Simbiatu "Simbi" Abisola Abiola Ajikawo (born 23 February 1994), better known by her stage name Little Simz, is a British

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

and

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. 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 Grey area or gray area may refer to: Music * The Grey Area (Mute), a record label * ''Grey Area'' (album), a 2019 album by Little Simz * ''The Grey Area'' (album), a 2003 album by Onry Ozzborn * "Gray Area", a song by Kaytranada from '' Bubba'' ...

'' (2019), the last of which was shortlisted for the

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

and won the awards for Best Album at both the

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...

and the

NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding o ...

. Her fourth album, '' Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'' (2021), received widespread critical acclaim, with several publications deeming it the best album of 2021. It won the 2022

, and earned her the 2022

Brit Award for Best New Artist The Brit Award for Best New Artist (previously Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act) is an award given by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), an organisation which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom. The accolad ...

and the Libera Award for Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record. Her fifth album, ''No Thank You'' (2022), was released to critical acclaim. In 2024, she was featured on the single " We Pray" by

Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...

, alongside

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He gained recognition in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album '' ...

Elyanna Elian Amer Marjieh (sometimes credited as Margieh; ; born January 22, 2002), known professionally as Elyanna (), is a Palestinian and Chilean singer-songwriter, merging Arabic music with Latin rhythms to create an experimental Arab-pop sound th ...

, and Tini. Her sixth studio album, '' Lotus'', was released on 6 June 2025. Outside of music, Ajikawo has starred in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

revival drama series ''

Top Boy ''Top Boy'' is a British crime drama thriller (genre), thriller television series created and written by Ronan Bennett. The series is set on the fictional Summerhouse Housing estate, estate in the London Borough of Hackney. It focuses on two d ...

''. She also appeared as herself in the film '' Venom: Let There Be Carnage'' (2021).

Early life

Ajikawo was born in

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

, London, to

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

parents. She was raised on a

council estate Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council housing or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011, when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in social housing. D ...

with two older sisters. Her mother was also a foster carer during her childhood. She is ethnically Yoruba. She studied at Highbury Fields School in London and also attended

St Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...

's Youth Club in Upper Street, Islington, with pop stars

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model, and activist. Born and raised in Islington, Inner London, she later attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieve ...

and

Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the talent television show ''The X Factor'' in 2008. Following the show, she was signed to Syco Music and releas ...

. 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". Ajikawo later studied at

Westminster Kingsway College Westminster Kingsway College is a large college for further education in central London with centres in Kings Cross, London, King's Cross in London Borough of Camden, Camden, together with Victoria, London, Victoria and Soho, London, Soho centres ...

and The University of West London where she pursued her music career.

Artistry

She describes her music as rap and experimental. 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. Ajikawo grew up listening to rap artists

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

and Biggie Smalls, which influenced her to pursue a rap career.

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...

has often been cited as one of her biggest influences. Ajikawo stated "I think ''

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill. It was released on August 19, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. Recorded after the Fugees embarked on a hiatus, the a ...

'' was really my education. Lauryn Hill was one of the first artists that really made me feel the power of music." She also drew inspiration from jazz musicians

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

for her album '' Sometimes I Might Be Introvert''. Other inspirations include her idol

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...

, who called her "the illest doing it right now" in 2015. Ajikawo met producer

Inflo Dean Josiah Cover (born 4 June 1988), professionally known as Inflo, is a British producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He helms the R&B music collective project Sault (band), Sault, which foregrounds black-centric issues. Career In ...

of the R&B band Sault at a youth center, and he would produce three of her albums including ''Sometimes I Might Be Introvert''. A financial conflict with Inflo caused Ajikawo to part ways with him and have Miles Clinton James (known for producing Kokoroko) produce her sixth album ''Lotus'' instead.

Career

Music

2015–2017: Career beginnings and ''A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons'' and ''Stillness in Wonderland''

Ajikawo has performed at Rising Tide, iluvlive, Industry Takeover (Urban Development)

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as "the most beautiful theat ...

Somerset House Somerset House is a large neoclassical architecture, neoclassical building complex situated on the south side of the Strand, London, Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The Georgian era quadran ...

and the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. She also performed at the BBC

1Xtra BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts Black music and Urban contemporary music, urban music, including Hip hop music, hip hop and Contemporary R&B, ...

Prom 2015 at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

, alongside a full orchestra led by

Jules Buckley Julian "Jules" Buckley (born 8 January 1980) is an English conductor, composer, and arranger. Career In 2004, Buckley and producer/manager Chris Wheeler co-founded the Heritage Orchestra, with the intention of featuring an orchestra in a music ...

. Ajikawo can be heard on the ''Leave to Remain'' film soundtrack, performing the song "Leave It As That". In early 2013, she appeared on

BBC Radio 1Xtra BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts Black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been ...

to discuss her performance at the Hackney Weekend. Ajikawo went on to do a Maida Vale session for

Huw Stephens Huw Meredydd Stephens (born 25 May 1981) is a Welsh radio and television presenter, currently broadcasting on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music. Stephens founded the Sŵn music festival with John Rostron and the yearly s ...

. She released her debut studio album, '' A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons'', on 18 September 2015. She was given the opportunity to tour with

, and

Kehlani Kehlani Ashley Parrish ( ; born April 24, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. She is originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen pop group PopLyfe in 2011. Kehlani's debut mixtape, '' ...

in 2016. On 12 December 2016 Little Simz released the lead single to her upcoming album, "Poison Ivy". Just two days later, Simz released the album's second single, "Picture Perfect". On 16 December 2016 Simz released her sophomore full-length studio album, '' Stillness in Wonderland'', alongside its comic-book companion, ''Welcome to Wonderland''. In 2017, she performed as the opening act for

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, England in 1998. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (gui ...

during their

Humanz Tour The Humanz Tour was a concert tour by the British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, in support of their fifth studio album ''Humanz''.Sources for shows in North America: * All except where noted: * 2nd San Francisco date: * Austin City ...

, and was the vocalist for the song "

Garage Palace "Garage Palace" is a song by English virtual band Gorillaz featuring British rapper Little Simz, who had been touring with the band and played at the first Demon Dayz Festival with the band where they performed the track and "Clint Eastwood". It ...

", featured on the Super Deluxe edition of their album ''

Humanz ''Humanz'' is the fifth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz, released on 28 April 2017 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and Warner Bros. Records in the United States. It was the band's first studio album released in seven years, fo ...

''. On 11 May 2017, Simz released "Backseat". On 11 October 2017 she released "Good For What", before releasing the deluxe edition to her aforementioned album on 3 November 2017.

2018–2021: ''Grey Area'', ''Drop 6'' and ''Sometimes I Might Be Introvert''

Ajikawo releases her music on her own ''Age 101 Music'' record label with an exclusive distribution licensing arrangement with AWAL Recordings. On 6 September 2018, Ajikawo and her label AGE 101 signed a worldwide deal with AWAL Recordings, after AWAL had distributed her debut album "A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons" in 2015. This deal was renewed on 18 June 2020. On 17 September 2018 Simz released "Offence" as the lead single to her upcoming studio album, ''

''. The album's second single, "Boss" was released on 23 September 2018. The album's third single, "101 FM" was released on 4 December 2018. The album's final single, assisted by

Cleo Sol Cleopatra Zvezdana Nikolic (born 24 March 1990), better known by her stage name Cleo Sol, is an English singer-songwriter. Working closely with her husband, the producer Inflo, Dean Josiah Cover, she has released five solo studio albums beginnin ...

, was released on 16 January 2019, alongside the album's announcement. ''

'' was released to critical success and was nominated for the ''

,'' and

IMPALA The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'', lit. 'black-footed high-horn' in Ancient Greek) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'', and tribe Aepycerotini, it ...

's European Independent Album of the Year Award (2019). On 6 May 2020, while in

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

, Simz released her tenth extended play, '' Drop 6''. Simz announced the title, cover, release date, and pre-order for her fourth full-length studio album, '' Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'' on 21 April 2021. The album's lead single, "Introvert" was released alongside the announcement. The album's second single, "

Woman A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or Adolescence, adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functi ...

", assisted by Cleo Sol, was released on 6 May 2021. The album's third single, "Rollin Stone" was released on 14 June 2021. The album's fourth single, "I Love You, I Hate You" was released on 8 July 2021. The album's fifth and final single, "Point and Kill" was released on 1 September 2021, just two days prior to the release of the album. On 3 September 2021, she released her fourth studio album, '' Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'' debuting at number 4 on the

UK album charts The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Offici ...

and winning BBC 6's Album of the Year. The album would also give Simz her first

win in October 2022.

2022–present: ''No Thank You, Drop 7 and Lotus''

On 6 December 2022 Ajikawo announced her fifth studio album, '' No Thank You''. Once again produced by

, the album found her speaking out about the rap industry on songs such as " X" while exploring themes of mental health in Black communities on songs such as " Broken". The album was released on 12 December 2022 and was well received. Ajikawo performed her song " Heart On Fire" with

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading (, born 9 December 1950) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her first major commercial success came with her third and fourth albums, '' Joan Armatrading'' (1976) and '' Show Some Emotion'' (1977), a ...

during the

76th British Academy Film Awards The 76th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the British Academy Film Awards, BAFTAs, were held on 19 February 2023, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2022 in film, 2022, at the Royal Festival Hall within London's ...

ceremony, held on 19 February 2023. In February 2024, Ajikawo announced ''Drop 7'', her 11th extended play. The project saw a shift to an electronic dance sound and was released on 9 February 2024. At 2024's

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

, on the night of Saturday 29 June 2024, she performed the penultimate act on the Pyramid Stage. Her performance received rave reviews. On the same day, she was invited by British

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

to perform the song " We Pray". The single was released on 12 August 2024, featuring

and Tini, and is part of Coldplay's studio album ''

Moon Music ''Moon Music'' (full title ''Music of the Spheres Vol. II: Moon Music'') is the tenth studio album by British rock band Coldplay. Released on 4 October 2024 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and Atlantic in the United States, it serves as the ...

''. On 26 February 2025 Ajikawo announced her sixth studio album, '' Lotus'', due for release 9 May 2025. She delayed the album to 6 June 2025 due to scheduling conflicts with a film.

Personal life

Ajikawo lives in London. She is a childhood friend of actor

Fady Elsayed Fady Elsayed (born 15 September 1993) is a British actor. He is known for his roles in the ''Doctor Who'' spin-off ''Class'' (2016) and the Sky Atlantic series '' Gangs of London'' (2022). His films include '' My Brother the Devil'' (2012) and ' ...

and actress Letitia Wright. Ajikawo and Wright have remained good friends and Ajikawo photographed Wright for the artwork for her single "Selfish" in 2019. Whilst Ajikawo believes in God, she does not currently follow any religion. Ajikawo is a fan of

Arsenal F.C. The Arsenal Football Club, commonly known as simply Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, North London, England. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. In domestic football, Arsenal h ...

In 2018 her friend, model Harry Uzoka, was murdered, inspiring her to write her song "Wounds".

Acting

Ajikawo's acting career began with the role of Vicky in the BBC children's series ''Spirit Warriors'', originally broadcast in 2010, and as Meleka in the E4 television series ''

Youngers ''Youngers'' is a British comedy drama series created by Benjamin Kuffuor and Levi David Addai. It began airing on E4 on 20 March 2013. It is produced by Big Talk Productions. The series has been picked up for international distribution by B ...

''. She was narrator for the television series ''Afrofuturism'', and played Shelley in

's revival of ''

'', which premiered in autumn 2019. She appeared as herself in the

Sony's Spider-Man Universe Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel Entertainment. Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, the fil ...

film '' Venom: Let There Be Carnage'', singing her song "Venom" in a nightclub rave, which

Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

goes to after his split from Eddie Brock.

Discography

Studio albums *'' A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons'' (2015) *'' Stillness in Wonderland'' (2016) *''

'' (2019) *'' Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'' (2021) *'' No Thank You'' (2022) *'' Lotus'' (2025)

Tours

* AGE101 DROP THE WORLD (2015) * Welcome To Wonderland (2017–2018) * Grey Area Tour (2019) * Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021) * NO THANK YOU (2023)

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1994 births Living people Black British women rappers British women rappers Brit Award winners English women rappers Nigerian women rappers English people of Nigerian descent Grime music artists Actors from the London Borough of Islington Military personnel from the London Borough of Islington People from Islington (district) Rappers from the London Borough of Islington English people of Yoruba descent Yoruba musicians Singers from the London Borough of Islington Actresses from London