Against a trio of robe-clad silhouettes, Simbiatu Ajikawo, known by her stage name Little Simz, entered the stage. Dressed in an oversized button-up and a black tie, the rapper seized the audience’s attention, commanding the stage throughout the entirety of her 14-song set.
In the midst of her North American “No Thank You” tour, Ajikawo’s appearance marked her ACL debut, a milestone she shared with the audience between songs. As she introduced herself, the rapper told the crowd she “loves it here,” establishing synergy with the audience that she’d feed off of throughout the performance.
Riling up each section of the crowd, Ajikawo launched into “I Love You, I Hate You.” This particular song showed off the performance’s captivating visual aspect, as the screen projected an outline of a man and woman exchanging the phrases that permeated the song: “I love you” and “I hate you.”
As the song died down, Ajikawo stood still, center stage, and the projection transformed into people walking from each corner to form an “X.” Without a moment of hesitation, the rapper began her song “X,” and as the song’s instrumentals faded away, she addressed the crowd again. This time, Ajikawo made a promise: “All I have on my agenda is to take you higher. Look, my heart’s on fire.” With that, the screen lit up in projected flames, and the rapper launched into “Heart on Fire.”
Ajikawo kept her promise, flawlessly rapping the rest of her set except for quick breaks for water. As she transitioned through her next few songs, she jumped off the stage to touch the hands of her adoring fans.
As the clock struck 5:50, Ajikawo moved into the final third of her show, and two guitarists in matching outfits entered the stage. Shedding the black sunglasses she’d worn throughout the performance, Ajikawo delivered hits “Gorilla” and “Point and Kill” with effortless agility, taking the crowd through an exploration of systemic racism, family dynamics and womanhood.
After her second-to-last song, Ajikawo invited the audience to thank “the boys on stage,” before telling the crowd she’d perform “this last one for the girls.” “Woman.” The stage projection turned into an orange, pink and purple gradient, and Ajikawo finished her performance with as much vigor as she began.
