Lady Sovereign

  • London, England
    hometown
  • Dance/Electronic
    genre
  • 2003
    started
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About Lady Sovereign

| @ladysov


The self-proclaimed "biggest midget in the game," MC Lady Sovereign has an unmistakably British delivery and style, but a string of singles showcasing her sly wit and brash charisma over bottom-heavy beats brought on a worldwide buzz. Born Louise Harman, Sovereign was raised in northwest London's notorious Chalkhill Estate, a public housing project known for being especially rough and ragged. Although she admits her upbringing could get dangerous or depressing in these surroundings, Sovereign focused on the unique unity in the Chalkhill community, and the street cred she was earning there would soon be vital to the grime community taking her seriously.

Influenced by her mother's Salt-N-Pepa albums, Sovereign began writing her own raps at the age of 14 and uploaded her Chalkhill stories to a So Solid Crew Internet fan forum. It was there where she met her longtime DJ, Frampster. Two years later she dropped out of school and landed a gig acting in an educational film about the life of an up-and-coming MC. She convinced the producers that she could construct a soundtrack for the film, the demos for which landed in the hands of Medasyn. The producer partnered his discovery with Frost P, Zuz Rock, and Shystie for a male MC vs. female MC 12" he was working on titled "The Battle." Released in 2003 on Casual Records, "The Battle" began a string of singles that would push Sovereign into the spotlight.

While "A Little Bit of Shhh!," "9 to 5," and "Ch Ching" were flying out of the record bins, free Internet-only freestyles like "Tango" and "Cheeky" were becoming just as popular with the grime faithful. She began 2005 by appearing on the vital grime compilation Run the Road -- both as a solo artist and with the Streets -- then collected some singles and released the Vertically Challenged EP on Chocolate Industries. She capped off the year by meeting with hip-hop megastar and label CEO Jay-Z. With Usher and L.A. Reid seated next to him, Jay-Z asked for one on-the-spot freestyle from Sovereign before offering her a contract with Def Jam. With the fist-raising single "Hoodie" leading the way, Lady Sovereign released her full-length debut, Public Warning, on Def Jam in 2006. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi

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Music

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    • Love Me Or Hate Me
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/5/3/0/7/3/915637035.mp3
    • Blah Blah
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/8/2/9/6/3/915636928.mp3
    • 9 to 5
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/7/7/2/7/3/915637277.mp3
    • Love Me Or Hate Me (Main)
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/8/1/9/6/3/920636918.mp3
    • A Little Bit Of SHHH
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/0/2/1/7/3/915637120.mp3
    • Those Were The Days
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/7/4/7/6/3/915636747.mp3

Interviews & Exclusives

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  • Lady Sovereign on the grime movement
    lady-sovereign
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    Lady Sovereign on the grime movement
  • Lady Sovereign on how she started in music
    lady-sovereign
    video
    Lady Sovereign on how she started in music
  • Lady Sovereign on things happening quickly
    lady-sovereign
    video
    Lady Sovereign on things happening quickly
  • Lady Sovereign on working with Adrock
    lady-sovereign
    video
    Lady Sovereign on working with Adrock
  • Lady Sovereign on blowing up and hoodies
    lady-sovereign
    video
    Lady Sovereign on blowing up and hoodies

Photos

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  • Lady Sovereign
    brian apio, john furnisse
  • Lady Sovereign
    brian apio, john furnisse
  • Lady Sovereign
    Jon Furniss/Getty Images
  • (EXCLUSIVE ACCESS)  Lady Sovereign attends the launch of SAW Alive - the World's most extreme live horror maze at Thorpe Park on March 9, 2010 in Chertsey, England.
    Lady Sovereign
    (EXCLUSIVE ACCESS) Lady Sovereign attends the launch of SAW Alive - the World's most extreme live horror maze at Thorpe Park on March 9, 2010 in Chertsey, England.
    WireImage
  • British rapper Lady Sovereign speaks onstage at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Lady Sovereign
    British rapper Lady Sovereign speaks onstage at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
  • British rapper Lady Sovereign appears in the audience at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards 2006 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Lady Sovereign
    British rapper Lady Sovereign appears in the audience at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards 2006 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
  • Rappers Ghostface Killah and Lady Sovereign pose for a photo at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Lady Sovereign
    Rappers Ghostface Killah and Lady Sovereign pose for a photo at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Scott Gries/Getty Images
  • British rapper Lady Sovereign appears onstage at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Lady Sovereign
    British rapper Lady Sovereign appears onstage at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
    Scott Gries/Getty Images
  • British rapper Lady Sovereign on the red carpet at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards in New York City.
    Lady Sovereign
    British rapper Lady Sovereign on the red carpet at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards in New York City.
  • British rapper Lady Sovereign on the red carpet at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards in New York City.
    Lady Sovereign
    British rapper Lady Sovereign on the red carpet at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards in New York City.
    Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

News

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  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign Starts Label, Preps Album
    www.billboard.com
    U.K. rapper Lady Sovereign has inked a global deal with EMI for her own Midget Records imprint, and will release her new album, "Jigsaw," on April 9. ...
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  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign Takes a Cue From Kanye and Sings on April LP “Jigsaw”
    www.rollingstone.com
    Forrest/WireImage Perhaps taking cues from Kanye West, pint-sized British MC Lady Sovereign will follow up her 2006 album Public Warning by attempting...
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  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign back with new album, label, and single, “I Got You Dancing”
    prefixmag.com
    ). As a bonus, Sovereign has the album's first single, "I Got You Dancing" available for streaming and free download at her MySpace. The track is like...
    Read More
  • Lady Sovereign
    Cover songs by Lady Sov, Beck and Twilight Singers
    prefixmag.com
    Just a few covers floating around this week...Lady Sovereign "Pretty Vacant" (Sex Pistols) (Quicktime / WMV)Beck "Wraith Pinned to the Mist" (Of Montr...
    Read More
  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign Dishes on Def Jam Exit
    prefixmag.com
    pressure of not being on a label as big as Def Jam, so future onstage breakdowns are pretty unlikely for the time being. Lady Sovereign's latest album...
    Read More
  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign Rants On Stage In San Francisco (Video)
    prefixmag.com
    Grime has finally crossed over to the mainstream in the U.K., and the strain is beginning to show on one of the genre's brightest stars. Lady Sovereig...
    Read More
  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign Fined For Spitting At Australian Doorman | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    British rapper Lady Sovereign has spent the first night of her current Australia visit in a cell for her part in a drunken assault on a bouncer. The s...
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  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign Joins Cast Of 'Celebrity Big Brother'
    prefixmag.com
    After a switch to electro-clash-ish hip-hop didn't revive her stagnant post-Def Jam career,Lady Sovereignhas moved onto greener, more pathetic pasture...
    Read More
  • Lady Sovereign
    Lady Sovereign Comes Out, But Apparently No One Cares
    prefixmag.com
    rates as blog-worthy in a time when Ricky Martin, who everyone knew was gay in 1997, gets the cover of People for coming out. I still can't really ima...
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Discography

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  • Jigsaw (2009)
    Lady Sovereign
    Jigsaw (2009)
    Pop U-Lab
  • Public Warning (2006)
    Lady Sovereign
    Public Warning (2006)
    Def Jam
  • Love Me or Hate Me [International CD Single] (2006)
    Lady Sovereign
    Love Me or Hate Me [International CD Single] (2006)
    Universal Distribution
  • Vertically Challenged (2005)
    Lady Sovereign
    Vertically Challenged (2005)
    Chocolate Industries
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