producer Inflo, now known for being the mastermind of the Sault project: “My influences are many. In recent years I have listened to a lot of Nina Simone, Etta James, Marvin Gaye. Inflo and I have been working together for years, we are friends. In the studio we spend a lot of time chatting, as well as making music. We always like to try new things and we do not set ourselves barriers between genres: we do not think that since I am a rapper I only have to do pieces at 90 bpm, boom bap or trap. We like to explore jazz, funk, electronic or indie ”.
In several passages, such as Woman, Little Simz claims two things: to be a woman, and black. “The meaning of such a piece is simple: to create a sense of sisterhood, a fundamental thing, especially towards the new generations. Many black women are carving out an important place in music, something unthinkable ten years ago. But there is a long way to go ”, comments the rapper.
As mentioned, Sometimes I might be introvert is the most autobiographical album of Little Simz, in which he explicitly addresses the theme of the relationship with his father, already touched upon in some passages from the past. “It’s interesting that someone connects with my life through my music. These things may sound new to you, but I’ve been fighting them all my life. Now I feel ready to discuss it more openly, that’s why I wrote I love you, I hate you. I’m not afraid to talk about it, it’s part of my healing process. But I also wanted to tell stories from different perspectives from mine: in Little Q I tell what happened years ago to my cousin, Qudus. He almost died after they stabbed him, was in a coma for two weeks, then recovered. It was about to become yet another good number only for baby gang violence statistics. And this too is nothing new: many young blacks live this reality in London ”.
A famous TV series where Little Simz starred is dedicated to the reality of the London suburbs: Top boy, produced for Netflix by Canadian rapper Drake. In the cast there is also another rapper, Kano. The third season is currently in the works and the rapper will return to acting.
The journey to the roots of Sometimes I might be introvert it is not only biographical, but also linguistic. In the aforementioned Point and kill Little Simz and his host Obongjayar sing in pidgin, the English-based Creole language spoken throughout Nigeria. “Obongjayar made a fundamental contribution to the song, he added his magic. For this piece and for the next one, Fear no man, we brought Nigerian percussionists into the studio. I stayed in the control room to watch them play for hours, it was cool, they seemed to be guided by a spirit, ”says the rapper, who seems more relaxed over time.
In this record Little Simz proves once again that he has an uncommon technique: his flow knows how to adapt in a surprising way to arrangements, he knows how to go slow and rhythmic but also fast and frenetic, as in Rollin stone, which looks like a grime piece. Or like in this recent concert for the US radio NPR, where he interprets the new songs in a brilliant way together with his band. After all, he started doing free style when he was only nine years old. But how did you develop your technique? “I studied other rappers, trying to understand how they fit into their bases, trying to imitate them in front of the mirror. And then it’s simple: I have talent ”, he declares from the sofa. She is shy, but she does not lack self-esteem.
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