I tried to think of an intro to Little Simz that would do justice to the artist she is.

Sure I could talk about the piling awards she has received, the scope of her discography since her first record Black Canvas was released in 2013, or her rise to headlining festivals like Love Supreme Fest, but for this one I wanted to get a bit personal. My affinity for Little Simz is rooted in something much deeper than good music. Although I do not have a single accolade to my name, as a female editor of a magazine that is focused on sports and cultures still largely dominated by the boys, I can relate to and appreciate the work Little Simz would have had to put in to be where she is today as an artist in a genre dominated by men. As a female in these situations, you have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, even harder to be recognised and even then because the boys have long held the top spots you are constantly being underminded for your efforts. It’s like when guys call Stephanie Gilmore one of the best female surfers around. No. She’s one of the best. Sure Little Simz is a Proud. Black. Woman. But she stands in her own right as one of the most talented musicians around. I’m usually not one to get nervous for interviews (everyone is just a human after all), but this interview has got to be the closest I’ve come to fangirling, and for good reason – it’s fucking Little Simz.

Hey, how are you?

Hello, you right?

Oh, I’m good, good. I know you’re about to jump on a flight so I’ll get right into this. My first question for you is do you have a stylist? Because you have fucking great style.

Thank you. I work with a lady called Luci Ellis. She’s been putting bits together for me for many, many years and yeah. On the day-to-day I just do my thing.

I love it. What is it like to hear people say that your music saved their life as cited from your documentary On Stage Off Stage? Like that’s some powerful shit and I just want to know what your reaction to that is?

It’s emotional, you know what I mean, it’s real. I just always feel that I am blessed that I am able to do that. That’d I’m able to channel something through my art that is able to in turn help someone else. Music is a very powerful thing, you know, so if I can use that for the greater good then that’s what I want to keep doing. As much as it is a lot to hear just because I guess I feel, I dunno, responsible in some capacity. At the same time, it’s just a blessing to honest.

Do you have a song that you’re most proud of?

Nah. I don’t. I think I’m proud of everything I have put out, everything I have made. I don’t have favourites. I guess there are songs - when I put an album out that I will be into more depending on my vibe or my mood or what not.

That’s cool. Good to be proud of everything. On your song ‘Angel’ you have this line ‘New woman, don’t tell me I shouldn’t just because you couldn’t,’ is people saying no to you a driver as an artist?

Yeah for sure. And it’s just fear as well, you know what I mean. People only say that shit [I shouldn’t] because they’re scared. I don’t want to take that on, I don’t take that on. I have always felt my path is set out different. For as long as I am blessed with this gift of the pen then I think it will be a natural progression. I just like to do things that are a bit challenging and take risks and that’s why it seems like it’s another level up, it’s always elevating. I don’t want to do the safe thing – that doesn’t really excite me.

Photos by Karolina Wielocha.

You speak a lot about the corporate dogs and the bad business that comes with being in the music game – do you have a specific shitty experience you want to call out with that?

I have many experiences but I’m not into putting people on blast like that. Everyone is just human, you know what I’m saying like I’m human. There’s just certain things that I don’t believe to be right. I just believe in fairness and in an industry like the music industry that’s not everyone’s game. The shit is what is it, I just have to move in a different direction. It’s hard, especially when you don’t really get educated on it as well. You kind of have to learn on the job. When I’m making music, I’ve done it religiously for so many years but it’s only the past few years that I’ve started the understand the music business. It’s just trying to be as educated as possible and learn all sides of it.

So there’s not much support when you’re starting to attract attention as a musician?

Nah not at all.

Is No Thank You, the title of your most recent album a pushback at all related to the fact you got awarded a BRIT for Best New Artist, despite being twelve years and several studio albums into a well-documented career?

Nah, like did it rub me the wrong way?

Yeah I guess.

Nah not at all, it just is what it is really. To some people, I probably am a new artist you know what I’m saying. To some people, it was ‘Venom’ on TikTok, to some people it was ‘Woman.’ People catch on at different times so I’m not phased by that. I’m just grateful. Whatever point you decided to just hop on this thing it’s fine. It’s just a blessing it is an award-winning catalogue regardless of whatever the label is of the award. The recognition is still there regardless so it’s okay.

Well you’re an incredibly humble human, there’s so many artists that have kicked up a storm with that stuff.

Oh man, I know! Nah it’s all good.

With all music there’s a layer of vulnerability but I think especially with rap there’s a lot more laid out – do you ever get scared that people are getting such a look into your life especially as people make their own interpretations of what you’re saying?

I did, before I used to think like oh shit man I dunno if I want to say this, what if people think this, what if people think that. But the truth is, people are going to think what they want anyway, do you know what I’m saying, even if I restrain a whole lot back from saying something super exposing people will go onto dissect every little thing because that’s what we do. We wanna know more, we wanna know what they mean, who does she mean by that, what are you talking about here. So I understand it. Whether I do or I don’t that’s not really something I can really avoid so may as well be as open and as honest as I can be, you know what I mean.

Totally. Do you ever have out-of-body experiences where you’re looking down on yourself – whether it’s when you won the Mercury Prize or when you released your book or all these phenomenal feats you’ve achieved and just been like what the fuck this is my life?

I try to remain very present. Although I do have moments where I’m like oh that’s really cool. Pat on the back for the one. You know what I’m saying, like I can recognise my work and be proud of it. In the same breath, I’m just someone who believes you should just not take credit for everything you have, you know what I mean. I don’t know who I would be without my faith so a lot of things I just put down to a higher power. I just know I’m being worked through. That’s why sometimes when I do interviews and I gotta explain what a line means sometimes I genuinely don’t know. And that’s why I know it’s not always me, you know. I don’t know why I said that line like that. It’s not always as calculated as people think, you know. Sometimes it just happens. That’s my thing. I don’t want to take too much credit but I can still acknowledge that I put in the work.

On that, I’m always so intrigued with extremely successful people such as yourself - did you always have an internal belief that you were going to ‘make it.’ Like it’s very clear to me that you’re a humble human from just these last ten minutes, but that aside, was there always something deep down in you that just had that belief or was it something that you kind of worked on with the more success you started to have?

You know what, I did you know.

Yes. I love to hear that.

Yeah from when I was younger I would always tell people yeah this is what I’m going to do with my life, you know. I knew because of how driven I was and how on it I was. I just thought, there is no, no way that I can be this committed to something, and this passionate and motivated in the morning to wake up and do it every single day when it’s not paying me a penny. When it was  not funding my life but it didn’t even matter because this is the one thing I can truly say with my chest that I’m half decent at, you know. So yeah I think I always had that belief. But also, I come from a very supportive family and I think that when you’re in an environment where you’re allowed to dream it puts a bit of a battery in your back. Like oh okay everyone I’m around believes in me, even in the moments that I don’t, you know. When there’s self-doubt but my mum’s still backing me, in the same way my sisters are still backing me in the same way my brothers are still backing me. You know what I mean, like cool man.

Absolutely. What was it like holding your published book for the first time? That’s a goal of any writer so I can appreciate how amazing that would have been.

Yeah. It’s just like, man! It’s different from holding a record or a vinyl. It’s just reading and words and pictures but the process of making it was very long. I was super deep in when I had the realisation of how much work went into it so I had to finish it. From the sampling process to testing materials, and pages - it’s a whole thing. So by the time I had it I was like thank fuck finally! But it’s really beautiful. It’s almost like a little trophy, even the way it sits.

Yeah I suppose with a CD or a vinyl you’ve gotta go do something else with it to do the thing that it's intended to do but with a book like that’s it – there in your hands.

Exactly. Instant happiness.

One more question, this one’s from everyone in the office – can you give us any kind of information about Top Boy’s newest season?

Ohhhhh absolutely no chance [laughs]. Not because I don’t want to, but because just because I will get in trouble.

Fair enough.

I can say that it’s the last season. I think that’s already out there. It’s a ballard though.

Looking forward to it. Well thank you so much. This has been a time, you’re someone I really respect and look up to so yeah thanks for making some room in your day for me.

Aw thank you, thanks for your time as well. Stay well.

Little Simz will be playing 10pm at the Mix Up Stage at Splendour In The Grass 2023. She is also playing two exclusive sideshows in Melbourne on Wednesday 19th July, and Sydney on Friday 21st July. Buy tickets for the sideshows here, and for STIG here. Be sure to check out this interview and many more in this year’s Splendour Weekender… coming soon.

This interview is a part of the Splendour Weekender 2023 which will be available to read and download at the festival and around the Byron area across the Splendour weekend.