Little Simz — Drop 6 — EP Review
Hip Hop | Rap
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
My first experience with Little Simz was actually seeing her perform live in Brighton as a support act for Gorillaz. However, the moment that the UK rap artist really got my attention was with her phenomenal 2019 album GREY Area. That third studio album really wowed me with its insightful narrative, impeccable production, raw attitudes and masterful bars, to the point where GREY Area became (and still remains) my third favourite project of that entire year.
That being said, I was quite hyped to find a new EP from Simz on Friday. Given that this EP brings with it a total of five tracks, I was curious as to why it carries the title of Drop 6. But near-irrelevant album title questions aside, it seemed quite clear from the get-go that this EP was a product of the current situation with UK’s lockdown, and the continuous cycle of sleep, eat, make music.
In comparison to last years masterpiece, the production on Drop 6 carries more of a minimal and “soundcloud rap” aesthetic to them. While I would normally criticise this kind of thing more negatively than positively, I feel that this really works well with an EP such as this one. The whole thing feels a lot more independently made, and for that reason I feel that it feels quite musically true to Simz herself. This also allows Drop 6 to stand as its own kind of project, and not simply feel like the scraps of GREY Area.
With this aspect of the EP being appreciated by myself, it is undeniable that the production, along with the flows and even the lyrics in some cases unfortunately feeling a little more rough around the edges. For instance, I felt a little taken out of the moment with the beat on “damn right” especially, as it didn’t feel as punchy as it should’ve been.
But honestly, the beats found on Drop 6 aren’t something I wish to hold against Simz to much, given the situation behind the EP’s conception, and the majority of the EP is still engaging enough, and has a good amount of the same attitude we were blessed with on GREY Area.
There’s a decent amount of musical versatility on this EP too, from the fast-paced and gritty “might bang, might not” to the gorgeous and atmospheric “where’s my lighter” which features the wonderful vocals of Alewya. We also get a slight continuation of insight into Little Simz and her inner clarity in particular.
In truth, this EP didn’t quite wow me enough to be considered as good as GREY Area, or even be my favourite EP of the year for that matter. However, it stands firmly as a very memorable moment in the musical catalogue of 2020, and any new material from this insanely talented artist is a fine treat indeed.
Favourite Tracks: might bang, might not | where’s my lighter
Least Favourite Track: damn right
AGE 101 MUSIC | AWAL Recordings
