Mod, punk, hip-hop, grime: before they had names, they had heart, and an energy comprised of talent, restlessness, street-smarts, charm and sheer ingenuity. And while a new form of music hasn't coagulated like the latter, pay no matter: we've got Lady Sovereign. A five-foot-one, 20-year-old Limey with a devastating flow and a sense of humor to match, Lady Sovereign embodies all those things: she is the ready-to-riot energy that spawned the most vital youth movements in the history of contemporary music. She is unpredictable, she is cheeky, she is small, and with her insurrectionary new album, PUBLIC WARNING, she's next in a distinguished line of Brit exports -- from the Beatles to the Sex Pistols to David Bowie -- who have invaded and reinvigorated the USA. And she's hotwiring your headphones from jump, with the single "Love Me or Hate Me," a elect... [ Read On... ]
Mod, punk, hip-hop, grime: before they had names, they had heart, and an energy comprised of talent, restlessness, street-smarts, charm and sheer ingenuity. And while a new form of music hasn't coagulated like the latter, pay no matter: we've got Lady Sovereign. A five-foot-one, 20-year-old Limey with a devastating flow and a sense of humor to match, Lady Sovereign embodies all those things: she is the ready-to-riot energy that spawned the most vital youth movements in the history of contemporary music. She is unpredictable, she is cheeky, she is small, and with her insurrectionary new album, PUBLIC WARNING, she's next in a distinguished line of Brit exports -- from the Beatles to the Sex Pistols to David Bowie -- who have invaded and reinvigorated the USA. And she's hotwiring your headphones from jump, with the single "Love Me or Hate Me," a electro-rap jackpot produced by Dr. Luke, the NY producer/songwriter who injected the horsepower into hits by everyone from Mos Def and Zach de la Rocha to Pink and Kelly Clarkson's ubiquitous "Since U Been Gone." Delighting in the ways in which she's a regular chick and determined never to change ("I can only do one thing and that's be Lady Sovereign"), Sov's fierce and funny mission statement is an indelible anthem for the club legions who don't give a *uh*: the vox populi for the young and the restless.
Born Louise Harman, just blocks away from North London’s famed Wembley Stadium, she dreamt of being a striker, but you have to trust fate. When uncaring schoolmarms gave her the boot, she thought her career as a high school footballer was over. But she rechristened herself Lady Sovereign, started rapping about everything from her diminutive stature to her cheeky nature, and hooked up with producer Medasyn and the vital East London grime scene. Mere months later, her spunky rhymes had made her a superstar in the United Kingdom and sent crushing waves across the great wide internet. In 2005, Jay-Z, Def Jam prez and the undisputed best rapper alive, had the foresight to add her to his roster. And, as Def Jam signs a cache of new, young and incomparably focused talents and develops their bright futures for the long haul --witness young forcefields Ne-Yo, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and Rhianna for proof -- their love for an iconoclastic midget like Lady Sov is further evidence of the label's creative vision.
So, who's schooling who?
Over the past two years, Lady Sovereign's conquered Europe, stunned music bloggers and journos worldwide – she’s already been hailed by the likes of Rolling Stone, Blender, The Fader, the New Yorker, Spin, Elle and many more. She’s charmed American audiences at high-profile gigs - Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot, and a - national tour in support of The Streets - with her fire-spitting, onstage antics, and spunky teen life-anthems like "Ch-Ching,” "Random" and "Hoodie." She's already a myspace pop star, where she gets thousands of fan letters and marriage proposals daily: "People write me and say, 'Marry me' or 'I love you' or 'Oh, you’re my favorite midget!'" she sighs. "I can’t respond to all of them, 'cos I’d be saying the same thing over and over again: ‘Thanks. I love you too. I reject your hand in marriage.’" You can't blame her fan-legions for falling in love with her unmatchable flow. She can tear through a pithy verse and launch into a punk-pop hook as naturally as breathing. Born with personality and versatility, this chick's a spitter, but her music combines the spirit of punk, rap, the UK dance scene and the Council Estates where she grew up and caused all sorts of mischief. "I’m just an individual and that’s it," says Sov, "and it shows in my music." Whether rapping over a Basement Jaxx beat or trading verses with Missy Elliott on the “Love Me Or Hate Me Remix,” there's never been anyone else like her. So make way for the S-O-V, yeah? Cos' she's about to be the biggest midget you've ever seen.
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