Lady Sovereign: BeatCrave Fav of the Month
By sergiosoto
Last month we posted our favorite 16 bands and then you pick your favorite. Our winner… Lady Sovereign.
Born Louise Amanda Harman (Dec. 19, 1985), Lady Sovereign grew up in the tough streets of Northwest London’s Chalkhill Estate. Through her years of perseverance, she has made her mark and indentation in the grime music scene. For those of you who are not familiar with what grime is exactly, it is a music genre that began in London in the wake of the new millennium. This genre includes a mix of vast musical styling, such as punk, rap, and hip-hop. Sovereign’s participation in this genre came as a surprise to many, being that she is not only female, but white as well. Through her career she has had to defend herself from skeptical peers and critics.
Lady Sovereign, named after a sovereign ring she is known for wearing, starting writing her own raps at the age of 14. She credits her mother’s taste in music as a huge inspiration to her own style. On her website, Sovereign states:
My mum was a punk, then a raver, then it was all house stuff. You couldn’t sleep sometimes because music was always blaring out. I’m compulsive when it comes to music. I have to have everything. I have to hear a new song everyday.
At the age of 15, she had dropped out of school and starred in a film about the expeditions of an up and coming MC. After talking with the producers of the film, she had convinced them that she should write the soundtrack to the film. Her luck and talent persisted; those movie tracks found their way to music producer, Medasyn (who has worked with the likes of Zuz Rock and Frost P.). From there, Medasyn had featured Sovereign in a 2003 Casual Records, called “The Battle.” Recognition began to rear it’s head in Sovereign’s direction. She began releasing singles online such as, “9 to 5″ and “Random.” Most of these singles were later collected and released on Vertically Challenged EP (Nov. 2005). The remixed version of “9 to 5,” called “Nine2Five,” was sold as a download and made it to #38 on the UK charts. when it was released on CD, it got all the way up to #6, her highest chart position yet.
At the end of that year, she met with Jay-Z and been signed to Def Jam Records. This made Lady Sovereign the first Non-American female signed on to that label. However, she had to earn her spot on the label; in order to do this, Jay-Z had asked for an on-the-spot freestyle. She must have been more than up for the occasion. After that, she was everywhere: performing on David Letterman, touring with Gwen Stefani, and recording tracks with Pharrell and The Beastie Boys. In Oct. 17, 2006, her video for the track, “Love Me or Hate Me,” was he first video by a British musician to reach #1 on MTV’s Total Request Live.
Though she had the publicity and attention, most musicians would kill for, it never seemed to settle well with Sovereign. From endless amount of interviews, to being on stage at the MTV New Eve Years Party, to having Time Square basically shut down for her 2006 full length, Public Warning, the rebel in her caused her to extremely unsettled by the whole thing.
If you conform to the system, you’d be just like everyone else, like a robot. I almost feel sorry for some big stars because I’m sure they have to do what they’re told, whether they like to admit it or not, because that’s the way it was for me for a while.”
Feeling that all the publicity had undermined her hard work and creativity, Lady Sovereign had to take a break. She stopped everything for a while in order to sort herself out. She was let go from Def Jams, but six months later she ready to rap again. This is when she started her own label, Midget Records, which is smaller division of EMI. Her newest album, Jigsaw, was releasedon April 7th 2009 to much acclaim. She broadens her style while still sticking true to the grit and rawness of her songs. There are surprises to be found on this album, such as the title track, where Sovereign actually sings (as opposed to rapping). Her talent is undeniable, her voice unmistakable. Her plans for Midget Records are big; her intention is to sign on new and amazing acts.
It is apparent that this short 23 year old British girl is larger than life. Her future in music looks endless, and we hope that it is.
Check out more about Lady Sovereign, including tour dates, videos, and more in our BeatCrave Fav.
Don’t forget, every Monday-Thursday at 2pm, we pick another BeatCrave Fav for you, every Friday you vote, and at the end of the month you choice the number one artist.
