A POLITE REVIEW: LITTLE SIMZ "STILLNESS IN WONDERLAND"
Spent a day catching up on all the music that dropped the past 2 weeks. Cudi. Ab-Soul. Cole. Guwop. Half-A-Mil (Dom Kennedy x Hit-Boy). Last but certainly not least. Little Simz.
I found out about her a year ago through Hotnewhiphop youtube channel. I love the series they have called "On The Come Up" and I always watch them all no matter if I know who they're interviewing or not. It's how I've found out about a lot of artists.
I listened to this album and after the first listen I was more into the concept than the actual music meaning I was distracted and looking for key things in her lyrics. I watched the "Stillness In Wonderland" Film after the first listen then went back to the album. The second listen was even better.
Based on the story "Alice In Wonderland" one of the most popular stories in history. 150 years later a exceptional artist from North London took it upon herself to be inspired by this story and relate it to her life.
A story that takes us through a nonsensical world called "Wonderland" with hookah smoking Caterpillars, unlimited tea parties, a shrewd striped cat with a devilish grin, mushrooms and underneath it all we learn a lesson in self discovery.
If I ever take shrooms again I'll be sure to watch Alice In Wonderland or listen to Stillness In Wonderland.
This album was quite the journey. I'd like to share with you how "Stillness In Wonderland" made me feel and go over my favorite tracks.
LMPD
Incredible performance from Chronixx. The lyrics really hit home on his performance. Every line was so real and honest. Loved his vocals also. I like this track because straight out the gate Simz makes us aware that she's aware of her responsibility to her people.
LMPD made me question if we're letting the people who fought for us actions be in vein. Chronixx mentioned the likes of Marcus Garvey and MLK. Are we carrying on the tradition they set or are we failing? It's something we really need to think about.
This was a perfect way to kick off the album. It sets up the escape from reality nicely.
DOORWAY/TRUST ISSUES
This is the part where we follow the dapperly dressed white rabbit down the rabbit hole. Simz looks into the key hole and sees Wonderland. You know the part where Alice has to drink the drank that alters her size in order to proceed.
This is probably my favorite track next to the albums finale because I love the thought and discussion of imagination. We're listening to Simz fall into her mind and detach from reality. We're hearing anxiety and exploring introverted thoughts.
It's funny. I had a convo with someone last week about how I don't trust anything around me even the things I actually see. It's like what Ab-Soul rapped on "Pineal Gland." "I don't even know what's real I'm just being real" or "I made my dreams reality so to speak or so they say I still could be asleep." This song reminded me of that.
I always thought this life is a dream we're living just to wake up from on some Spike Spiegel type shit.
HER (INTERLUDE)
This interlude is very smooth. The first half of the album has the same tone. I have a couple theories about this even though it's a interlude and interludes tend to be short.
One theory I have is that Simz is talking to herself and telling herself to let her escape to her wonderland.
The second theory I have is she's freeing herself from reality or a singular person and explaining why her journey to her wonderland is needed.
Simz only knows the answer to this but that's what makes music like this great. We can have discussions like this.
ONE IN ROTATION/WIDE AWAKE
This gave me a real DJ Quik and Kendrick Lamar feel. If you know me I love west coast music. Especially those 2 artists.
One in rotation is about SiR and Simz wanting to be more than a here today gone tomorrow artists. They want to leave their mark on the game, be heard, and do it their way.
Wide awake sounds like Simz telling herself to be grateful for how far she's come and the mentioning of "DMT" makes it interesting. If you're into your consciousness and subconscious then you'll understand. She's staying on course with the concept of being in this dreamland.
KING OF HEARTS
The album takes a grim turn here. This song is viscous and so is Simz flow. She holds her own with Chip and Ghetts. Like the Queen Of Hearts in Alice In Wonderland she's coming for everybody's head who violates.
Very dark feel and I fucks with this track indeed.
NO MORE WONDERLAND
When I seen Alice In Wonderland as an adult I could take away a message from it. When I seen it when I was in preschool I just remembered it being just a bunch of colorful trippy images.
Watching it twenty plus years later you notice that we grow in different ways and learn just like Alice did in the movie. As the world changes so do we. We try to find organization in life but craziness is still there. Whether if you go to your wonderland or face reality chaos still will exist.
We forget how powerful our minds and imaginations are. I couldn't imagine living in my wonderland for lengthy amount of time. I'd go mad. It can be an enchanting journey but you wouldn't want to live there. The brain is the most complex creation ever.
Little Simz wants out of her wonderland. Just like Alice did when she gave up the pursuit of the white rabbit. This is a very depressing song that fits the mood of the second half of the album.
We've come full circle from the first track. Her people need her to come back and make a difference thus the reason why Wonderland has lost it's appeal and mystique.
This was a very thoughtful project and I loved how Little Simz carried herself as a veteran emcee track by track. I would consider her a veteran because she's been rapping since she was a child. We just didn't know of her. This album proves that she's an exceptional artist with a future brighter than the colorful images in Wonderland.
