On the 5th of March 2024, the UK emerging rap scene saw the release of the raw, honest and genuine EP, ‘We Will Find A Way’ by this escape of ours. If you’re a fan of Loyle Carner, Little Simz or NF, you are sure to enjoy these five tracks of experimental rap-hip hop fusion. Upon multiple listens of the EP, I found myself extremely impressed and so got in touch with Simi Saggar - the London-based rapper behind the pseudonym. Together, we discussed the musical and personal inspirations behind her raw lyricism, who she hopes the EP will connect with, and what is truly at the heart and soul of this escape of ours.
Simi’s main musical inspiration was the American rapper and singer NF, most famous for his track ‘Let You Down’ with over 1.4 billion streams. Simi first heard his sound at just fourteen, and spoke about how his ‘deep and personal lyrics really helped [her] through a difficult time in [her] own life’. This inspired her vulnerability and truth in her own lyricism, in lines such as ‘I’ll never forget the day I saw my father cry’ and ‘need to take a breath, I feel it tighten in my chest’.
Little Simz also played a large part in the inspiration of the EP, and the entire career of this escape of ours. Simi credits her for helping her confidence as an emerging female rapper in a male-dominated industry, as Little Simz was the only example of a woman in the field that she had of influence when growing up. ‘We Will Find A Way’ finds Little Simz’s influence in tracks such as ‘Wonder’ (inspired by the SIMBI album), and her use of choirs and strings with gentle piano.
‘If she can do this, why can’t I?’
Similarly, she found comfort in the work of Loyle Carner, and the similarities they share in their neurodivergence; ‘he was almost like a hero, saying it’s okay to be the way you are and it’s nothing to be ashamed of’. Simi described how her autism often makes it difficult to communicate with others and express her feelings, but with music, ‘the words almost just come out’. This freeing feeling of lyricism as expression relates to her pseudonym artist name, this escape of ours. ‘If I have something on my mind, the first place I always go is music… It truly is a therapy for me. I’ll write it down, I’ll rap my favourite songs, or write a flow on paper.’ Simi’s raw, unfiltered honesty, paired with angelic background vocals and samples such as voicemails from a friend and a speech by Pat “Have Mercy” Leacock, create a sanctuary of music within the EP.
One of Simi’s main muses would be her best friend, Sofia Maltese. Simi describes her as the only constant in her life; ‘she is like my little sister, she always looks after me and brings out my happiest side’. The ‘We Will Find A Way’ EP pays tribute to Sofia in the lyric ‘got my little sis sitting with me and we reminisce’, and the song ‘Open Arms’. All of the experiences in the EP are taken straight from Simi’s own life and into the tracks; all from the hardships she’s experienced, the obstacles she’s encountered, and her friends and family, who she surrounds herself with. From the words of Simi herself, ‘Sometimes you have to get down to the nitty gritty, and sometimes that’s hard for people to hear, but I think it’s so powerful’.
If you are an enjoyer of rap or hip-hop, and are looking for a new addition to your playlist - I urge you to give a listen to ‘We Will Find A Way’. Get in on the ground floor, so to speak; and when the entire rap scene is flooded with the words ‘this escape of ours’, you can say you were there first. Through this escape of ours, Simi wanted to express the importance of staying true to yourself, and becoming comfortable in your own skin. The essence of the EP lies within the lines, ‘I don’t dress to impress, that’s nonsense’, and ‘scrapping my facade; drop my mask, never hiding my laugh, not ashamed of my past’. At the heart of it all, it’s truly all about finding that peace within yourself and having the strength to own and embrace every last bit.
Now, I won’t keep you for much longer; you have an EP to be listening to, so I’ll leave you with the words of this escape of ours herself.
‘I know how it feels to not fit in with the crowd and how lonely it can be when you don’t fit into a certain box. But flip that. Imagine someone could look up to you for showing them it’s okay to be who you are.’
-Article by Katie Clark
COVER ART BY POPPY RAINE
https://open.spotify.com/album/79TcLtytIHFpnv9RW2jg19?si=lCwWWuPqTUO-1aV5G6o3AA
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