GREY Area

third album by english rapper little simz. compared to her last release, instead of working with a lot of different producers she only worked with one guy, taking a lot more time to write and think about what she wanted to say on her album. "the grey area" is referring to how the artist felt being in her mid 20s, a lot of aspects of her life not being totally black or white. the album achieved modest success on release, but many reviewers have expressed positive things about it. i think this might be our second uk rap album after less than a month, and i'm a bit debated on this album to be honest. the production is very creative, having this hybrid neo-soul indie sound at times, but sometimes the beats get a little goofy. it's a personal album, and i can feel that with a lot of the songs, but even if i lock in, i can't immediately put myself in her shoes... it's an ultimately unfortunate three-star, because this entire thing has a good vision. i dub this album "little miss potential".

meh

The lyrics are what you would expect from a rapper, black or white, man or woman, English, American or from anywhere "I am a very good rapper" "I was poor and now I'm rich" the music supposedly is not sampled and it's good. The best songs are when she is accompanied by other musicians , "Selfish" "Wounds"

This is an amazing album, really close to be a 5. Little Simz is one of the best rappers around and it probably only got a 4 because there isn’t exactly a BIG TIME standout tune on it, but the whole thing is such a high standard.

Wounds is a great track, and probably the best rapping. In general, I think the highlight is the interludes that have more of a bluesy reggae feel

Not bad by any means…more British than I prefer my rap. Also venom being all over TikTok doesn’t help this either lol.

She has a good voice but could have done without all the language.

Meh. Appreciate her lyrics & point of view, but that’s about it. I’ll forget this by tomorrow

7/10… conscious hip hop / rap / *2019

ou, bom pra cacete beats excelentes, flow do caralho, letras bem boas entrou pra playlist

uai, fiquei surpreso hein. os beats são bons DEMAIS e bem variados. e o flow dela tbm eh pedradaça. 0 papas na língua, só letraça. bão pra carai esse!!

Not my jam

Track By Track Offence - Nice beats and accompaniment. And is that a bit of flute I hear? VERY nice. She’s painting a portrait of herself in a sort of self aware and kind of witty way. Boss - Anger present here for sure, can hear/feel it. Quite nice funky, almost dirty accompaniment. Underground vibe. Not bad at all. Selfish (feat. Cleo Sol) - Got that soul (close to Sol!) feel this one. More laid back and great singing from Cleo. Wounds (feat. Chronixx) - This one is equally laid back and vibey. Her delivery on the bars is really great. Her rhythm and intonation are wicked. Venom - Like a kind of horror backing. Again, great delivery. Pretty badass song. It’s also slightly low-key, understated. Echoing that greyscale of the artwork and title. 101 FM - really liked this sample & instrumental. Fun, light and cool at the same time. Great to move to. Pressure (feat. Little Dragon) - Pretty decent. It’s quite a harsh vibe. Makes sense that the album cover is black and white. Not a huge stand out but quite good vibe. Therapy - It’s like it’s really building in intensity from the last track, musically. This is a great portrait of her personal experience but it also feels very relatable and human. Sherbert Sunset - This is like her inner monologue voiced. Like so many other songs of hers! Good lyrics. Didn’t like this quite as much musically but was alright. May be that it’s a grower. Flowers (feat. Michael Kiwanuka) - Nice refrain on this. Like it when she infuses some soul and even a smattering of jazz in tracks like this. Gives it some colour and life. Am a fan. Overall Review: I was very impressed with the lyrics, flow and general personal concept of this. She’s very honest as a rapper. Speaks to a lot of the challenges of the human experience. Discomfort with pain, difficultly with living, hope, etc. She spits bars that are very eloquent and some that are very on the nose. Some of it I found quite bleak, some witty, biting. I didn’t like every track, but did generally vibe pretty well with the whole thing. 3.4/5 Favourite Songs: 101 FM, Therapy, Flowers (feat. Michael Kiwanuka)

Great beats, features and technical ability.

Good stuff, my kind of hip hop, love the drums

The 4th album on here I'd already heard before. And a great one too!

2.7/5 Favorite Songs: Venom 101FM

Nothing that makes this different than lots of other similar stuff

Dis shit

Never heard of her before but this shit is dope.

It was okay but I don’t see myself revisiting it. Top bops: Boss Venom Flowers

The best is yet to come for Little Simz, as this list hasnt been updated since she put out her Sometimes I Might Be Introvert album. That’s not to say this is bad in any sense though! Her flows are just as sharp, but I’d say her pen game and lyricism grows a bit on following projects. GREY Area is mostly concerned with hyping itself and its reputation. Maybe it’s because Halloween is around the corner, but I really liked the eerie “Wounds” and “Venom” instrumentals. The latter is my favorite from the whole album, her bars are incredible. 4/5 on this one. It’s impressive knowing she gets better after this album, she’s already hyper-focused in this short offering

Never listened to her but hears good things! Musical blind spot for sure! Good stuff!

Unexpected, very good album, and great music al throughout.

mir gefällt es.

Rap, ganz ok

Cool songs

Did not listen as was too inappropriate.

Pretty inventive rap, creative lyrics and production. Probably not returning to it in a while, though.

Kendrick Lamar HAS TO have been influenced by this.

For a rap album, this is pretty good. The writing and commentary are excellent, some of the best I’ve heard on this list. However, the production and stylistic choices, especially on the first two songs, are really bad at times. Rap just also isn’t my favorite genre in general. Unfortunately, I think I’ll go with a 3 for this album, but the writing is definitely a 5. And she can *really* rap by the way, which is something I can appreciate.

Nah m8, im good m8

Straight up good flow and rhymes, genuinely enjoyed this record. With newer records I'm always a bit skeptical, but this was -good-.

Introspective, good flow and an earnestly enjoyable jazzy baselayer. An interesting evolution of hip hop, fused with pop sensibilities without becoming overly sweetened.

Great production. The English-accented rapping is always grating to me, so I won't likely revisit it. Good album overall though.

2 out of 5. Not really my thing.

Just solid all around

был веном,но не тот(( ну а альбом "ну норм", можно послушать и даже получить какое-то удовольствие

Una de las declaraciones artísticas más contundentes, precisas y revitalizantes del hip-hop moderno que ha envejecido bien como un modelo de concisión lírica e integridad sónica. En el plano de diseño formal, la producción de Inflo destaca por una claridad acústica ejemplar: al prescindir de la sobreproducción digital estandarizada para volcarse hacia la instrumentación viva, logra que las baterías secas y analógicas, las líneas de bajo rugosas y las elegantes secciones de cuerdas convivan en un espacio diáfano donde cada golpe rítmico y cada silencio tienen peso físico. La interpretación de Little Simz derrocha una autenticidad frontal, dotándola de una autoridad superior al navegar sin titubeos entre la ferocidad del rap más técnico y una honestidad confesional desarmante. Obras capitales como el despliegue rítmico de "Offence", la abrasión punk y visceral de "Boss", el dinamismo cinematográfico de "Venom" y la solemnidad crepuscular de "Flowers" (junto a Michael Kiwanuka) configuran un documento profundamente conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un sutil llamado a la conciencia sobre las presiones de la juventud, el desgaste mental y la búsqueda de autonomía en un entorno adverso. Por su duración condensada y su tracción rítmica constante, el disco demuestra una gran versatilidad para múltiples usos, brillando como un catalizador implacable para el ejercicio físico, la conducción despierta o el enfoque riguroso en el trabajo creativo.

i think i've decided that anything i'm rating 5 stars is an album where while i'm listening, i feel like i don't want it to be over. this is one of those - i listened to a little simz album the last time i tried doing a challenge like this and both times it was just so so good. i could listen to her all day - her hip hop is smart and unique and everything.

3.5. really sassy

honestly, i'll never be a rap fan. at least, with female rappers, i always get the feeling that they really have something to day. also here. additionally, this record has some really beautiful music on it, for example on "Flowers". i'm almost tempted to give a 4-star rating...

One of the more interesting hiphop artists from the UK. Gorgeous flow, right use of music tracks under the raps. Nice find in the list

I enjoyed this album, especially it's length with how many Hip Hop albums on here go over an hour. This was the opposite of those, super tight album with no wasted space. Never heard of Little Simz before this project, but I'd listen to her again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The kind of music M.I.A. would be making if she hadn’t lost a wee bit of her mind.

Like Public Enemy’s focus on societal problems, but with a feminist flair. I’m rooting for her, but the music is not quite consistent enough to warrant rounding up.

It's good and definitely has a few fresh ideas that are easy to appreciate. On first listen it didn't grab me, but I enjoyed it. Suspect it could grow on me.

I liked this album; I know it's classified as hip-hop, but it really feels like its own genre. It's smooth, soulful, very jazzy, and just overall just pleasant to hear Simbiatu's mellifluous melodies. I think there's a certain aspect to songwriting that Londoners from immigrant backgrounds just know how to express, which makes it speak to us even more. This is the sort of album that speaks to you. How it only got to number 87 in the charts is insane, but I'm glad people going through this list will get to experience it. I just wish the album was a bit longer. 7.5/10

Not bad.

För att vara rap är det riktigt lyssningsvärt. Skön röst, ok låtar. En trea

I mean, who am I to say there are more than 1,000 albums better than this one out there? As contemporary rap albums go, this is pretty decent.

Esta en la cuerda de no saber si darle un 4 o un 2, tiene cosas buenas, pero te sabes su estructura fácilmente tambien.

Interesting, and I get why a lot people love this. Just not my thing.

It was actually pretty ok

Great

V impressed. Loved the beats, didnt love her accent: 3.8

Great album by maybe the most talented British rapper in the game. Her next album is even better

Outrageous lyricism and flow. Every song on this record sounds deliberate with zero filler. Conscious, and so much chemistry with the LIVE backing and music. Can hear so many influences here but undeniably the best of british hip hop/rap. Could've run this back through

Every album after 2010 on this has sucked, but this one bucks that trend

I like this artist but this album was a miss for me - just really forgettable

Wasn’t a huge fan of this one

10. oktobar 2026. 23.07h bilo je boppy i zanimljivo best: boss, pressure

It is a good album, even if this is not my first-to-go genre. "Offence" is amazing!

I'm not big into rap, but I do still dabble from time to time. I tend to go for the artists who are wordsmiths or have a unique flow. And in a time when mumble rap has become the norm, Little Simz has been a wonderful discovery from this list. Her flow is nice, and while the lyrics aren't anything groundbreaking, they're delivered with aplomb. I also have to applaud the change in lyrical flow from song to song, rather than having the same cadence all the time. And the funky instrumentation driving the songs are excellent. I also enjoy how tight and concise the album is. The songs aren't too long, and there's no major deviation of sound from one song to the next; there's an obvious progression in the track lay out. This album was an absolute gem to be introduced to.

A solid modern rap album with some strong beats. I’m not a huge fan of Simz as a rapper, but she’s certainly not bad. The best British rap has offered up so far.

Always a little hesitant on the recent hip-hop, especially the UK scene where Roots Manuva is about as far as my appreciation generally goes (and I say this as a Brit). But this is fantastic stuff. Her flow and lyrics are brilliant and the production clicks time and time again. Smooth but hard-hitting and with frequently interesting tricks and treats peppered throughout. Rare to say this but I'd have gladly had it be 5-10 minutes longer.

The female British accent was an interesting twist on the genre for me

Great rapping. Love the live sounding bass and drums underneath it. Really good album.

not really my style of music

Thursday, 17 September, 2026 It’s fine. Solid beats. Her MC work is fine. Not very interesting or original. Don’t trust rappers with the name “Lil”…they aren’t usually very good.

alright

5/10

insane raps and insane production, really good

I'm quite familiar with Simz more recent (post-covid) work so this is an exciting one to come up for me. She's definitely in the S-tier of rappers. The female Kendrick Lamar. The production is always incredible too. The use of orchestral elements, especially the double bass in place of traditional hip-hop bass, sets the music apart in the most unique way. Standouts on this album for me were Boss, Wounds, and Venom, but the whole album is phenomenal.

Meni ainaki bassot alas jos ei muuta. Kyllähän tän parissa ihan viihty ja positiivinen yllätys tääki. Tuli heti semmonen fiilis et pitää päästä fiilistelemään auton subbareista

Joooooooo ei.

Ainakin pääs puhtaaseen pöytään tän pariin. Ei siis mitään hajuja, että mitä luvassa. Toki Parental Advisoryt kannessa, että jotain fakkia varmaan sanotaan. No sanottiin sitä semmostakii. Mut sanottiin paljon muutakin. Hyvä flöy ja kiva tunnelma. Semistihän tää menee ryppyohtaseks, mut jos on asiaa niin on asiaa, eikä sitä sitten höpötellä vitsi suussa. Eli pos yllätys. Kelpuutan.

No jaa. Ei tästä hirveästi käteen jäänyt. Sopivan mittainen levy.

One of the best modern rappers, with one of her stronger batch of songs. Her performance on here is so hungry and passionate that it's hard not to feel it. I love her slick flows and energy. Boss is a prime example, the super distorted lead vocals have a fiery anger to them and sound insane. Simz is very versatile tho, she also sounds great with smooth, melodic flows on Selfish, which has a stellar hook, and on more unorthodox beats like 101 FM. The album is also incredibly well produced, with funky, bouncy basslines on pretty much every song. The arrangements on tracks like Wounds or Flowers are lush, very beautiful and masterfully done. Little Simz not only is a great rapper, but also a vulnerable and insightful lyricist with great storytelling abilities on songs like Therapy. She gets very political and personal on some of these songs, always providing some hard hitting bars and tasteful, well executed song topics.

not for me

Simbiatu Ajikawo veröffentlicht GREY Area, ihr drittes Album, am 1. März 2019 über ihr eigenes Label Age 101 Music und AWAL. Wo genau aufgenommen wurde, weiß ich ehrlich gesagt nicht – Simz selbst redet nur von "einem Monat zwischen LA und London", ein Studioname taucht nirgends auf, auch nicht in den Credits. Die Produktion trägt fast durchweg Inflo, ihr Kindheitsfreund; nur zwei Stücke gehen an Sigurd und Astronote. Man hört diese Entscheidung sofort: echte Instrumente statt Samples, ein roher, leicht knarziger UK-Rap-Sound. Zehn Songs, 35 Minuten, kein Leerlauf. "Offence" macht mit Streichern und Bass sofort klar, worum es geht – Simz rappt "I'm Jay-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days", und man glaubt es ihr fast. Cleo Sol auf "Selfish", Chronixx auf "Wounds": beide Features bleiben im Hintergrund, drängen sich nicht auf. Inhaltlich geht es um Mitte-Zwanziger-Unsicherheit, einen toten Freund, eine gescheiterte Beziehung – aber ohne dass Simz sich in Selbstmitleid verliert. Das ist der Unterschied zu vielen ihrer Alben davor. Am meisten überrascht mich, wie wenig Fett auf diesem Album ist. Keine Interlude, die nur Zeit füllt. "Flowers" mit Michael Kiwanuka driftet Richtung Jazz, "101 FM" spielt mit verschachtelten Keyboard-Läufen – und trotzdem bleibt alles zusammen. Simz interessiert sich offenbar nicht dafür, in welche Schublade das Ganze passt. Ob das ihr bestes Album ist, weiß ich nicht – aber es ist das, bei dem sie zum ersten Mal komplett bei sich klingt.

Refreshing compared to the rest of the list. Gets samey feeling towards the end, but pretty solid imo.

Kind of makes me realize why I weened off of hip hop back in the late '10s. I don't find this particularly remarkable, and at times it was actually grating. I don't like this style of delivery or rhyming. I've also heard zero about this album or Little Simz in the years since this released compared to other relatively modern releases I've gotten on this website, so I can't even argue an inclusion on the basis of staying power. Skippable, but if you must listen to it, at least it's short.

Some great, hard lyrics in some tracks and I recognise the skill, but not an album that I particularly enjoyed listening to. When I've heard a Little Simz track as part of a wider playlist, I've liked it, but a whole album was a bit too much for me.

Not the biggest Little Simz fan, I have tried a couple times to get into their albums but even though they sound good on listen I don’t ever go back to often except a key couple of tracks. It seems to be a similar case for this album, although it was okay to listen to I might just come back for Offence and Therapy.

I got through it. Things I liked, the creative sampling, baselines and beats, she can rap well and had a nice flow with interesting word rhymes (outside of the obligatory swearing) and rhythms. But... It hasn't changed my opinion of hip-hop and rap in general. I won't be looking up any of her other tracks. I'll give it a very generous 2, as although it's not for me I can see the craft in it, and the whole point of this project was to listen to new types of music. As listening pleasure a 1.

Best Track - "Selfish"

I like Little Simz’s songs. “Offence” has the wonderful brag of “ I’m Jay-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare in my worst days.” The fast rap on “Venom” is great. “Therapy” is a standout for me—“Some people read the Alchemist and still never amount to shit” amuses me. I think the songs have a good mix of rap and singing, and a great beat and that’s why it works for me. “Boss” is my favorite. Not as much the lyrics as the sound in general.

Maten a los nepobabies

Muy muy bueno. Fui con bajísimas expectativas, una cantante que nunca había escuchado el nombre, álbum de 2019, no había chance, pero me sorprendió. Lo escuche dos o tres veces hoy, no entiendo qué es lo que hace que me guste tanto, pese que algunas canciones no me fascinan, sin duda lo voy a volver a escuchar.

Great debut. Her latest albums are even better.

The only British hip hop I'm familiar with is Massive Attack and now Little Simz, but that's pretty much a 100% hit rate! What's the UK doing being good at hip hop too?

Good beats, catchy hooks, and solid vocals.

Very impressive. I’m happy to see contemporary artists with a distinct voice standing in their own merits. The kids are alright.

I'd heard some Little Simz, I had a positive attitude, but I hadn't listened to this album. It's a rap album (I could also say hip hop with some neo soul), but I'm not judging it solely or primarily on the rapping. I like many of the songs (from first hearing) because of their interesting rhythms and instrumentations, they're engaging, diverse, funky, kinda subtle. As for the rap itself, the flow is very good (rhythmically very entertaining), but for me the lyrics (when I study them) are not that good - a lot of the lines are shallow, pictures not comprehensive, braggadocio from a woman is still braggadocio. But if I don't focus on the meaning of the rap, in most songs it doesn't put me off. Album is a bit uneven, but I'll still rate on balance as Very Good, 8/10.

I only know Little Simz from the album after this, which I quite like. But this is also a great album. Great live instrumentation, lyrics and flow.

Little Simz on mun uusi suosikkiräppäri, tai yksi niistä. Mahtava albumi, älytön Flow ja taito. Omaperäiset biitit. Täysin tuntematon artisti entuudestaan mutta hyvin nopeasti kävi ilmi, että Little Simz ei voi olla amerikkalainen; brittiaksentti on hyvällä tavalla erittäin vahva ja myös biitit ovat piristävällä tavalla hyvin epäamerikkalaisia. Hieno uusi tuttavuus. 4/5

I enjoyed this immediately more than I thought I would. The arrangements are great, neat bass too. However something couldn’t quite clench it into the 4 territory. Maybe the lyrics? Some of it felt punchy and great and some others felt more like filler? Anyway, I enjoyed this and I wish I could rate it higher maybe?

Off the back of the deep-dive into her back-catalogue, this was my definite favourite of Little Simz albums. The woozy dark sound of Venom is my highlight. Still not the sort of album I would reach for often, but she is an excellently impressive artist.

I went in blind and was pleasantly surprised. I love the influence classic/alt hip hop of the 90s/00s, with some reggae sounds as well. Little Simz is a talented rapper and has a fun accent. Overall- solid album. 3.5 to 4 out of 5