Little Simz’s sixth studio album, Lotus, arrives in the wake of perhaps one of the tumultuous periods of her life. Back in 2022, the British-Nigerian rapper born Simbiatu Ajikawo was forced to cancel a US headline tour, citing financial restrictions. She parted ways with her longtime manager weeks before winning the Mercury Prize for 2021’s magnificent Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Two months after that, she released her fifth album, No Thank You, which touched on themes including her navigation of a male-dominated industry.
Then, in March this year, she sued her longtime producer Inflo (real name Dean Cover) for allegedly failing to repay a loan of £1.7m, including £1m to cover his collective Sault’s extravagant and immersive live show – where Simz also performed – at the London venue Drumsheds in 2023. Neither Cover nor Simz have commented publicly on the lawsuit.
