Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
It’s a shame there are no British female rappers competing with Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea in the charts, but there hasn’t really been a strong enough contender. Little Simz (real name Simbi Ajikawo) could be the one to change that. She’s 20 and has been rapping since she was 9. She’s been known on the London music scene for years, even appearing in the E4 show Youngers, but only now has she released her debut EP Edge (through her own label Age 101). Tracks such as The Hamptons have more of a hipster sound compared to her more typically British earlier work, and is subsequently attracting attention from the US, but she still keeps her London accent and it feels like a fresh take on current trends. Little Simz’s rising reputation has given her some great opportunities, such as performing at the MOBOs and collaborating with producers like Jakwob, so I think it’s time she starts aiming for the top. This could be her moment.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeJYHydnNIQ]