Sims | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Andrew Sims |
Born | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | October 19, 1982
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | Doomtree Records |
Website | sims |
Andrew Sims (born October 19, 1982), better known mononymously as Sims, is an American rapper from Minneapolis. He has been a member of Doomtree [1] and Shredders. [2]
Sims was born Andrew Sims on October 19, 1982 in Minnesota. [3] He grew up in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. His parents were former musicians. [4] He first began creating music at an early age when his father bought him a Casio SK-1 keyboard. [5] At a young age, he began writing lyrics, not necessarily rap. [6] By the time he was 14, Sims was freestyle rapping and was also in various non hip hop bands as well. [7] 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. [8] Following graduation, he studied at the University of Minnesota, before dropping out with seventeen credits remaining. [9] 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. [4]
Sims released the False Hopes Number Four EP, the fourth in a series of Doomtree's False Hopes releases, in 2003. [10] In 2005, he released his first solo album, Lights Out Paris . [11] [12] 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. [13] In 2009, he released False Hopes XIV. [14] [15]
His second solo album, Bad Time Zoo , was released in 2011. [16] [17] It is entirely produced by Lazerbeak. [18] The album was released with music videos for the tracks "One Dimensional Man", [19] "LMG", [20] and "Burn It Down." [21] The album features a guest appearance from P.O.S. [22] Drew Beringer of AbsolutePunk described the album as "one of the most bombastic hip-hop albums of 2011." [23] City Pages included it on the "Minnesota's Best Albums of 2011" list. [24] Sims released the Wildlife EP later that year. [25] [26]
In 2014, he released the Field Notes EP. [27] It features production from Cecil Otter and Icetep, as well as a guest appearance from Astronautalis. [28] In 2016, he released his solo album, More Than Ever . [29] In 2018, he released a collaborative album with Air Credits and Icetep, titled Artería Verité. [30]
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. [31]
Stefon Leron Alexander, better known by his stage name P.O.S, is an American hip hop artist from Minneapolis. He has been a member of groups such as Doomtree, Building Better Bombs, Gayngs, Marijuana Deathsquads, Cenospecies, Four Fists, and Shredders.
Dessa Margret Wander, better known by her stage name Dessa, is an American rapper, singer, writer, and former record executive. She is a member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
John Samels, better known by his stage name Paper Tiger, is a hip hop producer and DJ from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
Doomtree is an American hip hop collective and record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The collective has seven members: Dessa, Cecil Otter, P.O.S, Sims, Mike Mictlan, Paper Tiger, and Lazerbeak. The collective is known for incorporating a wide range of musical influences into their work with lyrical complexity and wordplay, and their annual "Doomtree Blowout" events held in Minneapolis venues to showcase their group performances and the Twin Cities music scene.
Hopkins High School is a public high school located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States. Minnetonka is a southwestern suburb of Minneapolis. It offers classes for grades 10, 11, and 12, making it one of the only schools in the state still with a 10–12 alignment. Hopkins High School is part of the Hopkins School District 270 and draws students from the city of Hopkins, central and eastern parts of Minnetonka, western Edina, northern Eden Prairie, Golden Valley, western St. Louis Park, and southern Plymouth. Hopkins High School is known for their dominance in both Boys and Girls Basketball, having won a combined 16 State Championships from years 2002–2022.
Cecil Otter's False Hopes is the first official release from Cecil Otter, a founding member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It is one of False Hopes albums released by Doomtree Records.
Aaron Mader, better known by his stage name Lazerbeak, is an American record producer, singer, and guitarist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a member of Doomtree, The Plastic Constellations, Mixed Blood Majority, Shredders, and Night Stone.
Michael Thomas Marquez, better known by his stage name Mike Mictlan, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California, who is currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Twin Cities hip hop, also referred to as Minneapolis hip hop, is sub-genre of rap music that originates from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
Never Better is the third solo studio album by American rapper P.O.S. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in the year 2009. It peaked at number 106 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Kyle Smith, better known by his stage name Cecil Otter, is a rapper and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
Lights Out Paris is the first studio album by American hip hop artist Sims, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released July 28, 2005 on Doomtree Records and includes guest appearances from P.O.S, Crescent Moon, and Toki Wright, among others. The album was re-released with four remixes and five songs from Sims' False Hopes Four on vinyl in June 2015.
Bad Time Zoo is the second studio album by American rapper Sims, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released on Doomtree Records on February 15, 2011. The album is entirely produced by Lazerbeak.
Hand Over Fist is a collaborative album by Minnesota rapper Mike Mictlan and hip hop producer Lazerbeak, both members of Minneapolis hip hop collective Doomtree. The album was released on Doomtree Records on October 14, 2008.
"Bangarang" is a song by Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released as a single from their 2011 second album No Kings on May 28, 2012.
Cut the Body Loose is the fifth solo studio album by American hip hop artist Astronautalis. It was released via SideOneDummy Records on May 13, 2016. Music videos were created for "Sike!", "Running Away from God", and "Kurt Cobain". In the week of April 22, 2016, Consequence of Sound placed "Attila Ambrus" at number 8 on the "Top 10 Songs of the Week" list.
More Than Ever is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Sims, a member of Minneapolis hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released on Doomtree Records on November 4, 2016.
Chill, Dummy is the fifth solo studio album by American rapper P.O.S. It was released on Doomtree Records on January 27, 2017. Guest appearances include Busdriver, Astronautalis, Open Mike Eagle, and Justin Vernon, among others. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.
Air Credits is an American hip hop group from Chicago, Illinois. It consists of rapper Showyousuck and producer Steve Reidell. NPR included the group in the "Eight New Artists to Watch in 2018" list.
Shredders is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. It consists of rappers P.O.S and Sims and producers Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger. The four are part of the Doomtree collective. The group's debut studio album, Dangerous Jumps, peaked at number 43 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.