Little Simz
Simbiatu "Simbi" Abisola Abiola Ajikawo[1][2] (born 23 February 1994),[2] better known by her stage name Little Simz, is a British rapper, singer and actress. She rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums: A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015), Stillness in Wonderland (2016) and Grey Area (2019), the last of which 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 (2021)[3] received widespread critical acclaim, with several publications deeming it the best album of 2021.[4] It went on to win the 2022 Mercury Prize.[5] It also earned her the 2022 Brit Award for Best New Artist and the Libera Award for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record.[6] Her fifth album, No Thank You (2022), was released to critical acclaim. And most recently she dropped her EP Drop 7 on February 9th, 2024.
Outside of music, Ajikawo has starred in the Netflix revival drama series Top Boy.
Early life[edit]
Ajikawo was born in Islington, London, to Nigerian parents.[7] She was raised on a council estate with two older sisters.[8][9][10] Her mother was also a foster carer during her childhood.[8] She is ethnically Yoruba.[11]
She studied at Highbury Fields School in London and went on to attend St Mary's Youth Club in Upper Street, Islington, which pop stars Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke also attended.[12] Ajikawo has credited Mary's Youth Club for its influence on her career, describing it as "the place where it all began for me … a second home".[8]
Ajikawo later studied at Westminster Kingsway College and The University of West London[13] where she pursued her music career from there.[14]
Artistry[edit]
She describes her music as rap and experimental.[15] Whilst she is closely affiliated with the grime genre, she has also pulled inspiration from other genres including reggae, blues, synth-rock and jazzy R&B.[16]
Ajikawo grew up listening to rap artists Busta Rhymes, Nas and Biggie Smalls, which influenced her to pursue a rap career.[17] Lauryn Hill has often been cited as one of her biggest influences.[18][19] Ajikawo stated "I think The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was really my education. Lauryn Hill was one of the first artists that really made me feel the power of music."[20] She also drew inspiration from jazz musicians Nina Simone, John Coltrane and Billie Holiday for her album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Other inspirations include her idol Kendrick Lamar, who called her "the illest doing it right now" in 2015.[21]
Ajikawo met producer Inflo of the R&B band Sault at a youth center, and he would produce three of her albums including Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.[22]
Personal life[edit]
Ajikawo lives in London.[62] She is a childhood friend of actor Fady Elsayed and actress Letitia Wright.[8] Ajikawo and Wright have remained good friends and Ajikawo photographed Wright for the artwork for her single, "Selfish" in 2019.[8][63] Whilst Ajikawo believes in God, she does not currently follow any religion.[64]
In 2018 her friend, model Harry Uzoka, was murdered, inspiring her to write her song "Wounds".[65]
Acting[edit]
Ajikawo's acting career began with the role of Vicky in the BBC children's series Spirit Warriors, originally broadcast in 2010,[66] and as Meleka in the E4 television series, Youngers.[26] She was narrator for the television series, Afrofuturism,[67] and played Shelley in Netflix's revival and third series of Top Boy which premiered in autumn 2019.[68] She appeared as herself in the Sony/Marvel film Venom: Let There Be Carnage, singing her song "Venom" in a nightclub rave, which Venom goes to after his split from Eddie Brock.[69]
Little Simz discography
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