Little Simz has spoken about racial equality in the music industry, saying there’s “a lot more that can be done.”
In response to the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, an industry initiative saw a blackout on social media for one day.
Speaking to NME for this week’s Big Read cover story, Simz said: “There’s a lot more that can be done, but I think it’s a wider conversation to be had, to be honest. It’s probably one that us Black artists also need to have amongst ourselves, about how we can support each other internally.”
She continued to highlight an issue in which she said the industry only seems to allow one Black woman to do well at a time. “It’s bullshit, but of course they’re going to keep pushing that narrative until we say, ‘Nah, we’re all going to exist here and you just have to accept that’,” she explained.
Simz added that, while the world expects Black people to “have all the answers”, she is still learning and “trying to educate myself.”
“Conversations are important and people being honest about not knowing shit,” she said. “You haven’t got to act like you have all the answers.”
Earlier this week, MOBOs founder Kanya King wrote an open letter to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden criticising the industry for failing to sufficiently promote Black music executives. Speaking to NME today (June 19), she said: “This whole question of inequality dominating the news cycle is not new for us. Throughout MOBOs history, we’ve been fighting for equality in Black music and culture.
“We need to work towards a sustainable solution so generations to come won’t have to suffer the same problems as us.”
