Little Simz dumps her manager

THE rap star who won one of the music industry’s most prestigious awards dumped her long-serving manager just weeks earlier.

Little Simz was announced as this year’s Mercury Prize winner at the star-studded event at London’s Hammersmith Apollo last Tuesday. She told the audience she was ‘overwhelmed’ to collect the prize in recognition of her 2021 album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.

The artist, whose real name is Simbiatu Ajikawo, stunned industry executives by failing to credit the role played in her success by manager Rob Swerdlow, above with the rapper.

We understand Little Simz, 28, dropped Mr Swerdlow – who had managed her since 2015 – only weeks earlier in a decision that friends say left him ‘absolutely gutted’. One said: ‘Rob was in the trenches with her when things were tough. He was responsible for guiding her out of hard times to where she is now.’

Mr Swerdlow declined to comment.