Sims (rapper)

Sims
A man in a white T-shirt smiles and grasps a corded mic at its top
Sims performing at HomeKUMMing 2009
Background information
Birth name Andrew Sims
Born (1982-10-19) October 19, 1982
Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota
Genres
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 2001–present
Labels Doomtree Records
Associated acts
Website www.doomtree.net/sims/

Andrew Sims (born October 19, 1982), better known mononymously as Sims, is a rapper from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.[1]

Early life

Sims was born in Minnesota to American parents who were former musicians.[2] He first began creating music at an early age when his father bought him a Casio SK-1 keyboard.[3] At a young age, he began writing lyrics, not necessarily rap.[4] By the time he was 14, Sims was freestyle rapping and was also in various non hip hop bands as well.[5] He attended Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota where he met P.O.S and Cecil Otter, (and later other Doomtree members) who would sell beats to Sims.[6] Following graduation, he studied at the University of Minnesota, before dropping out with seventeen credits remaining.[7] Although he was younger than his cohorts, after a while he was invited to become an official member of Doomtree, being the last one to join.[2]

Musical career

2003-2008: Lights Out Paris, False Hopes Four and Doomtree

Sims' first release was False Hopes Number Four EP, the fourth in a series of fifteen Doomtree member releases (such as Dessa's and Cecil Otter's), and was released locally. His first national appearance was on P.O.S's debut album Ipecac Neat in 2004, on the song "Lifetime...Kid Dynamite."[8] In 2005, he released his first solo album, Lights Out Paris, in 2005. The album was given very favorable reviews, with URB Magazine[9] giving it a 4.5 out of 5, saying: “As if you needed another reason to lend an ear to Minneapolis hip hop.”[10][11] It features verses from all Doomtree rappers, Crescent Moon and Toki Wright. The album was released without the help of a record label or distribution, instead using money earned from Doomtree's shows, who would release the album independently.[12]

2009-2014: False Hopes, Bad Time Zoo and Field Notes

In 2009, he released False Hopes XIV.[13][14] Later that year, he featured on P.O.S's album Never Better on the song "Low Light Low Life".[15]

His second solo album, Bad Time Zoo, was released in 2011.[16] It is entirely produced by Lazerbeak.[17] The album was released with music videos for the tracks "One Dimensional Man,",[18] "LMG",[19] and "Burn It Down."[20] The album features a guest appearance from P.O.S.[21] Drew Beringer of AbsolutePunk described the album as "one of the most bombastic hip-hop albums of 2011."[22] On June 24, 2011, "Burn It Down" was named KEXP's sog of the day.[20] Sims released Wildlife EP later that year.[23] The same year, he featured on Astronautalis' album This Is Our Science on the song "Thomas Jefferson."[24]

In 2013, he featured on P.O.S's album We Don't Even Live Here on the song "They Can't Come".[25]

The next year, he released the EP Field Notes, which features production from Cecil Otter and Icetep, among others. It also features Astronautalis.[26]

2015-present: More Than Ever

In 2016, Sims released his full-length solo album More Than Ever.[27] The album announcement also featured news of Sims' More Than Ever tour, featuring Air Credits and taking place in late 2016 and early 2017.

Personal life

In 2010, Sims' wife Sarah (then girlfriend) needed an emergency pancreas transplant. During the Doomtree's Blowout Three concert, she was in a coma. Sims' experience is documented in a hidden song on "Hey You" on Bad Time Zoo's CD and vinyl release. In 2011, they married.[28]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

  • False Hopes Number Four (2003)
  • False Hopes XIV (2009)
  • Wildlife (2011)
  • Field Notes (2014)

Singles

  • "Burn It Down" (2011)
  • "This Is the Place" (2013) (with Astronautalis)
  • "Uh Huh" (2014)
  • "Triple 6's" (2016)
  • "One Hundred" (2016)
  • "Icarus" (2016)
  • "Brutal Dance" (2016)

Guest appearances

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Harley (October 17, 2011). "Live Review: Sims and Lazerbeak at Minneapolis' Fine Line Music Cafe (10/15)". Consequence of Sound.
  2. 1 2 "Sims • chorus.fm". chorus.fm. 2011-04-19. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  3. ↑ "Hey Eleanor! I'm a Rapper! An Interview with Sims of Doomtree". Hey Eleanor!. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  4. ↑ "Doomtree- Rap Won't Save You, An Interview. | The Indie Spiritualist". Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  5. ↑ John. "Interview: Sims (feat. Cecil Otter) (Minneapolis)". Mezzic. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  6. ↑ "The Current from Minnesota Public Radio". www.thecurrent.org. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  7. ↑ "One nation, under DOOMTREE". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  8. ↑ "Ipecac Neat, by P.O.S". P.O.S. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  9. ↑ "Review: P.O.S in Washington D.C." Killahbeez. 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  10. ↑ Scholtes, Peter S. (June 22, 2005). "Sims: Lights Out Paris". City Pages.
  11. ↑ Store, Doomtree. "Lights Out Paris - Sims". Doomtree Store. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  12. ↑ Murphy, Tom (2015-03-03). "Doomtree: "Our Stage Show Falls Apart a Lot. It's Part of Our Charm."". Westword. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  13. ↑ Bronson, Kaleb (September 11, 2009). "CD Review – SIMS – False Hopes XIV". Rift Magazine.
  14. ↑ "Sims - False Hopes XIV". Scene Point Blank. September 1, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Never Better - P.O.S | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  16. ↑ McGrew, Jackson (December 23, 2010). "Doomtree's Sims announces new album, Bad Time Zoo". Consequence of Sound.
  17. ↑ Uddenberg, Brett (June 9, 2011). "Sims – Bad Time Zoo (Review)". URB. Archived from the original on November 21, 2011.
  18. ↑ Mehan, Brendan (March 10, 2011). "Sims Releases New Video for "One Dimensional Man"". CMJ.
  19. ↑ Marvilli, Joe (September 13, 2011). "Sims – "LMG"". Consequence of Sound.
  20. 1 2 Bezezekoff, Leigh (June 24, 2011). "Song of the Day: Sims – Burn It Down". KEXP.
  21. ↑ Gordon, Scott (February 21, 2011). "Beats & Rhymes: Sims' Bad Time Zoo". ALARM Magazine.
  22. ↑ Beringer, Drew (February 16, 2011). "Sims - Bad Time Zoo". AbsoluePunk.
  23. ↑ Royal, Jacob (March 13, 2012). "Sims - Wildlife". Sputnikmusic.
  24. ↑ "Album Review: Astronautalis – This Is Our Science". Consequence of Sound. 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  25. ↑ "Stream: P.O.S.'s We Don't Even Live Here remixed by Marijuana Deathsquads". Consequence of Sound. 2013-10-22. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  26. ↑ "Sims' Field Notes: Album Walkthrough". BREAKS X LAKES. 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  27. ↑ Lazerbeak (September 6, 2016). "Sims 'More Than Ever' Album Announcement". Doomtree.
  28. ↑ "Tuesdays With Lazerbeak | Doomtree". Retrieved 2017-02-05.
  29. ↑ "Broadcasted". Bandcamp. October 28, 2016.
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