Acclaimed London rapper Little Simz’ latest album is about finding her inner peace, wrestling with what love means to her, and embodying the growth of the flower that gives it its name – but it starts with anger. 

Over a menacing bass guitar riff, opener “Thief” finds her directly addressing a lawsuit she recently lobbied at childhood friend and longtime producer Inflo over unpaid debts. Regarded by rap fans as one of the genre’s most fruitful artist-producer partnerships, Simz certainly proves that she doesn’t need him to prosper: in fact, in a subtle but deadly move, the two tracks where she attacks him most directly have beats that most closely mirror his whimsical, maximalist, and orchestral style.

What we get instead is more subdued material – the perfect playground for Simz to sit back and reflect on overcoming a world that seems to be trying its hardest to bring her down, fighting her way back to the point where she’s happy and stable enough to step back into the booth. It’s something that she does powerfully on the track “Lonely,” finding her strength in music again after a verse grappling with self-doubt. The best part about the finished product? Not only does Simz pen some masterfully technical verses about what really matters in life, but she also sets aside some time to have fun with some boastful bangers. Like the many petals of the lotus, Simz’s different sides make her one of the genre’s best.