Here are two songs from what is probably one of the best hip-hop albums of the year, “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” by British rapper Little Simz. The title is an acronym for “SIMBI”, which is Simz’s nickname. This is her fourth studio album, released on September of 2021, and definitely the album that has received the most accolades out of all of her albums, and it’s not hard to see why once you take a look at these two songs.

Track 8 off of the album, Speed is probably the most energetic of all the tracks on this album. This song carries a driving beat with interesting percussion and retro synths.

Here’s what Simz had to say about the track:

“This track sends another reminder: ‘This game is a marathon, not a sprint. So pace yourself!’; I know where I’m headed, and I’m taking my time, with little breaks here and there. Now I know when to really hit the gas and also when to come off a bit.“

This one is a collaboration between Nigerian, UK-based hip-hop artist Steven Steven Umoh, most commonly known by his stage name “Obongjayar”.

The song consists of a bass riff that despite repeating a one-bar phrase throughout the entire song, has a surprising amount of variation. This is also the only track with singing or pitched notes, while the song shifts between Simz and Obongjayar. The keys part doesn’t come in until much later in the song with the horns near the end.

According to Simz, “Obongjayar is one of my favourites at the moment. We recorded this in my living room on a whim—and I’m very, very grateful that he graced this song. The title comes from a phrase used in Nigeria to pick out fish at the market, or a store. You point, they kill. But also metaphorically, whatever I want, I’m going to get in the same way, essentially.“

I would highly consider donating to Chart-a-thon, to honor Sideshow and Maxton: https://chartathon.com/