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]