Lady Sovereign
Public Warning
Island Def Jam
By Christine Ernest
Most know the tale of the self-proclaimed “biggest midget in the game.” Lady Sovereign grew up in a not so nice part of North London where crime and gangs were prevalent. The rough environment was a blessing in disguise because it gave Lady Sovereign her sharp wit that helped to ultimately catch the attention of Jay-Z, get signed to Def Jam and thus create Public Warning.
Even if Lady Sovereign is cute as a button, don't mistake her for a frilly lady. While some MC's reach for the Cristal, Lady Sovereign would rather go for a Heineken any night - - and she'll probably burp in your face afterwards. Unlike many girly girls, Lady Sovereign is completely comfortable in her own skin and more importantly her own style. In "Random" she says: "J Lo's got a batty / Well you can't see mine cause I wear my trousers baggy."
She continues on her style commentaries with the track “Hoodie.” The dancehall enthused beats of the chorus urge you to throw on some comfortable clothing and hit the clubfloor. On a side note, if you haven't already signed Lady Sovereign's petition to stop the ban of hooded sweatshirts in London (www.savethehoodie.com), make sure you get on that.
With her video for “Love Me Or Hate Me” debuting on national television, Lady Sovereign is truly becoming a cross-continental hip-hop star. Her message can be summed up in its chorus:
“Love me or hate me, that is the question / If you love me, then thank you / If you hate me, then fuck you!”
A pleasant surprise is delivered from the track “Gatheration.” Unlike her more grimey tracks, it has more of an electronic backing to it, adding another dimension to Lady Sovereign while not stepping too far from her overall realm of sound.
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