PaperTrail: Little Simz
Author: Jamal Jordan, Detroit Hub | jamal@thepapertag.com
PaperTag has implemented a new way to highlight underground artists from all across the world, and it's called PaperTrail. This idea was implemented by staff member Jamal Jordan, to further emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion within the underground community. We hope you enjoy this amazing addition to our platform.
For the first time since it was created, Papertag is traveling to a different country to highlight an underground talent! The first artist we have chosen to highlight in our PaperTrail Series is none other than British rapper, Little Simz.
Little Simz is a rapper from Islington, London, who is taking the rap game by storm. Her earliest body of work was the STRATOSPHERE - EP in 2010 (currently not on streaming platforms). Then, five years later, she released her first major studio album A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons. Between her first EP and debut studio album, Simz has released four mixtapes and five EP's with her independent record label AGE: 101 Music. Her major single from her debut album was Gratitude featuring The Hics, who would go on to work with Bas one year later. Gritty and uncompromising, her first album boldly introduces her to the mainstream rap crowd within the UK. Simz describes her style as experimental rap. However, her flow is what makes her unique within the community. She is a master poet/lyricist, and she also has an astounding sense of wordplay and delivery.
Following her debut release, Simz dropped an EP exclusively on SoundCloud entitled AGE 101: DROP X, with notable features from Isaiah Rashad, Mick Jenkins, Bibi Bourelly, SiR, and Kent Jamz. Then, the following year, she released her sophomore studio album Stillness in Wonderland. Her second album properly excels her to one of the greats within her genre in the UK. Following cosigns from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Simz delivered a well-polished album with standout hits like Shotgun featuring Syd, Phases featuring SiR, Low Tides, Customz featuring Bibi Bourelly, Good for What, Morning (with Swooping Duck), and Backseat, which she performed on A COLORS SHOW. However, all songs on this album are amazing and well worth several listens. Stillness in Wonderland is an honest masterpiece. Emotional and complex, she uses imagery found in Alice in Wonderland to craft an amazing and profound story through her music.
Following the commercial success and critical acclaim of her second album, Simz took a three-year hiatus before releasing another amazing body of work in 2019. Simz released her highly successful and widely praised third album Grey Area on March 1, 2019. Grey Area contains standout tracks like Offence, Selfish featuring Cleo Soul, Woundsfeaturing frequent collaborator Chronixx, and the amazingly produced and performed "101 FM". Within the album, Simzdiscusses her own individuality and her place within a male-dominated hip-hop/rap genre. In doing so, she establishes herself as one of the greatest to ever do it. Finally, she dropped the Drop 6 - EP over one year later during the COVID-19 pandemic. After another amazing body of work, Simz demonstrates that she can never make bad music. She releases hit after hit after hit, and her success should be heard over all courses of the globe.
