Mercury Prize winner Little Simz sues longtime producer Inflo over unpaid debts
London-born rapper Little Simz, the recipient of the 2022 Mercury Prize as well as star of hit Netflix show Top Boy, is taking legal action against her former producer Inflo, AKA Dean Cover.
She alleges that Inflo has failed to repay a £1.7m (approx. €2m) loan from 2023, including £1m used to fund the first and only live performance by Sault - the enigmatic UK musical collective he founded. The ambitious and highly elaborate show, was held at London's Drumsheds in December 2023, and was met with initial backlash for its expensive tickets prices, which started at £99 (€117).
As a result of the unreturned loan, Simz claims she was left unable to fully cover her tax liability in January 2024, racking up interest and charges.
Inflo has been a hugely important collaborator with Simz, born Simbiatu Ajikawo, since her third album, 2019's 'Grey Area', followed by 2021's highly-acclaimed 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert' and 2022's 'NO THANK YOU'. The 36-year-old producer has also worked with the likes of Adele, Michael Kiwanuka, his wife, Cleo Sol and Tyler, the Creator.
According to Law360, the rapper filed her claim in January, accusing Inflo of retaining loans for over a year and alleging that his company mishandled accounting for funds provided by Sony to cover recording costs.
In November 2022, Simz signed a three-album deal with the independent label Artists Without A Label (AWAL) - a move Inflo himself encouraged so she could self-produce her music. The deal came with a £2m advance and £625,000 earmarked for recording her third album.
Before receiving the official recording funds, Simz personally loaned Inflo £350,000 and £275,000 for the album's production under AWAL. In October 2024, Inflo's solicitors stated the total costs were only £524,436. Simz claims she expected any leftover funds to be returned upon the album's completion, but Inflo allegedly never returned the money.
She is also suing him for a £1 million loan she sent on 1 December 2023 to finance Sault's Drumsheds show. She specified that the loan should be repaid within three days, but Inflo allegedly failed to do so, responding that he was 'still getting [his] deal over the line' and would 'send [the money] back as soon as it lands.' In that same month, Simz sent him two more loans totalling £700,000.
In October 2024, Inflo's lawyers acknowledged the debt but attributed it to his label, Forever Living Originals, rather than him personally.
The news comes as Simz has begun teasing her upcoming album 'Lotus', which will be produced by Miles Clinton James, known for his previous work with London jazz group Kokoroko. The album, which will be her 6th full length project, is set for a release on 9 May.
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