Since John Lennon recorded “How Do You Sleep At Night” in 1971, targeting his former bandmate Paul McCartney, the music scene has always appreciated a good diss track. From The Sex Pistols taking shots at The New York Dolls with “New York” to Eminem dissing his mother in “Cleaning out my closet, " nothing ignites the music community more than when our favourite artists trade metaphorical barbs.

 

In her latest release, “Lotus, " rapper Little Simz presents not just one diss track but an entire album comprising thirteen songs, largely directed at a certain individual, widely believed to be her former friend, manager, and potential Sault bandmate, Inflo. However, he's not named on the album. 

 

Currently, Inflo and Simz are embroiled in a legal battle after Simz sued him, claiming he failed to repay several loans totalling around £1.2 million. 

 

Inflo has denied all allegations from Little Simz, yet the lawsuit and the dissolution of their professional and personal relationship have pushed her to create her first album without his involvement (which led to the cancellation of a previously planned joint album). This situation has demonstrated that even without his contributions, Simz's voice remains one of the most powerful in the industry today.

 

When asked how to summarise this album, I replied, “Imagine Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics set to the music of Erykah Badu.” The album is a delightful banquet of emotions, offering a mix of bitter venom (especially in the opening track “Thief”), playful cheekiness (in " Young "), laid-back self-reflection (in " Free "), followed by assertive confidence (in " Enough "), and ultimately concluding with a sense of inner peace (in " Blue ").

 

This album illustrates that sometimes a musical breakup can be advantageous for an artist (take note, Taylor and Jack). I’m eager to see what the newly liberated Little Simz has in store for the future.