SIMMA DOWN

“I *need* to be uncomfortable. That’s when the growth happens,” ShaSimone tells Apple Music. “There’s things that I’ve done this year that I never, ever, ever thought I would, like performing on huge stages in my own city and taking my music overseas. If you had told me last year, I would have said, ‘Impossible—there’s no way. Not me.’” The Londoner’s debut EP serves up a grand statement of self-determination. With its fun and fast-paced course of rap anthems, *SIMMA DOWN* details the early miseducation of Shauna-Simone Yeboah (indeed, it connects the inspiring rap and soul fusion of Lauryn Hill on “Fugees”). The lockdown, personal struggles, and moments of self-doubt Sha experienced during 2021 threatened to derail the promising start she had made just months prior. This is the story of how she managed to claw it all back. Backed by a supporting cast that includes Nigerian star BOJ and London rhymer Avelino, Sha picks apart the power of forgiveness (on “Top 5”), captures the freeing air of maturity (on “Future”), and builds a powerful first block towards her end goal in enviable style. Here, she runs us through the EP, track by track. **“Top 5”** “I wrote this song on New Year’s Day \[2022\]. I remember it because I made up with one of my best friends. We broke up during lockdown and hadn’t spoken in nearly two years, which was weighing very heavy on my heart, and I needed to clear things with her. And the reason we fell out was because of pride. It was so stupid. So, on New Year’s Eve, I reach out and stay on the phone for five hours, thinking, ‘Why did we wait so long?’ I went off and wrote this as soon as I got off the phone, to highlight that issue of pride in relationships. And it’s a good summary of how I was feeling to close the year \[in 2021\].” **“Future” (feat. Avelino)** “I heard Avelino on this beat as soon as we played it. I was with my guy, PB \[Producer Boy\], cooking it up, and I FaceTimed Ave’ to invite him to the studio. One thing about Avelino is he doesn’t write. He says it’s literally all in his brain. He goes in and just...I’ve never seen anyone work like that. He’ll rhyme a whole 16 \[bars\], recite it, and then go in, without his phone, nothing. He is elite. So elite.” **“Thug Affection”** “When I can’t sleep, that’s usually when I write. I’ll listen to a beat, and in five seconds, I know if I like it or not. I was going through beats at 6 am when I made this. I came across the beat, by a producer called Likkle Dotz, and instantly, I start spilling it all out. This is all about a guy I was seeing, and \[the relationship\] just wasn’t enough—it was the bare minimum. I think I just wanted to be with someone, a companion, because it was boring. Everyone was lonely during lockdown. Well, some of us.” **“Ten Toes” (feat. BOJ)** “I had an idea for BOJ to flex on this beat by \[British Nigerian production duo\] Sons of Sonix, and I reached out. We had the song with an empty hook \[space\] for quite some time, and eventually he sent back two versions. But I fell in love with this one, as it suited the vibe best. It was bouncy and made sense. Even myself, when I’m sending a verse, I’ll do two versions just to see what they think. That’s what real artists do—we give you some options!” **“Fugees”** “I recorded this on the same day I made \[2021 single\] ‘LOCK OFF,’ and I just went in and had fun. There are so many factors to making the right song, but on this occasion, I was freestyling and kept the vibe going, nothing too crazy.” **“Mood”** “I was definitely not in the mood when I started this song. I had to travel all the way from Hackney to the session—all the way in fucking Acton, West London. And nobody wanted to come with me, so I went by myself—in a bad mood that day. Life has thrown me into situations that I didn’t feel prepared for, but one thing I’ve realized is you have to be uncomfortable. It’s something I’ve really come to terms with on this journey. I can’t be comfortable.” **“LOCK OFF”** “The sound bite at the end of this track is from \[UK DJ and podcast host\] Chuckie \[Lothian\], from one of my favorite shows, *Halfcast Podcast*. I love him. He’s so honest, and I’ve watched his YouTube videos religiously. I can’t remember the exact episode, but to hear him say my name was insane. I had to throw that on here. I guess I’m doing something right.”