Singer, rapper, producer, and motivational speaker Simba Amir aspires to make music that inspires, entertains and acts as a therapy for other people the same way it was for him growing up on the Philly streets. With hints of deep lyrical hip hop and contemporary pop music, his music is unique in the city, which boasts a plethora of street rappers like Meek Mill and AR-AB. At two years in [professionally], and with over 50 gigs under his belt as well as placements on powerful blogs including Thisis50, BluntIQ, he’s definitely off to a great start. His first complete project, Welcome to Aspen, is due to drop this winter.
Simba took a few minutes to chat with AAHH and do our world famous Q&A. Check out the interview, and his music, below.
https://soundcloud.com/simbaamir/oh-my-prod-flip-x-andrew-meoray
Tell me about your music, Simba.
I do all types of genres. Anywhere from a 90’s hip-hop sound to pop music. Right now I’m focused on creating an r&b and rap styled EP. Creating music people can relate to emotionally, relax to and turn up to all in one body of work.
How did you get involved in music?
I’ve always loved music since I was younger and I’ve been writing poems since elementary school. The drums were my first love to listen to, and that’s when I would search up drummers and pay attention to the rhythm deep within songs.
Who are some of your influences?
Tupac, Lauryn Hill, Musiq Soul Child, Boys II Men, Jay-Z, and Nas were probably the very first artists that I played all the time when I was a kid. Then I branched out from there, but I like to feel as though my creativity comes from a mixture of the many artists I’ve listened to over the years.
What have you released so far?
I’ve only released about 4 or 5 official songs. Most notably my song “I Do” which is hands down my fan bases favorite. Right ahead of my first love song called ” About Time.” Right now I’m working on my very first EP entitled “Welcome to Aspen.” I plan on releasing this EP at the end of the winter.
What’s been your biggest achievement thus far?
My greatest achievements would be not just doing shows or landing quality blog placements but more so the experiences I’ve had with the musical family around me. My close friends and close artists that are with me on this journey traveling and learning as we work. My goal is to be well known in this region by the end of 2017.
What’s your ultimate goal?
I want to be respected and a part of the conversation as an artist. Of course, my goal is to be able to provide good music from my heart while being able to take care of my family at the same time but when it comes down to it, I want to be able to express myself to a large audience that cares about my music at some point.
What’s coming up for you?
Next for me is releasing my tape, pushing my artistry and fans base to the next level. I plan on expanding the “LikelyLegends” brand. That’s the brand myself and a couple of others decided to create about a year ago. We’ve been successful so far, and I plan on pushing the envelope.
https://soundcloud.com/simbaamir/about-time-simba-amir
