Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Hadn’t heard of this artist before but not a bad album.
I lived on an island where owning first appearances was currency. It appeared my son was doing the best and loved very well
i enjoy british rap. was confused how i had never heard of this person until venom played
Not bad but not really our vibe.
6/10
Solid 3 if not 3.5
Better than expected, brings the attitude harrd
2.5
Haven't listened to much british rap, was interesting.
Odd pick, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is better
It's OK.
Enjoyed this more than expected. Favourite tracks: Offence & Boss. 3/5
3.3 I'm torn on this. At first I almost laughed, I do find English rap pretty cringy on the whole (despite living in South London). On second listen I can see the merits. I can't say I like a lot of the lyrics, but then I've bopped along to plenty of gangsta rap in the past so it would be hypocritical to suddenly take a moral stand against it. The rhymes and flows are decent, some of the backing tracks actually really good. That radio one reminded me of an Aphex Twin offcut, in a good way. I just find the accent difficult still. Hard to take serious. Not my cup of tea but can understand why it's held in high esteem, and definitely think it should in the top 1,001 to hear, so fair play.
Is this really one of the greatest albums ever? I mean, I didn't mind it, it had some interesting elements to it but what is so great about it? It came out 5 years ago and I never heard of it. Has it even had time to be influential?
This was very decent! But mot sure i’d listen to again.
Went into this one blind- had never heard of Little Simz or this album. I won't say I was blown away, but I thought the production on this was well done, and the beats on a couple tracks were quite catchy.
Kinda bangs?
Tyvärr har jag lite att säga om detta album. Jag relaterar inte till något här och det känns inte heller förklarande i sin natur. Det var bra musikaliskt tycker jag nog starkt inspirerat av Kanye Wests ”Yeezus” dock jag gillar inte låttexterna, lite för mycket ”nigga” på många låtar men man hör talang ändå
Ну норм. 101 FM и песня с "Looove is my destiny" необычно слушались. Такое ребячество на 101FM и пафос на второй песне. А в остальном ээээ ок.
Liked this one a lot.
Jeg var MEGET positivt imponeret over dette. I løbet af de første to numre var jeg klar til at give 1, men der er bare noget virkelig smooth i hendes flow og lyrics er meget real. Jeg er næsten ked af ikke at kunne give højere men jeg vil nok bare ikke lytte til det her igen for alvor, men mand hun er en god rapper. Problemet for mig er den meget tunge moderne stil med underspillede samples og meget få hooks
It was decently all right. Kinda thought the lyrics were cringe but at least one of them birther that one audio
It's ok - Dizzee rap
this girl! been listening to her for a while, I like her clever, game changing cadence and no apologies attitude. Her voice reminds me of Mariana Vieira/Digable Planets, perhaps an infuence? Anyway, a fun listen
Yeah, yeah, yeah - it's pretty good in parts, but worryingly for a fairly slight album it does sag in parts. British female fronted rap has come to the fore in recent years, and that's a good thing. There's been a raft of great music emerging from the scene. GREY Area is almost great, but lacks a couple of truly chewy hooks or a proper knockout blow. An album where the guest appearances truly add nothing, or even detract from the overall quality.
Sharp lyrics. London pisses all over the East and West Coast when it comes to urban music these days. LOVE a girl who takes no shit.
this might be updated from a 3 eventually
Nice break from all the country. I enjoyed this, but not sure I'd listen to it again.
There are some really cool tracks here, but the British accent is best utilised by movie villains and politically incorrect stand up comedians.
Definitely the newest album I've gotten so far. First rap album I think, of course it's a British artist (I've never heard of). Yeah I really enjoyed this a lot! No standout track notes, her singing style is a little repetitive so they blend together. But I would listen again. Good backing beats with some interesting instrumentation, e.g. the east Asian sound on 101 FM and guitar riff on Boss. 3.3/5
Maybe its the Britishness of it but this was more appealing than most of the rap albums we've had.
тоже видимо куски слышала. у неё приятный флоу, но мне надо долго вслушиваться чтобы что-то осознать, дольше чем один день
Offence and Wounds were great. Thundering through. I liked her style, and use of lyrics and use of space between the bars. Felt aggressive without being oppressive or overwhelming. Good stuff, but wouldn't actively come back.
I didn't mind this, but it's 5 years old and not spectacular enough to break into the 1001 category to me.
Not a bad album.
pretty cool and interesting if not groundbreaking
This was a lot better than I anticipated!
Real British, innit?
Figured I would hate this, but it wasn't bad at all. Nothing ground-breaking, but I liked the jazzy feel and the diversity in music. Some tracks stood out more than others.
Music, beats, her voice, production all 10 out of 10, but the lyrics were not interesting, with a lot of tired and well and truly tried themes
Ok, I've seen her pass by a lot in my surroundings. It's not bad but not something I will put on much more
5/10 - At first I was like another british rap album yay. Then it was alright and I liked a few songs. I was too busy to rate it yet so I did not. I just relistened to the songs I thought I liked and they were fine but not as good as I remember.
Pretty good
No soy fan del rap y aún así me pareció buen disco. Supongo que a quienes les gusta el género este álbum es un trancazo.
i love Simz but i still think she didn't really come into her zone until the next album...it's good shit tho! 6/10
I like her vibe, she’s a bit peeved and bloody well gonna let someone ‘ear it innit. I think flowers was my fave track tho
It was good. I could go for another listen. Liked the lyrics and the flow.
This sounds like something conjured in one's basement, and for me it adds to the charm of it. The mix of synths, flute and orchestral samples, and sound effects make GREY Area ambitious, sophisticated, and fun. This anything-goes approach reminds me of a classy but less worldly M.I.A., who fearlessly samples all sorts of indigenous music. I assume the credit in both cases goes to the producer. As for Little Simz, she has good flow. Her staccato is tight with the beat; such a style can be easily slurred, but she keeps it crisp. Leaning into the lyrics, they are mostly a positive criticism of everyday society. Not much to say about this one, but I enjoyed it.
This exceeded my very low expectations. Yes, my expectations were low, sorry to say. Because there were dozens and dozens of "Lil" rappers for a while there, and that was not my favorite era of rap, as a rule. But yeah, my low expectations allowed me to be pleasantly surprised. I didn't mind this. As the British say, I rated it! What did I rate it, exactly? Somewhere between a 3 and a 4, I reckon. Lyrically and flow wise, it was decent. The subject matter is coming from the perspective of a young woman figuring out who she is and navigating interpersonal relationships, so it stands out from a lot of other rap in that way. The production was good and the album didn't drag. I would check out more from her.
It was cool to see a younger rapper have a more old school sound. It seems that so many 'Lils' and 'Youngs' type rappers have the autotune sound with with either a triplet note pattern delivery or the whole short choppy two note delivery. On this I heard heavy Busta Rhymes and Jay Z influence. The British accent also brought me back a little to Stereo MCs without the cockney tint to the accent. Well done Simz. I did feel though that as the album went on, the rapping became a little repetitive and monotonous tonally. Where as Busta is extremely animated and has a lot of rises and falls tonally Simz sort of kept it on a two or 3 note range.
Little Simz sounds hungry and passionate on this project. Great soulful hip-hop
I heard of Little Simz through my son who is a huge fan of this album. It took a while but it grew on me through repeated listening and since then I've grown to quite like it not love it but quite like it.
Hip-hop isn't really my thing, but this had a nice groove. I'd listen again.
Fascinating album. This is filled with surprises like a litt shop full of vocal treasure, a new thing at each turn. I liked the London character of the vocals, the lyrics instrumentation and all of it. Very unexpected!
Little Simz has the skills to be an upper mid-tier rapper, this album while generic and okay is not necessarily a 'Must Listen'. If the authors wanted a female rapper from the early 00s there's gotta be a few with better albums out there. But I guess they're not UK-based. 3/5.
Flow and instrumentation are cool. Not very familiar with British hip-hop but this is one I'll come back to. The cool sound that works great in the background or to think on.
In general not a big fan of UK hip hop (if that's the right term) but this surprised me. Not bad!
Sick beats but the vocal flow got tiring.
Mids
“Boss” is a banger. 101FM is great too.
I enjoyed it. Nice to see a female artist grace the list. Never heard of her before but enjoyed her wordsmithing.
Not!!! bad
British rapping just doesn’t sound right
Was expecting to be have to crawl through this one but it was pretty good! Sweet beats and her flow and rhymes are on point!
Big 3
This album is good for what it is. The first track was really good. I generally like Rap and recognize the talent these artists have, but it's just not my jam.
Never heard of this artist before but right out of the gate I kinda respect the bravado & swagger displayed. Little Simz talks a big game and lyrically flows nicely for the most part. I was a little worried that this bombastic lyrical onslaught was going to be the entire album for a bit, but things open up a bit and thankfully get a little more layered and vulnerable by the fourth track. Because of that, the album evolves quite nicely over the span of 35 minutes. The overall production and sampling is high quality as well. The UK rap/hip-hop scene is still largely unknown to me and so the lyrical delivery is still somewhat off-putting, but I can say that Little Simz is the best of the (small) bunch from what I've heard out of this regional genre thus far.
good beats
British rap, yep
About half these songs are interesting and the rest are a bit of a blur. Little Simz's brisk flow is impressive, if a bit emotionally flat, and it gets a bit tiring after a while. Happy to hear a strong, talented woman artist in this genre though. There aren't enough featured on here. Fave Songs: Selfish, Wounds, Flowers, 101 FM
Liked this way more than expected. Some excellent beats and smooth lyricism.
Turn off I would put it into my rotation, but it was a nice listen for a 45 minute drive.
Grey Area presents a refreshing take on contemporary hip-hop. Surpassing initial expectations, Little Simz demonstrates a commendable flow throughout the album, delivering her verses with confidence and style. The backing tracks, while occasionally repetitive, offer an interesting sonic backdrop that adds depth to the listening experience. Little Simz's lyrical content delves into a variety of topics with honesty and authenticity, showcasing her growth as an artist. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 2 STAND OUT TRACK - Wounds
lol this was the musical equivalent' of thos' memes trashy peopl' shar' on Faissbook when they don't' want' to admit' they're bottom feiders, and think everyon' araund them is the problem, holding them down. Just' a whol' heap of mindless "streit' philosophy" abaut' removing toxic peopl' from yauh lif' and being tru' to yaurself. EN TAJUA SANAAKAAN???? BLUV... puhu suomea.... HEI????? lingua finska.. noh hyvä produktio, fast raps-.. tekee mieli käsivartta taittaa 135 asteeseen osoittaa sormilla asetta ja heiluttaa sivulta sivulle nopeasti... going at supersonic speed aaa shamma lamma dumma lumma... six motherfucking seconds.. six bars... wounds
This is a never heard of her before album. Liked the beats and her accent made the lyrics go down a bit smoother.
Little Simz is a good lyricist. I don’t love the beats. It’s a lot of drum machine. It’s sounds cold and inorganic. The beats fit better on slower or less aggressive songs like Wounds. Side B is better overall because it’s a bit more chill. While a great lyricist, I think she’s best when she slows down a bit 7.1/10
I enjoyed this. Reminded me a little of M.I.A. but not as fun.
Production-wise, this sounds really new and fresh. Her rapping is crazy impressive at times but kind of too frenetic for me.
Its alright
3.5
This album does not start well. The first 2 songs are not enjoyable, screechy vocals, weird sound effects, I thought I would be in for a rough ride. But you know what, it really picks up after that. The latter 8 songs are all great, they are melodic, have amazing flow, and the lyrics touch on a lot of important issues. I really want to give this a 4, but unfortunately those first 2 songs really do drag it down to a 3 for me.
Groovy bass Kinda feels like all the songs are the same message
Nel suo genere, una sorpresa. Mi ricorda cosa di Ursula Rucker.
I had never heard of this artist and wasn't sure what to think. I probably wouldn't listen to this again, but I am glad I listened to it. I would be interested in hearing Little Simz's other albums, just to see the difference in the sound on this one and her other work. A pleasant surprise and I like that it's concise, which is something most artists can struggle to do. It's understandable since each artist has a "vision" and want to execute every part of that vision. Good album and worth a listen.
A good rapping album which is well produced. Personally it wasn't for me but I can look beyond that and rate it for the quality of sound and lyrical content. Although it's not my music it's worthy of 3 stars
This is pretty damn sweet. She's got great flow.
Better than I expected for never hearing Little Simz before
interesting
It's got good beats, and I like the cadence and rhythm, but is it necessary to insult me if I don't like certain things? Some of the songs start sounding the same after a while.
I like some of this for sure!
Strong flow on the album
I can hear the technical ability but this album isn’t for me, I’m optimistic about her other albums though Best song: Selfish Worst song: N/A
The album didn't hit me as hard as I expected. This could be much like my tendency to gravitate towards coming-of-age films about boys growing up, likely because of the prevalence of male protagonists in this genre. Maybe my familiarity with male voices in rap has shaped what I vibe with.
I kind of like Selfish
Alternates between heavy industrial brooding beats that set a dark ominous atmosphere and jazzy RnB numbers with a warm relaxed feel. On one of the industrial tracks (Boss), the vocals are pushed into the red, distorting and fuzzing out, matching the intensity and aggression of the delivery. Venom has a tense string part and ride cymbal part that's there to ratchet up the anxiety underneath the heated quickfire verses. On the jazzy tracks (Wounds, Selfish) everything is buttery and smooth, a quick but deliberate unhurried flow taking turns with gospel/soul backing vocals. A real lush vibe from the bass and piano, horns and guitar, even some flute. 101 FM sounds like the hip hop take on the hold music for a Chinese Restaurant. Inflo's production is excellent, lots of live instruments that come through crystal clear and give a real sense of space and presence to the recording. Succinct, self-assured, and coherent without being repetitive, this is a super solid album I wouldnt otherwise have known to pick out from the crop of Little London rappers. Favorites: Selfish, Boss, Venom, Wounds
I do appreciate the aggression of this album and I also enjoy a lot of the synth work. Quite a few songs bounce into 'annoying noises' at times but there are also some super chill tracks.
Just okay
Not bad
Mercifully short. Not really a genre I listen to often. Most song really didn't do it for me and I had to skip them, Boss being the worst. I did like Venom though.
i like her attitude and sound
I liked it but will not play it again.
3/5 taki hiphopo smętne popowe coś. Może lecieć w tle
The last rap album I got here was god awful so I went into Grey Area with heavy skepticism, but you know what, it turned out to be pretty damn good. Little Simz is the standout rapper along this project so far.
vibey. like uk rap although don’t have much experience with the women side.
Not a bad album actually, I like the British-ness. Some songs were pretty basic though.
Solid 3
nooooooaml chunnt sie us london also vlt han ich zu höchi erwartige gha (han eifach venom kennt, rieseeebanger) aber leider isch das album halt eifach ok gsi und nöd meh es isch extrem vielsiitig und vlt wetts drum echli z vill? so oder so chan ich ehrlich gseit nödmal mega vill am album ussetze usser dass ich jz nöd mega begeisteret gsi bin (aber sie sehr cool)
Really liked Wounds, it’s a beautiful song. The rest was ok but really just not my cup of tea. She is definitely talented. This is a 3 for me because I appreciate the talent but don’t particularly enjoy the sound.
3 stars, like the production
A very talented artist. Album Flows well.Keeps listeners engaged. This is not my favorite genre but found it a good listen
I don’t relate to any of the lyrics but the beats were pretty good.
Way better than what I thought it’d be which is always nice. The last track with Michael is nice and the whole album does have a good vibe and flo.
Pretty good
Very much enjoyed
Best bri'ish rapper I've heard so far.
Qué bien empieza!!! En general me ha gustado y creo que merece una buena puntuación. Que sea imprescindible ya es más cuestionable. Creo que con los discos más recientes parecen estar incluidos para actualizar la lista y la realidad es que se necesita más tiempo para que algo llegue a ser necesario escucharlo antes de morir.
Not bad, but the rhythm of the rapping gets a bit repetitive and I'm not sure if the lyrics make up for that in any way. The beats and overall production are pretty good. The early collab tracks break the flow of the album somewhat, despite the variation they bring. In short, some pros, some cons, just okay.
Very surprised to see this new of an album on the list, but glad Simz is getting the attention. That being said if you waited a little longer I think her albums in 2021 and 2022 are even better
not as bad as I thought
Refreshing succinct British rap. No skits. 35 mins. Not my chosen genre but fine
6/10 - Good hip hop album - Few classic beats on it
It's decent. Good flow with some solid samples. But it sounds like she's repeating words to make the lines rhyme and it sounds repetitive. She's got talent and her voice is unique but the writing needs to improve. Still, it's listenable.
Not a big fan of London rap, but was surprised at how chill some of the songs were. Nice jazzy beats
I liked it. It was someone I’d never heard of.
Rhymes weren't bad, language lets it down for me
I didn't really listen to the lyrics but the flow was good. Backing music was pretty chill. Rap is not my preferred style of music.
This is brand new to me, a few tracks on this I really liked, a few not so much. Overall pretty good. Will I listen to again: 40%
UK rap - hmmm. Wasn't impressed with the album introvert so hopefully this will be better. Actually really good. I much prefer it when she gets angry about stuff. The beats are really good as are some of the melodies
I'd never heard of Little Simz before, and the album only being from 2019 still feels like not enough time to say whether it is truly one of 1001 albums someone must listen to... However, the album was good. It didn't grab me in any extraordinary way, and she's not going to be a new favorite, at least not based off this listen, but I will listen to it again and listen to some of her other stuff.
It has nice production but her flow and style honestly put me to sleep, even if the lyricism is good. Just not a preference
Offence is fun! Good opening song... all of the others had a chill Cafe vibe to them.
Pretty decent. Offense, Boss, & Venom are highlights. Overall solid album, but we're not breaking any ground here, it's pretty standard stuff. I like grime, so I don't mean that in a bad way!
Not music I would usually listen to, but still good. I think that it was really cool how personal they made this music to them. 3/5
Thank you I wouldn't normally listen to this genre, however I'm glad I did. I'm not 'converted' but I enjoyed it, and would happily listen to Little Simz again.
Third album from London rapper born of Nigerian immigrants. 10 songs in 35 minutes. Her dense flow makes her individualism known. Consider her a winner. Ditto producer Inflo's eclectic, sample-heavy beats.
So far I like more modern hip hip better than the 70s-80s stuff. This one is okay.
Good. I’m pretty sure I recently heard the songs Selfish and Venom in a show or movie or something, but I can’t recall what.
This was a nice surprise, something I’d never heard before. Kind of dark, abstract minimal hip-hop. Very good.
not what i usually listen to but i think she’s really good
Aight. Venom is a banger though.
Töff og oft nokkuð skemmtilegt. Gæti alveg rennt aftur, en nú er það bara áfram gakk.
I thought I might like this. It's ok. There's something here, but it's a little too smoothed over. One of those things a little too in between other stuff that I think about what else I could have on. Not fair, but haters gotta make hate while the sun shines, so music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Hey this was pretty cool.
It was fine. Insightful lyrics
This was very good. Love how focused and compact it was (35 mins!). Like some country, her voice felt a bit too affected throughout for this to really connect with me. It's just so Brit-ish for a hog American like me.
Not for me
I first came across little Simz at All Points East near enough opening the proceedings in 2019 and thought she had a bit of energy about her. Sounded better (or just more agreeable?) than most of this genres' offerings. Since then she's more famous apparently and well regarded. Poor girl has a chip on her shoulder about being a woman in a male dominated genre, ah fair enough, you gotta write about something and nout wrong with dissin ya mandem! Full of tunes and a nice mellow vibe, luckily I don't hang on lyrics, and appreciate homogeny of a work, so all good with this take on Rap/ Hip hop. 3
I liked the beats and the lyrics, but the kind of monotone rapping didn’t do it for me. (Also: British accent.) I think background and other vocals were trying to account for this and add more dimension, but it didn’t quite work for me.
Interesting Rap .... 3 stars!
I am really surprised by how much I like this album. It's pretty fun.
Actually really dig this album all things considered. Her accent complements her flow in a very cool way. Production is good and not very many songs were skippable. 3 stars but only really by comparison to 5 star albums.
Unique and well produced.
eh
Lots to like here, Little Simz is clearly extremely talented. Sounds great, lots to dig into, variety in the music, well crafted lyrics, shifts in mood and approach. That said, I found it completely unrelatable, which is me not her since he put her heart right out there. As good as I awknowledge this record is, it did nothing for me.
Loved the first couple of tracks on this. It began to lose me a bit towards the end
Liked it
The album starts with a classic song but does give me that advert vibe because it's been used on so many comercials. The overall vibe of the album was good but did have some weak songs that really weren't my vibe. The album did seem to get better futher down the songs once I got into the groove of it. Stand out tracks are Venom, Offence, Selfish, and Wounds.
Album was surprising good. I did, however, like the songs her she had features on the most- “Selfish” and “Pressure” were my favorites.
Grand
Not bad, hard to understand for me
Ik kom even al cherry pickend terug.. vind little simz heerlijk maar dit ook wel achtergrondmuziek vibezz, dit album 3,5
Goed album voor de lijst, maar niet echt mijn smaak. Vond de nieuwe beter
Not my thing, not the worst I've heard
Not a fan of rap.
Overall I though this was pretty good. Not my favorite kind of rap, but Simzs' lyrics are strong and wise beyond her years. 3/5 Would maybe listen again
Didn’t like
3,5. frekar gott wagwan-rapp
Good album. Not near the quality of her last two albums in my opinion but then again those two albums grew on me big time over listening to them more so maybe this could be the same
Some nice moments but nothing that grabbed me. Not bad just not essential
Right off the bat, I wasn't enjoying it, but once I got used to the accent, something popped. Favorite tack was "Wounds". Flow really picked up on that one. Listened a second time, enjoyed it more. Props for making a concise rap album.
It is kind of weird. British rap and honestly his 'nigga' just don't sound right. I thought Brits were more polite and polished for that.... The music of the album is quite good and I definitely felt entertained. 3/5
Better then I expected. Great beats
cant believe i gave this a 3 but its actually not too bad
A genuine surprise; much better than I expected it to be, "Offence" and "Venom" being particular highlights. Lyrically, Little Simz is angry and taking no shit from ANYBODY, especially the music business, misogyny and macho rappers. There's a couple of tracks that don't really do much for me, but as the whole thing comes in at a little of half an hour, I can put up with those.
She has great rhythm. The rap can kind of drone on and get a bit tedious. Certainly it is well done, but not something I would listen to again.
Cool stuff.
Pretty good, I could definitely see my rating going up with more listens. 3.5 for now.
Actually quite good! Interesting production and lyrics. 3/5
Pretty good albums, fast flowing lyrics with clever rhythms
Never heard of this "Little Simz" and was cautious going into it, but that was pretty good! I don't know how much I'll go back to it but would give it a 3.5 if I could. No nostalgia so you get a 3. Sorry Simz.
interesting 3/5
I could appreciate this and with more listens it would probably become a favourite. But let’s face it, that probably won’t happen and I’ll continue listening to the same few albums on rotation as always.
Banger of an opening track, I wish the rest of the album was up to the same standard. Still a good listen though.
It was pretty good. The beats were good. The lyrics were alright. I was not familiar with her previously.
Really nice voice and rapping. Cool basslines. Highlights: Offence, Boss, Selfish
It's nice to hear something a bit fresh- not really my cup of tea but I can see what she's trying to do here. She's a very accomplished rapper but I really like the music behind her to be honest.....
Jim hates
British style urban angst.
3.75
I thought she had a good sound. I liked this album.
This is an angry, aggressive album with vivid, nighttime production, bumblebee bass hooks and alien sounds in abundance. Lyrically, Little Simz leans heavily on cliché, and sprays profanity more liberally than Tarantino. The concrete detail in her song a is powerful.
Should be a 3 1/2. alredy knew Venom and still my favourite from the album
Surprisingly decent album with good lyrics and rhyming, lacking a standout song though
Maybe I'm just in the wrong mood, but I'm not feeling it. Another 3*. Some good tracks, though - maybe this is a harsh rating.
The track Flowers stuck out to me. Generally a cool album to listen to.
Some enjoyable songs, and the length was nice.
Bättre än den nya rap jag hört i alla fall.
It was ok, not sure i got into it but feel like it had more to it than a 2*
Pretty good.
See? It's possible for a hip-hop album to be good without being 30 minutes longer than it should be, and filled with mini-episodes of life stories. Sometimes, it's enough for the music to speak for itself. Little Simz has great flow here, and I particularly enjoyed how her music had a stronger alt-R&B feel which lent well to the quiet agressiveness of her rapping. It's still too recent to definitively say that this belongs in the 1,001 albums that must be listened to, but it was a cool record. Standouts were Selfish, Boss, and 101 FM.
Really nice beats. The rapping itself is a bit monotonous.
I find her voice quite irritating at times & her lyrics juvenile at other times. But not all the time. Sometimes she nails it. And I really like the music. It’s a big, full sound. And it never feels repetitive or boring. She’s obviously a talent.
One of my great pleasures in life is when my children introduce music to me. Hal recently recommended Little Simz to me, and pointed me at her later Sometimes I Might Be Introvert album, which I really like (especially the song Point and Kill). I hadn't spent any time with her back catalog yet. I rate her flow, which is much more in the British grime tradition than an U.S. inflected style. I love the production (led by her main collaborator, Inflo, from the Sault collective). The use of real instruments is funky and soulful. I love that the album is concise and to the point (and no skits -- hooray!) Given that most hip hop records on this list are some form of gangsta, it was sweet blessed relief to hear something fresh and outside of the gangsta genre (which I really don't enjoy), although Boss leans heavily on the n-word, but I love it when she calls out "I'm a boss in a fucking dress!" I am relived to have an album on the list that is by a woman of colour, and not in the rock tradition. I would argue that this album is a bit too recent to truly tell if it is a classic album that you MUST hear (given that she won the Mercury Prize for her following album, it suggest she has more to offer). I give this 3.5 stars because I think her later album is better, and round down because I think this is a bit too recent to be on this list. but don't get me wrong; I really enjoyed this record, and found it a breath of fresh air after weeks of white-boy rock.
Not terrible had some interesting beats and rhymes
Although it‘s Not my cup I can appreciate a certain vivid power and playfulness. 3.4
Was not familiar with this artist and saw it was a rap album from 2019 I had some trepidation but was pleasantly surprised. Good flow and I liked a lot of instrumentals. 101 FM that sample and chorus were my favorite.
simz fair enough to me
I'm impressed by the production and the beats. It's different than what I'm used to and is great at using a variety of instruments and sounds. Little Simz herself is talented and got expresses a badass attitude through her lyrics and flow. Overall it's a bit too mellow for my taste. A little more energetic songs on the album wouldn't hurt.
Jazz inflected with insightful lyrics, Little Simz has a powerful voice with something to say.
Was cool
This is good. Not sure if will hold up, but it was a good listen.
I didn't know what to expect but enjoyed the relaxed beats and purposeful flow to the lyrics. The lyrics were often meaningful and personal, which was appreciated when compared the wanton content of much of [even great] rap. The album felt a bit unpolished, which lends itself to feel more authentic.
Better than I thought it would be...
Some of it was good, some of it was not for me. But not a bad album.
Meh
There was some interesting sounds and beats going on in the background and I didn’t dislike listening to it, but ultimately it’s just not for me and not an album I’ll feel compelled to revisit
Reminds me a lot of Kendrick Lamar. Her wordplay isn't as complex but her flow is really similar.
I've never heard of Little Simz, or heard any of her songs previously. She's a very talented rapper, very fast rhymes, no mumbling the lyrics as some rappers do nowadays. Overall this was a good rap album
Not sure what to expect with this as not my usual cup of tea, but it was a pleasant surprise. I got some kind of 80's sonic vibe but in a modern sound with some great lyrics. I did find that further into the album I started to feel the songs got a bit samey, but the first few tracks I was definitely into
Pretty well done, but just not my thing.
Might have been the British accent but I liked this. Probably would like it more, or, who knows, maybe less, if I spoke rap. Regardless, glad this one made the list.
With all honesty I can say I do not understand this album. Perhaps it’s because I’m past 30? Regardless this is not one I will highly recommend, though the production values are VERY high.
Surprisingly good. Especially enjoyed "Offence" and "101 FM." Let's call it a 3.5.
Better than I expected
Ну я ее и так знаю, клевая, но чот у меня аллергия на нарциссизм и эджи
I hadn’t heard the name Little Simz before, but then again I’m not very knowledgeable on hip hop. I did note that it seems to be odd to be “Little” rather than “Lil” based on a bunch of other artists, but that’s pretty much the end of my preconceptions. Songs I already knew: Selfish Favourites: Selfish, Venom I was surprised that I recognised Selfish after hearing it. I can’t even place where I’d heard it, but it was definitely familiar. It’s quite refreshing to hear hip hop by a British female artist, as you don’t tend to hear that very often. Overall, there were some very good songs and some less so. I’d recognise this to hip hop fans, but I’m unsure if it would win over anybody that isn’t already a fan of the genre.
Better than I thought but not great
Really like her two more recent albums, this one had a lot of similarities but wasn’t quite there
Liked it. Good lyrics and suprising recommendation!
okay rap sound.
Without digging into any background I just perceive that Little Simz is leaning hard on some combination of artistic/cultural appropriation and is dialing down her style and personality to a joyless and acrid persona. A female British/Jamaican Eminem. Rather than wanting to ease into the grooves I feel embarrassed like I’m listening to (a very talented) someone having a (groovy) public meltdown, or a friend whose welcome has worn out from being such a (lyrical) mood vampire. Regardless, this record can be really cool sometimes; it is produced a degree more elegantly than the nature of the vocal performer. Not just droning hip hop loops, but a soulful habitat. I wanted to like this better but the superfluously venomous ranting is distracting.
This GREY Area is comprised of ten tracks. Half the area is middling and the other half is stellar. It's like you take two opposing colors and mix them together with the result being kind of gray. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Offence- 6 Boss- 7 Selfish- 8 Wounds- 9 Venom- 6 101 FM- 7 Pressure- 7 Therapy- 7 Sherbet Sunset- 9 Flowers- 7
I don't listen to a ton of rap, but I liked this album. The beats were unique, her flow is interesting and keeps you listening, she has some intersting lyrics and some clever bars. There is still a lot of classic rap lyrics about how she's the best and nobody can fuck with her, stuff like that. Those are fine, just not my favorite. Overall it's pretty good, but I don't think it's different enough for me to want to listen to more of her stuff. Favorite Tracks: Wounds, Venom, 101 FM
This wasn't as bad as I expected. Quite a nice surprise as I don't usually listen to hip-hop. I liked that I could actually follow the lyrics. I enjoyed her voice and overall melodies, particularly the jazzy and lo-fi vibes.
I listened to "Sometimes I Might Be Introvert" back in 2021, and I enjoyed it, but that's been my only exposure to Little Simz. I thought this album was good too; her rhyming and rapping skills are really great, and the beats on each track are really catchy too. But when it comes down to it, I can't say that I'll remember much about this album after a week passes. Little Simz is clearly talented, but I just don't think this album is up my alley.
I don't listen to much British hip hop at all, so this was definitely an interesting experience. I really liked the production/beats/samples, and the lyrics were not too bad, even if they felt "fake deep" at times. This is rated 3 but it is a 3.5 more than anything.
Good Hip Hop album
Had never heard of it before. Predator was greatm. Kept listening and I think the work after this album is better. Like the artist overall. 3 stars
Enjoyed listening. Some cool variety of beats and hooks. Favorites are offense and selfish.
She's a good rapper and there's some decent beats on this. I never think she sounds convincing though when she's bragging about how great she is, it doesn't seem to suit her
Not my sort of thing, and the first song really put me off. But after a few tracks I could appreciate the sentiment.
я не фанат прям такого, но читает она круто
Not bad although not what I would normally listen to.
3.4/5
I don't really know what to score this. Listening to this album felt like being in an emotionally abusive relationship. I found myself rapidly oscillating between LOVING what I was hearing and then HATING what I was being forced to endure and then bouncing right back... and back again. Often several times in a single track. It was exhausting, honestly. Ultimately, that's why I'm giving this one a middling score. There are spots of absolute brilliance in here but they're buried by the stuff that just isn't very good. I have to work so hard to enjoy the album and, at the end of the day, I just didn't have the energy for it.
good beats. interesting and varying flows. cool voice. 3.
Never heard of her before, started out a little underwhelmed after the hype indicated in the pre-listening research. But it picked up steam and ended strongly. The backing music was too stripped down for my taste and often honestly a little dull. A lot of potential I think.
Wasn't sure what to expect on this one as I'd never heard her music before. The production on this album is quite good and she sounds good on the mic. The album stays consistent throughout it's duration and it's only 35 minutes. Short enough to digest easily without adding too much filler. There are a few tracks that fall short for me, but the highlights are strong.
She's an impressive rapper, open and expressive, but gets a little too carried away in her own skills in several tracks. The production is dark and industrial, spacious enough to appreciate. Not all of though: you also have the bright chiptune "101 FM." "Selfish" has beautiful vocals by Cleo Sol and a nice disco beat with a couple cool samples thrown in, but it's a pretty underwhelming track and lame lines. "Venom" is an excellent lead single... I know a lot of people in our generation are pulled in by fast and strong delivery, which I assume attributes its viral nature, but I particularly love the beat and the use of her voice barely distinguishable in the background. I felt the 2nd half was significantly weaker. Still had cool samples and beats, but the ethereal and spacious nature clashed with her harsh and breathless flow. This was most grating in "Sherbet Sunset," but was a whole problem for all of the last 4 tracks and a few parts of the earlier ones. Favorites: Offence, Boss, Selfish, Venom, 101 FM
Liked this, didn't love it. She's clearly a really talented rapper technically, the flow is really quick where she needs it to be and she controls the pace really well. There are some really good beats in there too, and it's a tight, coherent album, so this should be something I really like... but I just don't. 3/5.
Really pretty good, although not my usual thing
Had some interesting parts but overall wasn't too into it. I think it's solid but not revolutionary.
Not a huge Hip Hop fan, but this album was pretty solid.
Not bad but not really my thing I’m afraid
Technically very good hip hop. Still not a fan of the genre but this performance is good
female British rap its the lady who did Venom the third song is interesting but the rest not as much
I've only heard of her because of Gorillaz and didn't think much of that song then. I enjoyed parts of the album but I'm still trying to figure out why it's on the list.
Ultra modern. Will need a few more listens to decide properly. *** will be a place holder
Didn't expect this in here, but it's Solid, oldschool vibes.
Enjoyably fresh and vulnerable. And I see she’s guest judging on RuPaul DR UK next week. Good timing!
Not my cup of tea buit a few tracks I could sort of get along with
Kolme tähteä tälle
Weirdly, I enjoy the beats, the samples, the vocals, and yet for the most part this doesn't come together for me.
Not bad. Not good tho.
Pretty decent
Albums from within the last 3 years should have to be stonkingly good to make this list - I think each book should close 5 years before that edition’s release date. Anyway…. Little Simz’s award winning Grey Area: nice and short at 35 minutes. Impressive flow and clear vocal with some good varied music, but not my taste. Too much with exactly the same vocal rhythm. It is quite good, but it must have been a bad album year for this to have won all the awards!
Good production and she’s very talented, maybe it’s more than three stars but I was ever so sleepy when I was listening to it. Will probably put it on again in the office soon.
Another modern album I haven't heard of, excited for this one Offence-interesting song, would’ve liked for a little less monotone in rapping style Boss- another striking song, not sure how l feel about the hook Selfish- chorus really good, verses flesh conceit out👍 Wounds- great flow, good feature👍 Venom- fast paced, very dynamic 👍 101FM- this is v fun with a great instrumental 👍 Pressure- just okay to me Therapy- liked lyrics and chorus, maybe she should try therapy tho lol👍 Sherbet sunset-great beat, chorus, impassioned lyrics 👍 Flowers- album ends with reflection on other artist, again just alright to me Maybe I wasn't in the right place for this today, but this album did not engage my full attention throughout. Very stick and well put together 3/5
Cool, just not my style
I'm not a huge fan of this genre, but this was a nice surprise. The music was good and the vocal style was...tolerable.
1_melhor 9_nice
So it seems like with newer printings of the book, some versions include more additions than others. Mine only has one new album per year after 2017 (and barely more than that for the previous years in the 2010s) and doesn't include this particular album. It's frustrating evaluating albums without entries for them, because I have no idea what made the authors find these albums essential when listening to them in a vacuum. While I often find the entries laughable, appalling, or eye-rolling, it does provide a starting point or context for some of their choices. This is a fine album. Pleasant, acceptable, but pretty ordinary to my ear. I wouldn't mind hearing it again - and I want to give it a few more listens before I evaluate it on its own merits, but the nature of this project makes that difficult. I can't really sit with this album and let it marinate to see if it's a grower with deeper significance if I'm rushing off to the next album in 24 hours while also listening to all the music I would normally be listening to in that time span. At best, I can probably squeeze one more listen in to see if something jumps out at me. This project - this exercise - has really highlighted the bizarre publishing habits of the authors. I know there are localized versions for non-English speaking countries, are there two separate volumes printed, one for Americans and one for the British as well? Why do we have contemporaneous versions in the same language? Why include more updates in one than the other? It makes the whole thing feel like a mish-mash with little thought put into what is actually essential listening and more a localized marketing gimmick to sell books. The absurd choices and flippant reasoning had already lowered my overall opinion of the series, but my general enthusiasm has almost completely given way to frustration. I continue to stick this out because I'm stubborn (plus sunk cost fallacy) and I'm a huge music nerd, but I feel like my time would be better suited doing almost anything else.
Great beats, possibly should have taken more notice of the explicit tag prior to popping it on in the living room. UKs answer to Coco Solid, with higher production values than her earlier stuff. Actually this selfish track almost could be coco. Sherbet sunset, sounds like the single. I enjoyed that, I give it a $6.99 bargain bib probability of ending up on the cd shelves. $10 if I’m feeling rich. Will let it play if Spotify replays, but maybe not if sharp eared kids are about
Wasn’t sure what to expect from this. Not a genre I frequent. Ended up listening to most of it twice, couple of tracks I really wasn’t into (2nd) but some I quite enjoyed. 3rd, 4th, 9th. Quite interesting Rhythm/beats, with mixture of instruments/sounds (strings etc) etc.
Not bad. Good beats. Nice vocals.
probably better than I can tell, but it's not made for me
Agréablement surpris. Un peu moins agrassif que les autres dans le genre. L’approche aux beats à la construction des tounes est différente et j’aime beaucoup ça.
Nokkuð skemmtilegt, rapp, pop með attitude. Minnir stundum á cell7
I tried really hard to think the was amazing given what I read about it. In the end in was fine.
Cool!
Hit and miss for me, really enjoyed the more chilled side of the album.
Moeilijk om te verwoorden waarom ik dit eigenlijk gewoon best wel tof vind, maar het heeft een goede flow, orginele sound and samples. Heel cool, bijna 4 sterren...
Best aardig voor een rapalbum
Ik vond dit best verfrissend en echt weer eens iets anders. Geen standaard rap. Zat best goed in elkaar allemaal.
Glad niet gek.
Just a basic rap album with basic beats. Nothing special.
Seems a little premature to have this as one of the 1001 greatest albums ever. Big simz is better
Way out of my comfort zone. A couple of great tracks but mostly fluff.
Hip hop suave con buena voz y buenas melodías. Típico disco del género
Not bad actually. Didn’t think I’d like it, but it was pretty decent and probably a grower.
Highlights: Selfish Wounds Venom Sherbet Sunset Artwork: 4 / 10 Rating: 5,5 / 10
Náði kannski ekki alveg að hlusta almennilega, en þetta var samt ferskt.
This is a pretty decent rap album.
⭐⭐⭐ Hip hop não é muito a minha praia, mas o som dela não me incomoda. Tem algumas músicas bem interessantes até.
Had some Tricky vibes in places. Not bad overall.
Solid
ok
A grower and the beats are great.
No denying her talent but this isn't really my kind of music. 3.5 stars