Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Stylish album. Little Simz is a cool rapper with her own voice and the beats complement her well, making for a satisfying and enjoyable result
Boof
A real badass, great beats, really cooks all the way through.
For some reason British hip-hop delivery does something for me. Instrumentally it's pretty great. Love the distorted drums and the synth lines. Some of the tracks are hit and miss but overall pretty strong.
I've really enjoyed listening to this today!! Is it horns or pan pipes on the opening track? I particularly like the song Offence and the message but also the sounds and excellent rap skills exhibited. Great artist, love this album I'd like to listen again to the entire thing. I hear some references to other rappers I love and this makes sense that their inspirations are people I also enjoy. Would like to get more into Little Simz and listen to more of their albums!
I liked it, I thought the lyrics were really good and I'm pleased to have discovered her. Not sure I gave it my full attention though and would like to go back and listen again sometime.
This was really good
Good stuff!!
Surprised by this one
Hip-hop femenino mezclado con soul, pop... Venga, un 4.
Me gusta como cantabla. Hip hop rap rápido.
Gran disco.
"Selfish" y "101 FM" están muy buenas. 9/10
This is great stuff! I was drawn in from the beginning and stayed there. Strength and impact, and superb dynamics, syncopation, and performance on the vocals. Underlying rhythms and beats and harmonies work well with what she's creating. I need to hear more of her work.
This album was great! Solid hitting lyrics and wordplay, and greats beats without sounding like an overproduced monstrosity. Had me bopping in my chair all morning!
Some great sound I this hard hitting UK hip hop that works but she sounds like a scared girl.
It’s some good Brit pop. And has “there she goes” on it.
Little Simz is a talented rapper and this is a really intense and heartfelt album. However, rap isn't really my thing.
Amazing rap album. Super cool.
This album is so good. The production is stellar, Little Simz is a great rapper, I should listen to more of her. I loved this.
Track one opens with a bold jazz sound that I dig a lot more than I imagine I will the vocals. Not a fan of English rap in general, but so far this is alright. Enjoying through track 2, Simz cleverly avoids the drill style that she could easily fall into and instead opts for a more classical hiphop sound. It's a little Minajy but with the pop elements stripped away to leave something rawer and less produced. Good - Boss, 101FM, Venom Bad - None really. Art - It's stark, the face and sit coupled with the trainers in the background make a nice impact.
2019 is shockinglu recent. A part of me feels albums should take more time to digest before making this, but i'm trying to shake that off. This feels really different and is clearly worth putting on the list. Strong 4.5 for me - really impressed with how concise the album is while still being a powerhouse.
Lovely, minnir mig aðeins á Gil Scott Heron
Really enjoyed especially Venom
Really liked this one especially Flowers
Solid British rapping, but I could do without the sung bits.
Great album. Been meaning to listen to this for a while. Didn't disappoint.
Pretty sick rap album. Great, gritty beats and intense stylistic rapping. I dig it.
Someone’s having a rage year- full of anger and frustration. Listened through this short album twice, and really liked it.
Powerful beats, lyrics.
Nice hip hop
Great stuff
I quite liked this album. I liked the beats and some of the lyrics.
Gostei muito, rap britânico para diferenciar um pouco das mesmices do trap dos Estados Unidos. Nunca escutei little simz, e curti bastante a estética.
1001albumsgenerator has a pretty bad track record with 21st-century albums. (Exhibit A: Heaux Tales.) A very stripped-back sound. The percussion takes centre stage in most songs. But it's a hard-to-describe sort of percussion. Over-distorted to the point of completely bludgeoning the mix, but yet somehow in a sort of tasteful way. And it records quite a few real honest-to-god instruments instead of sampling them – something of an anomaly in the modern rap/hip-hop/R&B scenes. Plus, no interludes. Heck yeah. The first two songs, Offence and Boss, are similar enough that I consider them parts 1 and 2 of the same extended track. In the latter, the lyrics are ridiculously weak – I held out hope that the later verses would revive the song somewhat, but no. Just an endless repetition of vocal-filtered "stop fucking with my heart" and "nerd, you was my dream fool (little bitch)" and various other curses that cause me to chuckle a little because they're so musically inert. Fortunately, we get a pretty big spike in quality with the slick modern funk piece Selfish. A strong, if perhaps a bit anonymous, chorus. The biggest change, though, is our first melody on the record – which will always jumpstart a lacklustre sound. The acoustic guitar in Wounds is easily the song's highlight, reminiscent of that of Muse's Screenager. Some sort of exploration on the instrument, maybe a solo or two, would've been pretty sweet. In what is presumably GREY Area's lead single, Venom, we start with a nod to romance-classical symphonic music in those intense, semi-clashing violins. The song itself is fine, I guess. Passable. Little Simz's rapping vocal is almost absurdly generic (this could be pretty much any young English woman), and combined with the lack of other instruments and stripped-back production, she doesn't really establish her own "sound". I wonder what some of these critics saw in her. The floaty, echoey synth in 101 FM is just great. Remove the vocals and give your audience three minutes of noodling with the synth instead. Or scratch that: ten minutes. Make it a prog track. Pressure, Therapy, and Sherbet Sunset are all pretty straightforwardly uninteresting. I'm crawling through a desert of bland vocal delivery in search of just a tiny droplet of virtuosity, of interesting melodies or harmonies/chords, of a song that gets its point across without slurring/cursing. I'm parched. And now I'm dead. At least Sherbet Sunset has a decent chorus, with those multi-octave choral vocals along the lines of C2C (or, honestly, a huge portion of 2010s pop). At least we end on a fairly positive note. Kiwanuka's contribution in Flowers cannot be understated. Plus, the piano and trumpet are pretty great. Nice soft backing vocals, too. 3/5 Key tracks: Selfish, Wounds, Flowers
3.5 Sault and Little Simz back to back days for me, Not on this album but little simz point and kill is a burner. This was decent she kinda has a bit of an Eminem flow to her rap, maybe, idk?
3 1/2 Stars: Rap and Hip-Hop is not my genre, but I know enough to be a little dangerous. Crazy how I've never heard of Little Simz. One of those UK artists that never broke through to American charts. She's sharp, great rhymes and the beats have this kinda sound that leans jazzy. I liked it and wouldn't be mad if I found my way back to her.
Good grooves.
I see British hip hop from 2019 and I prepare for the worst, but this is really pretty decent. I wouldn’t go out of my way, but I wouldn’t turn it off if it were on.
I always enjoy when I get a Rap album and I love British Rap. I love how universal rap has become. Exploding out from America to the world you can tell that the delivery and beats of rap are universal. Will listen again.
British rap. What is wrong with the critics on this list? Pretty much every American MC should be on this list before a single rapper from another country is on it. She is much better than Skepta or Dizzee Rascal. I recognized Chronixx's voice from Eternal Light by the Free Nationals. Wounds has kind of a Dr. Dre 2001 vibe. Yes, everyone judges you because you're a woman...it has nothing to do with the fact that you aren't as good as other MCs. Halfway through I can confidently say Little Simz is the best British rapper I have ever heard. It's growing on me. Michael Kiwanuka is not a positive addition.
Great album, very creative. Not my favourite genre but enjoyed it.
Pretty ok rap album
se parece a jaden smith
UK rap is hard for me to listen to - the accents just throw me off each time. Her delivery was a little unconventional at times, but kept things interesting. I'd give this a 3.5, but I'm not okay with a 4.
The beats are good. I didn't relate to the lyrics but I respect the album. It was good to listen to while I did some housework today.
Very well done
A reminder that there's some excellent hip hop in the UK that I've never taken the time to explore. And I should address that.
English hip hop. The backing tracks are generally pretty interesting, sometimes rock, sometimes funky, sometimes downtempo or lounge. 101 FM was a highlight with a really interesting synth loop but the DJ at the end ruined it. Offence also wasn't bad.
This was much, much better than expected. Really solid for what I know of post 2010 hip hop. 3.5
completely new to me and not something I would normally seek out, but really pretty good.
First of all, yes please to more representation from women rappers. Little Simz has an excellent flow and is lyrically gifted. I really connected to “Pressure” and “Flowers” but none of the other tracks jumped out to me despite her obvious talent. The album feels thematically dense and I have a feeling it improves upon multiple listens.
I really like this album's beats, basslines and meaningful lyrics. Little Simz is totally adept at rapping. Like really good. Liked Songs Added: Sherbet Sunset
liked this more than i expected. usually im not really into british rap
Good
Pretty good 3.5/5
Lyrics are not my thing, therefore rap is not my thing. My brain goes deaf to it now because of it and maybe it shouldn't. Here, I appreciate the input, not the output. More glad to hear something 21st Century.
This album definitely does not need to be on this list. It's fine, but I fail to understand what makes this an album you have to listen to before you die. If it came out in 1994, sure, but today it's pretty vanilla. Okay, I slept on it more, and it's perhaps a little better than I gave it credit for. Not sure why this one is so controversial in my mind, but maybe I need to listen to it again.
Knock me over with a feather, a hip hop album that isn't 90 minutes long. Really, really enjoyed the production. Somewhere between a 3 and a 3.5
Refreshingly honest and vulnerable, and I love most of the backing tracks. There's always something a wee bit off to keep from this from being really good, but I enjoyed listening.
Like 50 shades of GREY Area. Another subjugated, angry female wrapping poetic wid a Brit gangsta accent. 101FM is the top track, but they’re all sending a massage. (3.2*s) I thinks it’s time we put a pussy in power.
Who is this woman ?? Absolutely insanely talented she has a voice can do R&B and rap. Surprised is an understatement.
British hip hop is quite fun.
2.5. Like some of the beats
I had a little hesitation before hitting play on this album. Not knowing who Little Simz was and only seeing her described as an English rapper, I was concerned I wasn’t going to like it. While that wasn’t necessarily true, since this style of music usually isn’t my jam, I ended up enjoying GREY Area for what it was—and I especially appreciated that the album is only 35 minutes long. Its lean runtime was a major factor in my positive review. A lot of rap albums are weighed down by filler, skits, and interludes, which make it difficult for me to want to listen to them in the first place. Not that a relisten is guaranteed with this album either, but it was refreshing to hear Little Simz deliver a tight, lyrically sharp rap record that simply gets in, lays down her best work, and then gets out. Kudos to her.
I had some trepidation when I saw what kind of music this album contained, but I was pleasantly surprised. The lack of programming and use of actual instruments in the songs really kept this from being a complete pile of shit.
lovley
Como para escuchar de fondo
7/10 - 101 FM is a highlight, some good RnB beats mixed with the London vibe
Love her speedy delivery even though it was difficult to understand her lyrics - my ears can’t hear that fast.
Why didn’t I know that there’s a young female version of Busta Rhymes in the UK? She’s extremely talented at rap! The content is not as objectionable as some of the other rap recordings I recently reviewed and that is a breath of fresh air. I can tolerate some use of foul language, specifically the n word, as long as it’s not constantly used in every song. It’s a distraction from the actual content and rarely is necessary. The amount of that language approaches but doesn’t quite cross that line. Let’s say 3.5 stars
ich habe wenig Zugang zu Rap aber war gut und es war schön zu bemerken, dass es einen breiten Stimmungsbogen gibt, der sich durch das Album zieht.
I like the sounds but also I can't take it seriously... that one reviewer was right when they said this is like someone posting on facebook. Maybe she could redo it in Simlish :)
Have heard of her, but never gave her a listen. I think this album made me a convert.
Ok but again, not something I would probably chose to listen to.
Bonne surprise !
Nearly a 4. I like the angst, but I’m left not 100% sure as to what it’s about.
Sim, Simmer, who's got the keys to my bloodclart Bimmer. First time listening to this album though I became familiar with Little Simz after listening to some of her moe recent stuff and feels like she should have been a headliner at Glasto a couple of years ago. I like her delivery and the first couple of tracks were great but those where she takes a back seat just aren't as captivating.
Best UK rap I've heard through this project. Just on that, not much of a statement, but this is very solid - consistent, good flow and beats, and not too long.
Liked a couple of tracks, but mostly not for me.
different to what i normally listen to but i enjoyed it
Very explicit but very good.
Could grow to 4 stars, my first introduction to Little Simz. Liked it, will listen again!
Her voices is a little annoying but it’s good.
Nothing to incredible or mind blowing but it was a nice album and she did spit some good rhymes
A pleasant enough listen, but I won’t listen again.
Lyrically somewhat interesting but sound is not my personal favorite.
This was ok? Some tracks I just didn't enjoy (boss), some were ok (selfish). 3* on average, not sure it's in my wheelhouse.
As a Gen Xer that grew up on 80s and 90s rap, it was good to hear a rapper actually talk about some things that matter. Not sure if I’d explore more from this artist in the future, but this was a decent listen.
Not my thing and it got worse towards the end, but it was fine.
Omg! Venom I loved this song!
I mean it’s alright but today’s st pattys day so fuck them Brit’s aye!
Lil Simz is legit. Solid flow with real, thoughtful, and personal lyrics. Consistently cool instrumentals with solid basslines; there’s always a solid groove to back her up. It’s a good listen that benefits from repeated listening. But it’s also just missing that magic that sticks in my mind and makes me need to revisit it. Good not great UK hip hop album and I think she’s only continued to improve with time.
Not quite my bag of treats, but I liked the whole. Brit rap is very distinct, besides the obvious, and this one is no different. The funny thing is I feel like every brit rapper sounds super nasal, like they've got a stuffed nose. I'm not big on lyrics and that goes for rap as well, which may seem weird as the whole genre of music is highly word focused, but I can enjoy the flow of words as instrumentation of sort. Lil' Simz did fine on this front, but her backing tracks were also very cool to listen to. Strong 3/5 nearing 4.
Good vibes.
Not my usual genre, but interesting and I don’t hate it. Would consider listening again.
idk, kinda okay. maar iets te grung/rocky voor een rapalbum
A pretty weird choice for a 2019 inclusion!! I like trip-hop and I guess "UK rap" shares some qualities with that, but it also shares things with "amelodic r&b with slurs in". (Slur count = 31.) You'd think the Britishness and lyrical density would lead to some cool language observations, but apart from frequent use of "and them" (which we have in central PA also), nothing much stood out to me. The lyrics are okay, but retreading a lot of previously trodden ground. Beats are fun, but I'd like them a lot more with some woobly singing instead of rapping. Ah well. I dunno if this is really a 3, but a 2 feels too harsh. If I didn't speak English it'd probably be a 3, so I'll round up because I think the last few tracks are not bad. Highlights: the lyric "Some people read The Alchemist and still never amount to shit" (probably true), 'Sherbet Sunset' (I like the la-la-las), 'Flowers' (horns!)
First 3 songs got a creative kick in them, but then the rest of the album going downhill. even the most famous song "venom" isn't really impressive except for the few angry lines that all over the TikTok edits.so 3 starts for the first 3 mid songs.
Starts off very strong but looses it's touch
I came into this really prepared to like it, and it is good but a bit below my very high expectations. Still good, and got better as it went on. Like a lot of rap and hip hop, it's very dense and needs a lot of concentration to fully appreciate. A second listen didn't much change my opinion or impressions. I like it but I don't love it.
I liked Venom, Therapy, Sherbet Sunset, smooth when it was some good rhymes
precisely okay to me. i've not heard little simz before but i can see her talent, even if this didn't work that much for me. the immediate thing is that her flow is really pleasant. across the album her delivery is consistent and well-paced. i have to wonder if this is an album i would warm to on future listens because "sherbet sunset" is an immediate standout. i respect the vulnerability on a track like that. "flowers" as well featuring michael kiwanuka whose self-titled album i recently gave a five too is just really nice. probably will keep an eye out for simz in the future.
Started off pretty cool: Nice beats and fresh rapping. But it became a little repetitive after a few songs.
Its a really good album
Rap is not my go to genre but this was OK.
Pretty messy at the start but ends up being a really strong album, close to four stars
Stylish and brash. The closer, Flowers, was a standout track. Just beautiful.
Nice and easy to listen to. I liked the instrumentation
Fav tracks: wounds, venom, 101 FM The production is so fire, the lyrics are creative! Little Simz definitely had a unique flow
It’s no secret I don’t care for rap, but I do appreciate when rappists have real and interesting music beneath their litanies of vulgarity and racial slurs. This album kept my attention. There are creative beats and sounds here, and yes, real melodic and harmonic content—and it’s pretty good. I even dug some of the actual rapping. For that alone I’d like to give this record a 3.5 but I can’t.
wheeeeeeew
I’m slowly finding examples of rap and hip hop albums that I enjoy, and here’s another one. It helps that it’s from a British perspective and much more relatable than yet another millionaire gangsta rapper. Little Simz grew up on a council estate in Islington during the 90s and 2000s, and her songs reflect her experiences ranging from playing Crash Bandicoot with her sisters to the dark side of gun culture that some other rappers choose to glorify. The music is satisfyingly funky and experimental in places, and the rhymes and rhythms are easy to follow with lots of detail to enjoy. Definitely a hit with me!
favorites: offence; selfish; fm 101
This was a solid hip hop album. I've never heard Little Simz before, but I liked her voice and flow and it's a record I would probably appreciate more and more on future listens. 3.25/5
Cool rap jamz.
This was pretty chill. It's not really my genre, but I found the music to be really relaxed and enjoyable, and the singing/rapping was smooth and sophisticated sounding, without being overbearing or annoying. If I enjoyed this genre more, I'd give it four stars, but I have to drop it just because I probably wouldn't ever listen to this again. Three stars.
Great voice
Very meh. I’m not much of a fan of 21st century hip hop, and this will not change that opinion. Started reasonably promising, with Offence bringing something worth listening to, but from there it was downhill. Boss seems to be a contest of how many times she can get nigga into a song - in fact a whole verse where every line ends with it - booooring. Little Simz does have great flow, but the delivery tends to be flat and uninteresting. Venom does deliver with lines about ‘pussy in power’, and Selfish is a bit more poppy which seems to work well. At least she gets the job done in reasonably quick time without resorting to never ending skits or other gimmicks.
This was a good modern rap album! Good flow, good style, just not my usual pick.
This is one of the newer albums I have seen generated on this list. I was surprised that despite it being so recent I hadn't heard of the rapper before nevermind the album. Under these circumstances I had pretty big expectations that this album must stand out. I think it was a pretty solid album and I did enjoy it but I'm not sure I fully get what makes it special enough to be considered one of the greatest of all time. The mix and production was really well done, Little Simz herself is a super talented rapper, but I did find the flow a bit repetitive and theme of each song was also a bit repetitive so it made the whole thing feel a bit cookie cutter. I did enjoy it but hesitant to give it full marks for being stand out or special amongst a sea of other similar releases in the last 5-10 years.
The first song is crap. The album does improve as it progresses.
I didn't know her. This was actually quite a nice listen. Nice beats and rhythms, a broad range in style. Better than most current rap or hip hop.
I didnt think I would like this but in fact, I enjoyed 3 or 4 of the songs here.
Not bad, I quite liked it. 3.5!
twas alright
Well, it wasn’t mumble rap, so that was a win right off the bat. British rappers are more miss than hit for me; seems like their style are more for the youth. This album was alright, some creative beats and legit rapping talent, there just wasn’t a lot for me to latch on to from track to track. Socially conscious rap from England isn’t for me, so I can’t give it more than a 3/5
Solid enough. Some of the lyrics in the backhalf are quite clunky.
I enjoyed the album overall, and was very impressed tat she managed to keep a recent album (as in 2019) down to a concise 35 minutes runtime. And while it's not really a genre that I listen to much, I also appreciated the wide range of styles and lyrics (and actual singing at times) in the compact album. The highlights for me were probably the tone-setting opener "Offence", "Wounds", and the Portishead-inspired "Venom" (with a surprisingly stressful lyrics video); I was also reminded (in a good way) by "101 FM" of Boots Riley's quirky TV Series "I'm a Virgo", and appreciate seeing Michael Kiwanuka appear in "Flowers". I also enjoy the chance to listen to British rap/hip-hop, as it always seems grounded in a different heritage than US West-vs-East-Coast strutting.
Offence and Selfish were my favorite tracks on this album. The rest went by in a disgruntled blur.
Extremely listenable and fresh sounding. Clear and not overproduced.
Felt like music I'd hear in a trendy (expletive friendly) coffee shop. Found myself nodding along on occasion without ever feeling the need to work out who it was, or to seek it out again.
Enjoyable. 3.5 stars
The background music was good and the vocals were easy to ignore.
well, if they choose "sometimes i might be introvert", my willingness of listening to this would increase tenfold cause that album's really hyped on rym. but anyway this is a really nice piece of work. i like the flow. the beat are also so irresistable. her bri'ish accent just makes things better. 3/5
Got some crazy flows, few great songs, few a little meh all in all very good
This surprised me. It’s slap bang in the middle of a 3 and a 4, but alas, there are no half stars here.
a message to the owner of this account: fucking moron
Not really into rap. The texts were good with rhythm and meaning, but what mostly gets me to like the album or song is the melody. Liked only 3 songs.
Authentic, grounded rap with real presence. Lacking a clear thematic or hit anchor (maybe Venom?), it lands at a strong 3, with the weight of a 4.
First listen
Another album that I wish I could give ratings with .5 increments. She gets the benefit of the doubt so my 2.5 will be a three. To be fair, rap is not my genre.
Great album, though I did not connect with a handful of songs.
Started off very strong but as it mellowed out in the back half I lost interest.
Pretty good rap! I like quite a few of the musical arrangement, even if most songs don't quite capture me
Interesting British rap
Pretty good, I liked Selfish the most
Well I sure like the musicality. But Dang I sure don't know why I need to here this before I die. Not changing my world. I like it and it engages me but. I should add I am not a fan of the rapid-fire style.
I know people who say she’s amazing live. I enjoyed this but probably not enough to go to a gig.
Pas mal. Not sure it's a "must hear before you die" album, but it went down smooth enough.
Had enough musically to make me want to listen to the lyrics more closely which is a good sign. Never got beyond enjoyable
Digging this.
A little 1001 surprise. Found this actually fairly decent to listen to, for a grime/rap album. Had a bit more nuance than some others in the genre, this felt like an album that benefitted from coming in on the back of years of rawer, grittier grime but made possible by a clearly intelligent and gifted artist. Found myself enjoying the wordplay and while normal tropes are deployed, not enough to drown out the good stuff. Plenty said about what it’s like being a woman in that world but not surprising and sort of think fair play on that front. Not my bag but this is good.
Its got tight bars and decent beats. I generally quite enjoyed it but wasn't ever completely taken with it. I have realised that what I look for in hip-hop is a sense of humour. I want ridiculous, hyperbolic lyrics that aren't for being taken too seriously. This album seems to take itself very seriously and, although I can still appreciate it's technical quality, it loses marks in entertainment value. Honorary mention for 'Venom' which has a line about "licking batty", something I think we can all agree we need more of in popular music.
It was good, just not convinced it is a "must listen before you die" album. How did this even get into the list?
Lovely, gritty, funky beats frame the work of this alluring streetwise UK rapper. Tough and sensitive, with impeccable flows, Little Simz takes us on a tour of her inner and outer worlds. I was surprised to see this was a 2019 record, it felt to me very much like a product of that great flowering of grimy British rap from ten or fifteen years prior, there's something cozy and nostalgic about the moods here. A nice, energizing listen that doesn't overstay its welcome.
First of all, the backing tracks are AMAZING - fantastic sound selection and production. Little Simz has great flow and clearly has Things To Say as a Black woman in the 21st century. I'll admit that I'm not used to a London accent in rap - there's nothing wrong with it, of course, I just need to tune my ears to it. As I've said on a few other rap album reviews, it really deserves more attention to the lyrics on another listen(s) - the rhymes are intricate and dense, and I'm not sure where she breathes in some of these tracks. Favorites for me are "Offence", "Pressure", and especially the aptly-named "Venom".
Pretty Decent
It was ok.
I liked how tight the album was, without the frustrating skits and interludes that you hear on a lot of American hip hop albums. The songs themselves were fine, but not that exciting. The only Little Simz song I've heard, that I'd go out of my way to listen to again, is Point and Kill, which isn't on this album.
I'm a rap fan, so I looked forward to this when it popped up. Maybe I'm old and the game has left me, I could not connect with this. Obviously, the artist is talented and there are some nice beats on here, but can't say I liked it.
Not my favorite from Little Simz, but a solid album that doesn’t overstay its welcome
British rapper, good wordplay, but not my overall vibe. Reminds me of Lupe Fiasco. There were several skips. 101 FM and Therapy are keepers. This would be good to listen to while studying.
3- Stars (7/15)
Better than expected but doesn't rise above a 3.
Generally not a rap fan, but honestly a pretty solid album. Simz brings a unique perspective to the genre that I enjoyed. I also just listened to Kiwanuka’s album before this so it was fun hearing him again on the last track
Bombastic and gentle in equal measure. Some very good songs amongst some so-so offerings. Selfish is an excellent song in any era
Decent rap but not something i will remember
Enjoyed this. Perhaps a little bit "American" for me, lacking that quirky, domestic, ironic edge of my favourite British rap. Although at times it did remind me of Krept & Konan, which was fun. And I liked that a couple of tracks pulled in some unexpected musical influences, like Bhangra and Jazz.
Enjoyed it, different sometimes lo-fi(?) beats, Little Simz has a good flow. Tracks not as in your face as "Might Bang Might Not" but overall decent album.
I really like her voice and her style. She’s very clear with how she pronounces words and her lyrics and rhyming scheme is literal poetry. Enjoyed my time, and I look forward to hearing new music from her.
01) Offence - 6,5 02) Boss - 5,5 03) Selfish - 7,5 04) Wounds - 7,0 05) Venom - 7,0 06) 101 FM - 7,0 07) Pressure - 6,5 08) Therapy - 6,5 09) Sherbet Sunset - 7,5 10) Flowers - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,75 (68/100) Current ranking: 494/750
Not a big fan of rap, but I liked this – thoughtful and lyrical.
I like it!
It was okay. Kinda repetitive
I’ve heard SIMBI but never this. Should be good. — This wasn’t SIMBI level and it didn’t have any bangers on the level of Picture Perfect which introduced me to her when I heard it in I May Destroy You, but it’s still really good and I’m largely rating it like this because it’s my first and I’m assuming that I’ll be very discerning with my 4s and 5s, as well as expecting a little more from Simz. It’s also a little discomforting to listen to this album now knowing how things ended up with this producer; but that didn’t impact my rating and would apply to SIMBI too anyway. Glad I checked it out and I’ll definitely be revisiting.
Unsurprisingly, had never even heard of Little Simz until just now. 30 seconds into the first track and I LIKE this.
Guardian readers would lap this up
Pretty good voice for rap, she uses it well to generate a lowfi/r&b mix, mixing in good melody lines to balance her rapping.
Venom.
3.5
3.1
Good aye
a few ok songs, but some were goofy or repetitive. low 3/5.
Enjoyed several tracks, including 101 FM. Some were far outside my music preference.
I mean, she's obviously a gifted emcee. The music has no soul though. Overproduced and shallow. Seems like Little Simz would sound good with a strong, distinctive producer behind her. Maybe her later stuff has something like that going on. This sounds like an early album, like still developing or something. It's fine but doesn't seem like it should be on this list.
Really great album.
it was ok
There's little doubt that she's talented but I think she's done better stuff. Some of this sounds like her sixth-form poetry.
Interesting album. Had a couple bangers that I really enjoyed, but the others fell a little short of expectation. 3/5.
The production on this album is absolutely amazing. You can definitely hear that UK grime influence, which really helps it stand out from a lot of other hip hop albums. As for the rapping, I personally prefer the more laid back tracks where she just flows along with the music. Those moments feel more natural and enjoyable. But when it shifts into the more aggressive tracks with a lot of attitude, I just can’t take it seriously. She honestly sounds like an angry teenager or frustrated kid. And maybe this is just coming from me being older, but as a listener, it feels kind of self degrading to be looking for insight and wisdom from someone who probably wasn’t even old enough to legally drink at the time this came out.
Enjoyed it
Little Simz was a surprise! Would have added a fourth star if her name started with "Lil'."
Was unfamiliar with MC Little Simz, overall a decent listen
very interestingly textured from the outset; the production on ‘offence’ is super layered, perhaps a bit crowded at times, but compelling regardless. did find myself cringing at specific lines. girlbossed a little too close to the sun with 'i'm a boss in a fucking dress!'. adore cleo sol and her voice is a gorgeous, grounding presence on 'selfish', a soft antithesis to little simz's fire. overall intriguing production but perhaps not refined enough, and lacking in lyricism. 2.5/5
Not nearly as bad as most of the rap albums on this list. That being said, I still don’t really care for rap. I will admit there were a handful of songs that had me nodding my head. Also think it’s cool that she shouts out some of her inspirations. Standout Songs: Selfish 101 FM Flowers
Female rappers have a hard time breaking through in America, so it’s easy to miss an artist like this if you’re not really plugged into the hiphop underground. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very plugged into in 2019 and missed this. Much like Leikeli47 or Angel Haze, Little Simz has some bangers here that I’m frustrated more people don’t know. I haven’t dug into her other albums yet, but I’m sure there are other gems in there too. Added to my playlists: “Venom” - based on Spotify listens, this was the big single. “101 FM” - this was the track that popped out at me on every listen through the album.
The production on this album is absolutely amazing. You can definitely hear that UK grime influence, which really helps it stand out from a lot of other hip hop albums. As for the rapping, I personally prefer the more laid back tracks where she just flows along with the music. Those moments feel more natural and enjoyable. But when it shifts into the more aggressive tracks with a lot of attitude, I just can’t take it seriously. She honestly sounds like an angry teenager or frustrated kid. And maybe this is just coming from me being older, but as a listener, it feels kind of self degrading to be looking for insight and wisdom from someone who probably wasn’t even old enough to legally drink at the time this came out.
The flow was nice, though at times repetitive. I enjoyed this album, with “Selfish” being my favorite track by far.
Enjoyed the listen, she's angry as fuck and says nigga a lot, but there was more nuance and depth than I expected. Nice surprise.
3.5
Massive points earned for making an album that is actually album-length (35 minutes) compared to the colossal 70-minute albums that artists seem to always drop these days. Also great flow, and, importantly, the music portion is carefully crafted and has nuance (American hip-hop artists, take note). Nevertheless, the British accent always makes me chuckle. 3.0/5.0: Good
appreciated the real instruments on the tracks, otherwise not alot stood out to me. venom was the only song i really enjoyed
Was aware of Little Simz but never listened to any of their stuff. The album was a good length and had a decent flow to it. Very listenable as well which surprised me.
Feel a bit mixed on this one. The music and vibe is good with decent variety, nice to hear some real instruments in rap. She’s also got a nice lyrical style, but to a point. I just find the London estates patois rather cringe, and generally it started strong but faded a bit. Scrapes a 3.
Second half of the album is better than the first half
7.25/10. Totally not the vibe I usually go for. Not bad, just not my thing
It was Fine but it didn't feel particularly noteworthy. Kind of generic really.
Surprisingly dope little album
GREY Area is somewhat in an awkward spot -- bold and confident, but its potential not fully realized.
refreshing to hear an album of steady quality, and with strong beats, good use of space, that does not overstay its welcome. (several recent listens have been 73 minutes, CDs crammed full of third and fourth rate leftovers.)
Quick lyrics. Good beats. Similar to Eminem in speed. Quality example of British Hip-Hop/Rap.
5/10
First rap album on my list and was pleasantly surprised, considering I've never heard of her
This was interesting and fun. Great beats.
I don't hate rap, but I think there's a ceiling to how much I can enjoy it, primarily because it doesn't deliver emotion the way singing does. I enjoyed this album somewhat. The lyrics are sharp and the tracks lean towards an organic sound, which I like. And British rap will always get a little bump just because the accent adds a level of interest. Bonus points for going with Little Simz instead of Lil' Simz.
Je donnerais 3,5/5. L'album après est bien meilleur à mon avis.
She’s ok, late 2010’s rap but not that memorable
Although not my thing, I did listen to the whole album
Finally a hip-hop album with less than one hour running-time. ;) Nice drum-and-bass-lines. Surprisingly good.
Interesantes sonidos, a pesar de no ser el hip hop un género que me apetezca.
You can tell that this one is high quality from the onset. Lots of really good lyrics and fantastic beats throughout. 5/10
Impressive grooves. Not the type of album I would include in a list like this. Phrasing is clunky throughout. The ideas certainly are not uninteresting but this isn’t groundbreaking. I would listen to this again. But for something so recent to be included in this list you’d think it would be uncontroversially great. This strikes me as a good album, by a developing rapper who still has a good deal to work through with respect to maturity in the turns of phrase and poetic discipline. Again, I enjoyed the production but it wasn’t world bending. Favorite track: offence
Best British hip-hop album so far on this list by a wide margin of the 4-5 I've been tortured with so far. It's not bad.
Good, not great. Almost unheard of outside of the UK.
It was fine. I liked it. Not interesting enough to check out her other stuff anytime soon.
This was a good surprise. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics but just let the music and beats flow. I definitely like hip-hop more than I thought I did.
Rap is altijd gevaarlijk bij me, want daar heb ik mijn tax wel bij bereikt. Als ze in track 2 al weer begint te gooien met n- en b-woorden, haak ik bijna af. Maar gelukkig blijft het verder redelijk beperkt. Uiteraard is ze boos op de wereld en vooral op mannen die haar niet serieus nemen. Zolang ze die bozigheid dan muzikaal uit, mag dat van mij. Muzikaal gezien vind ik het wel interessant. Ik heb het gevoel dat ik op een wereldreis mee ga, want het ene nummer hoor ik Jamaicaanse invloeden en vervolgens juist weer Japanse geluidjes. De snelle raps worden begeleid door of een vette beat, of een dikke bas, of eerder genoemde computergeluidjes. Ik haal er ook af en toe wat Daft Punk deuntjes en invloeden uit. Het wisselt redelijk af, voelt redelijk modern aan. Het blijft niet mijn muziek, maar aangezien het interessant genoeg was om te luisteren en het na een half uurtje ook weer klaar was, wil ik hier nog wel een voldoende voor geven.
How many Black, female, UK rappers can I name?? Just this one. This is a prime example of the type of music I would absolutely never find on my own if it wasn’t for this challenge. What do I think of it overall? Eh. It’s fine. The beats are all pretty catchy. Vocals are a bit of a mixed bag, frequently bordering on just being obnoxious and a tad cringy. This is on the borderline of a 2-3 for me. Call it a 3.1. Favorite song is the opener, “Offence”, strictly because of the beat. Probably going to forget about this one fairly quickly, but honestly I really am glad I listened to it. Liked it enough to at least give it a 3 after all.
I really liked the flow but it was a bit too mellow and nothing really stood out.
I don't know what it is, but English rappers sound so funny to me. The accent just doesn't work with the music style. That being said, I did enjoy this album. Nothing I would ever listen to myself, but it has a great style. I like her flow. It's just so funny when the heavy English accent comes out on specific words. It always makes me giggle.
It’s fine but nothing special
Cool stuff
Beats are catchy and her cadence and lyricism are solid.
Liked it. Felt kinda sad.
Well made HipHop with impressive lyrical deftness and flow while the instrumentation is funky and engaging. Too bad it's not my genre.
Este disco los escuche cuando se iba a acabar el mundo, joya interesante...
As far as female UK rappers go, Little Simz is probably my favorite. Never heard before. Likely won’t listen again. But didn’t hate it.
I do enjoy a hiphop with a heavy british accent for whatever reason. I'd never heard of Little Simz but this was pretty good. Not someone I'll likely follow or seek out again but worth listening to.
7/10
adri: 7'5, buenas barras y buen ritmo. Aun así no es mi estilo del todo. Me pareció muy interesante al principio pero me fue perdiendo un poco. mar: 6, el estrés del dia no ayuda a mi nota. Algunas canciones 10/10, como album se hace algo cansado.
Little Simz is a force—her debut was sharp, fearless, and undeniably stylish. Her lyrics are polished and tight, but still full of soul. She brings clarity and poise to every bar, saying it exactly how it is: raw, real, and human. She’s in her feels, and you feel it too. There’s a sovereign style to her delivery—confident, unbothered, and uniquely her own. She really killed it.
I was immediately filled with dread when I saw Little in the name. What distinguishes rappers that have "Little" as their first name from "Lil'"? Well exemplified here, this "Little" is British and demonstrates a vastly superior skill with their production, arrangements, beats, verse, musicality, and delivery; (as opposed to the Lil's, who are mostly American, boring, thematically irrelevant, overwhelmingly same, and just mumble and suck ass in the hardest way possible). My dread was unwarranted. Although not totally my taste, I always appreciate music that takes risks. I bookmarked a couple of these, specifically "Venom" and "Offence," which are totally outstanding. She has a real gift for that rapid-fire rhythmic verse delivery that totally sets this apart from what passes for rap and hip-hop in this era. The screaming chick in "Boss" comedically reminds me of comedian Leslie Jones wildly hollerin'. Dude at the end of "101 FM" needs to STFU tho. Surprisingly hyped to hear this while I wait to go see Wu-Tang Clan live for the first and last time tonight.
A surprisingly first impression followed by an OK.
Great beats on this album. Really dig the flow.
I like Little Simz as background for the naked beats and the percolating murmur of the vocals, but I don't know if this is even the best Little Simz record, much less for this list.
Ive never heard a British hip hop record before (no, not even Mos def), but I liked this more thani thought I would.
What is that accent?...Can't quite pin it down...oh, right. BRITISH. But I won't hold that against her. She's great. I'm certainly no hip-hop scholar but to my ears, she borrows heavily from more of the old-school and blends it with her take on things. Smart sampling. Groovy loops. Fun stuff.
I wasn't expecting it, but this was pretty cool. I actually vibed with it.
3 stars
I did kind of like this, but it is just not an album I see myself coming back to again.
While this is a good album, it certainly lacks the polish on her later releases. I especially liked the tracks Venom and Wounds. 3/5
A little weird to be what I want from rap. Maybe it's technical, maybe it's influential? I don't know. I just know it's not for me.
This is a unique rap album in many ways. Firstly it lasts just 35 minutes. A huge selling pont for this rap neophyte. 2nd, each song has a very distinct sound, giving the album a nice air of eccecticism and surprise. Each song has a slow burning intensity and some very sympahetic arrangements that serve Simz distinctive british raps. 3rd the raps are literal and deliverd with an anglo charm that gives the whole album an air of sophistication. very enjoyable 3.5 stars
Paljon parempi mitä kansi antoi ilmi. Pelkäsin jotain cloud tai muuta räppiä, mutta brittiläistä hyvää hiphopia, voidaan varmasti puhua sellaisesta. Mikään ei erityisesti noussut esiin biiseistä, mutta tasaisen hyvä albumi.
turns out I get on with British rap much better than American. While not completely my thing, this is pretty good.
Another one where i can appreciate the skill and artistry, but it's just not my kind of thing. Not sad I've listened to it, and i can see why it's popular, but i probably won't be coming back.
Pretty good - bit of grit there
It has an unrelenting pace. Sometimes it feels likes she's posing or trying too hard though.
Was okay. A rarity for a recent album to be so short, which is in this album's favor. 3/5
Okay. Little Simz Flow is not really smooth and quite monotonous, her lyrics not funny or otherwise outstanding, and her voice has too little pressure for the fatter beats.
Tror da va streit
Grey day away from the UK
Cool beats and a unique voice
Not my jam— she does spit I do admit
Prima rap
It was good, I thought the beats and instrumentation were pretty creative. Fun listen
I enjoyed this, never heard of Little Simz before
Sinänsä erikoista tälle genrelle etten vaihtanut kanavaa. Jumputuksessa oli siis jotain kiinnostavaakin
Tähän oli ihan miellyttävää ajomusiikkia. Paljon mieluummin kuuntelen tällaista selkeää, selvästi tarkasti mietittyä brittisoundia kuin muminaa.
Понравилась Venom, но в целом хип-хап не ложится мне на душу.
The music is more interesting than the lyrics.
only heard 'venom' from her before, the rest of the album was nice the flow was there and i mostly enjoyed the beats and samples.
5/10
It wasn't awful, but nothing resonated with me.
Beats are good, lyrical content is a little immature. Live instrumentation makes this engaging, diverse, and thoughtful if not necessarily compelling.
Det er ganske bra. Kjedelig i lengden.
While I don’t think I’ll ever intentionally listen to this again I didn’t have a bad time worn it. Admittedly hip hop isn’t my preferred genre but I was able to groove to this. That is until the N words start being dropped. 3/5
Enjoyed this! I've heard some of Little Simz's more recent work but it was nice to go back into something early. Solid, focused tracks, good instrumentals. Lyricism didn't blow me away but it worked well. Good album.
Good, not really my thing though.
Pleasant enough listen but it's not for me.
This was good and I enjoyed most songs. I didn't really connect with most of the lyrics, and I don't love Simz's delivery most times, but this album was well put together. Beats were almost always good if not great, and everything just felt well put together.
Before this I would’ve just said… I HATE LITTLE SIMZ and some of this (boss/venom) epitomise the points of what I don’t like in her, the shitty london voice and the overuse of slang/ vulgar language. Which saying that makes me sound older than what I am. But offence was a great opener. And wounds has a great feature. Also the final trace has a feature from a guy I like. 3/5
It was okay. Not really my thing. Nice there was actual instruments and not just all beats. Not sure I would have added to the 1001 list though.
Hip Hop is not my goto genre and I admit I am not the audience the artists are seeking. This was a nice departure from the "big name "Hip Hop" artist themes and that was refreshing. Also more melodic arrangements, even if the vocals did not vary much in tone.
Little Simz has an impressive delivery and some interesting beat selection. The beats on this album provide most of the variety in style but they all still fit together surprisingly cohesively. I didn't feel that there was any real message behind the lyrics. While the pace of Simz delivery is impressive flow style also felt one dimensional. Overall I'm always happily surprised to find modern rap artists that I have never heard as it is my favorite genre. Simz has skills but I don't think she did enough to break into my normal music rotation. The songs are not very catchy and the lyricism doesn't stand out. My favorite songs on the album were Venom and Flowers.
Very nice
Meh. Not bad, but it didn't grab me. 2.6
I remember this being a big critical hit a few years ago. I enjoy it okay.
Not sure why or how it’s on this list
Had some good tracks, but this not something I'd play repeatedly.
Didn't expect a reference to Kurt, Jimi, and the whole Forever 27 club in a track on a rap album, but here we are. Guess it fits with her only being a few years away from that consequential age when writing this album.
Not really my preferred style of rap. The flow is good though and the beats are cool Standouts Offense Boss
Þessi fór á fóninn eftir að rappaðdáandi komst að því hvað mér fannst um Jay Z þannig að kannski er ég að gefa plötunni aðeins meiri séns en ég hefði gert í mínum eigin bergmálshelli. Mér fannst þessi samt bara allt í lagi þótt ég muni líklegast aldrei hlusta á hana aftur
This was quite enjoyable, had not come across her before. Would listen again.
Very cool. I really did enjoy this quite a lot more than I expected, even if it's quite an intense assault. But yeah, her flow is superb and it's lyrically really dense and powerful.
Not my cup of tea, but at least it’s under 40 minutes.
Dit album kun je niet los zien van de uitermate productieve reeks van het mysterieuze funk/soul/R&B/dance/alles ensemble SAULT, die startte in 2019. Met Inflo als producer, en collabs met leden/affiliates van SAULT, leest 'GREY Area' als de Hip Hop uitlaatklep van de groep. Maar daar doe je Little Simz wel te kort mee, want met haar charisma en kenmerkende flow zet ze zichzelf bij dit album voor het eerst écht op de kaart als de Queen van UK rap. Door de signature song 'Venom' weten we met wat voor vrouw we dealen, en dat ze de 'male-dominated scene' op haar grondvesten tracht te schudden. Die boodschap schijnt al goed door, maar haar betere social commentary wordt gepresenteerd op het album na deze. Deze voelt nog ietwat onvolwassen, en de grooves van SAULT en haar ijskoude deliveries plus vurige persona maken dit album. Die vlam dooft wel naarmate het album vordert, maar heeft toch een blijvende brandplek op het veranderende Hip Hop landschap van deze eeuw achtergelaten. 7/10 Highlights: Offence Boss Venom
Destijds al verrast hoe tof ik deze plaat vond. Maar omdat dit niet zo in mijn straatje ligt zet ik Little Simz daarna dan toch maar weinig aan. Bij Sault lukte dat beter. Dat heb ik veel geluisterd, en de connectie tussen beiden artiesten is er natuurlijk duidelijk door het werk van Inflo. Die producer zorgt op GREY Area voor een fantastische flow van de plaat. Zeker in de eerste paar tracks. Daar brul je met gierende banden doorheen. Die plaat kakt in de tweede helft dan wel een beetje in, waardoor toch de afdronk weer is dat na deze luisterbeurt er waarschijnlijk niet super snel nog één zal volgen. Maar dan staat nu toch hier genoteerd dat Little Simz van de moderne RnB/HipHop artiesten tot de beteren behoort - wat mijn smaak betreft. 7,5/10 Highlights Boss Selfish Venom
Really good flow but just didn't grip me