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Little Simz on breakthroughs, betrayal and becoming one of the UK’s best-ever rappers: ‘I don’t want to shy away from how I feel’

Critics’ favourite and curator of this month’s Meltdown festival, the British artist is flying high. But a nasty legal battle with her closest collaborator and a crisis of confidence left her close to calling it quits. Instead, she put it all on the new album

She danced (the hyperactive early 00s style known as krumping was a favourite); acted (starring in CBBC shows Youngers and Spirit Warriors); and rapped, appearing on stage at the O2 Academy aged 11, reciting her own work as part of a youth club also attended by Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke. While Dynamite didn’t pull her punches (“I spent 23 years trying to be the fucking man you should be / Taking care of your responsibility / Putting clothes on our back and shoes on our feet, no help” is how she addressed it on her song Father), Simz is more reflective, generous even, in her assessment of her dad, who she still has no contact with. There were times in the studio I didn’t know if I was gonna finish this record, I was going through all the emotions … he stuck by me.”) The pair met at Mary’s Youth Club in north London and forged one of the most successful and close producer-artist relationships the UK has seen in the last decade.

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