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| Lady Sovereign capped off 2005 by meeting with the ] ] star and ] of the labels ] and ], ]. This marked her foray into the American music scene. With ] and ] seated next to him, Jay-Z asked for one on-the-spot ] from Sovereign before offering her a contract with ]. With the single "Hoodie", Lady Sovereign released her full-length debut, '']'', on Def Jam in 2006.<ref name="NewsComAU1" /> Lady Sovereign is the first non-American female to ever be signed to Def Jam.<ref name="Inde1">{{cite news|url=http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/article2259365.ece |title= Lady Sovereign, Scala, London |publisher=The Independent |date=February 11, 2007 |author=Simon Price}}</ref><ref name="Voice1" /> | Lady Sovereign capped off 2005 by meeting with the ] ] star and ] of the labels ] and ], ]. This marked her foray into the American music scene. With ] and ] seated next to him, Jay-Z asked for one on-the-spot ] from Sovereign before offering her a contract with ]. With the single "Hoodie", Lady Sovereign released her full-length debut, '']'', on Def Jam in 2006.<ref name="NewsComAU1" /> Lady Sovereign is the first non-American female to ever be signed to Def Jam.<ref name="Inde1">{{cite news|url=http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/article2259365.ece |title= Lady Sovereign, Scala, London |publisher=The Independent |date=February 11, 2007 |author=Simon Price}}</ref><ref name="Voice1" /> | ||
| On ], ], her debut album, '']'', was released, featuring "]," "]," "]" and single, "]," which was also released on the same day.<ref name="SovHomepage1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ladysovereign.com |title=Lady Sovereign: Official Site |publisher=Def Jam}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/060717/340/gh3ur.html&e=l_news_dm |title=Lady Sovereign's Warning |publisher=Yahoo! Launch |date=July 17, 2006}}</ref> The music video for the single features Lady Sovereign mocking stereotypical ideals of feminism by satirizing popular dress and mannerisms. |
On ], ], her debut album, '']'', was released, featuring "]," "]," "]" and single, "]," which was also released on the same day.<ref name="SovHomepage1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ladysovereign.com |title=Lady Sovereign: Official Site |publisher=Def Jam}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/060717/340/gh3ur.html&e=l_news_dm |title=Lady Sovereign's Warning |publisher=Yahoo! Launch |date=July 17, 2006}}</ref> The music video for the single features Lady Sovereign mocking stereotypical ideals of feminism by satirizing popular dress and mannerisms. Some of the lyrics include ''I'm fat, I need a diet./No, in fact I'm just too light. | ||
| /And I ain't got the biggest breast-s-s,/ but I write all the best disses.'' With the lyrics continuing in this satirical nature, Lady Sovereign continues to comment on female lifestyles in popular culture.<ref>"Love Me or Hate Me" Video. Lady Sovereign. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1sHAX2F4PE</ref> | |||
| She began an ] tour on ], ] and soon after appeared on ]'s '']''. In addition to her own tour, she appeared as the opening act for various artists, including ] and ] on her 2007 ]. | She began an ] tour on ], ] and soon after appeared on ]'s '']''. In addition to her own tour, she appeared as the opening act for various artists, including ] and ] on her 2007 ]. | ||
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| Lady Sovereign |
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Louise Amanda Harman (born December 19, 1985), known as Lady Sovereign, is an English rapper. Lady Sovereign is unique as the only white female artist in the primarily black British grime scene.. As a white MC, her authenticity has been contested within the British grime scene, "even though she grew up in the same kind of public-housing project - Chalk Hill estate, now demolished - that many grime artists did." She has been compared to both Sporty Spice, for their similar athletic fashion, and to Eminem, as "another lily-white rap sensation.", Lady Sovereign is notable for her adoption of a relatively masculine appearance and aggressive delivery, donning athletic gear and mocking the trappings of more traditional female sexuality, perhaps in order to better fit in with the male dominated Grime scene. This stands in sharp contrast to female artists in similar genres, such as Bassline House’s more traditionally feminine Zoe. Her levels of success continue to rise domestically, and while she has not reached mainstream audiences abroad, she is becoming recognizable as a standout Caucasian in the grime genre. New Yorker writer Sasha Frere-Jones describes her as "good: pithy, clever, and able to use her honking voice to humorous effect." In addition to being compared to American rapper Eminem for being lone prominent Caucasians in their genres, they also both frequently use this "honking" voice in a humorous way.." This can be seen in Lady Sovereign's track "Cha Ching (Cheque 1, 2 Remix)" and Eminem's tracks "Just Lose It" and "Without Me."
Early life
Lady Sovereign was born Louise Amanda Harman to Lynette Parsons and Aden Harman. She was raised in northwest London's Chalkhill Estate, a public housing project. She was influenced by her mother's Salt-N-Pepa albums and began writing her own raps at the age of 14.
She began uploading some of her songs and a picture to various music Web sites. Around this time Harman adopted the Lady Sovereign moniker, a reference to the large sovereign ring she wore. After dropping out of school she landed a job acting in an educational film about the life of an up-and-coming MC who also dropped out of Preston Manor High School at 16.
She convinced the film's producers that she could record a soundtrack for the film, the demos for which landed in the hands of record producer Medasyn. He partnered Sovereign with Frost P, Zuz Rock, and Shystie for a male vs. female MC freestyle contest, titled "The Battle". It was released in 2003 on Casual Records. Every artist that was featured on "The Battle" has gone on to be signed by a record label.
Career
Early Singles and EPs
"The Battle" began a string of singles that would push Lady Sovereign into the spotlight. While "A Little Bit of Shhh!," "Random," "9 to 5," were selling well, free Internet-only freestyles like "Tango" and "Cheeky" were becoming just as popular. On November 15th, 2005 Chocolate Industries released the Vertically Challenged EP, which collected most of her singles recorded to date.
Aside from her own records, 2005 saw Lady Sovereign appear as a guest or contributor on several projects. She began 2005 by appearing on the grime compilation Run the Road, both as a solo artist and with The Streets. When The Ordinary Boys released the single "Boys Will Be Boys", Lady Sovereign came back with a reply remix, featuring the music and chorus of the original, but with mostly her own vocals to the tune of "girls will be girls". In May 2006, she was featured on the Ordinary Boys single, "Nine2Five", a remixed version of her own "9 to 5", credited as "The Ordinary Boys vs Lady Sovereign." "Nine2Five" entered at #38 in the UK top 40 singles on downloads only, and jumped to #6 upon availability as a CD and 7" vinyl single during the week commencing May 22, 2006. This was her highest chart position to date.
Def Jam and Public Warning
Lady Sovereign capped off 2005 by meeting with the American hip-hop star and CEO of the labels Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z. This marked her foray into the American music scene. 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 single "Hoodie", Lady Sovereign released her full-length debut, Public Warning, on Def Jam in 2006. Lady Sovereign is the first non-American female to ever be signed to Def Jam.
On October 31, 2006, her debut album, Public Warning, was released, featuring "Random," "9 to 5," "Hoodie" and single, "Love Me or Hate Me," which was also released on the same day. The music video for the single features Lady Sovereign mocking stereotypical ideals of feminism by satirizing popular dress and mannerisms. Some of the lyrics include I'm fat, I need a diet./No, in fact I'm just too light. /And I ain't got the biggest breast-s-s,/ but I write all the best disses. With the lyrics continuing in this satirical nature, Lady Sovereign continues to comment on female lifestyles in popular culture. She began an American tour on October 23, 2006 and soon after appeared on CBS-TV's Late Show with David Letterman. In addition to her own tour, she appeared as the opening act for various artists, including The Streets and Gwen Stefani on her 2007 The Sweet Escape Tour.
On October 17, 2006 "Love Me or Hate Me" became the first video by a British artist to reach #1 on the U.S. (and original) version of MTV's Total Request Live. "Love Me Or Hate Me" was released in the UK on 29 January, 2007, with the album following on 5 February, 2007.
Lady Sovereign has recorded a cover of The Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" for The O.C.'s new album, Music From The O.C. Mix 6 "Covering Our Tracks".
Lady Sovereign's appearance on the American music scene is part of a greater trend of British grime venturing across the Atlantic, with the help of influential d.j.s and MCs in the United States.
Role in the Music Industry
Television and Commercial Appearances
Lady Sovereign has appeared on Soccer AM several times. She has appeared in a feature story on the Cartoon Network and in an educational movie called X-ED which can be viewed on YouTube.
In late 2006, "Love Me or Hate Me" was played in a Verizon Wireless advertisement. It also appears on the Need for Speed: Carbon soundtrack, and is also the theme music for the show, The Bad Girls Club. "9 to 5" also appears on The Bad Girls Club, as well as on the soundtrack of the Xbox360's version of EA Sports' FIFA World Cup 2006 video game and on the Ugly Betty soundtrack. Also "Random" appears on the Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix soundtrack. On October 17, 2006
"Hoodie" was used for the Mario Party Nintendo DS commercial.
On October 23 2006, Sovereign made an appearance on American talk show Late Night with David Letterman. The lyrics "If you hate me, then fuck you" were changed to "if you hate me, then I hate you" for the show.
Lady Sovereign served as the host and spokesperson for Adult Swim and Chocolate Industries' Chocolate Swim.
Controversies, Troubles and the Future
Studio B Breakdown
While performing at Studio B in Brooklyn, New York, Lady Sovereign told the crowd she was experiencing money problems and battling depression before exiting the stage. However, in a later performance at Avalon in Los Angeles, she completed her set without incident. She later said that it was simply a bad day.
Feud with Jelly Donut
In 2006, a fan named Zach Slow made an online plea to raise $10,000 for a "random" night with Lady Sovereign. The effort garnered wide media coverage, and was successful in both raising the required funds and securing the agreement of the artist to attend.
The aftermath was acrimonious, with both sides exchanging insults in the San Francisco Chronicle . A local DJ known as "Jelly Donut", originally involved with the "random night" endeavour, attended a January 7, 2007 show in San Francisco. At the show, he dressed in a large jelly doughnut costume and organised fans to chant "Battle Jelly Donut" while they attempted to lift him onstage, ostensibly to "duel" Lady Sovereign. After much disruption, Lady Sovereign threw a drink on Jelly Donut, and spat towards his face. Security escorted Jelly Donut out of the concert.
According to her MySpace bulletin a second album is due for release in Spring 2008. Plans for a tour are also mentioned.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | UK | U.S. | CAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Public Warning | 80 | 48 |
EPs
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Vertically Challenged |
| 2006 | Blah Blah |
| 2007 | Those Were the Days |
Singles
Full singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | U.S. | AUS | IRE | |||
| 2005 | "Random" | 73 | — | — | — | Vertically Challenged EP Public Warning |
| 2005 | "9 to 5" | 33 | — | — | — | Public Warning |
| 2005 | "Hoodie" | 44 | — | — | — | Public Warning |
| 2006 | "Nine2Five" (vs. The Ordinary Boys) | 6 | — | — | 25 | - |
| 2006 | "Love Me or Hate Me" | 26 | 45 | 48 | — | Public Warning |
| 2007 | "Those Were the Days" | 88 | — | — | — | Public Warning |
Promo singles
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2004 | "The Battle" (Featuring Frost P, Shystie & Zuz Rock) |
| 2004 | "Ch Ching (Cheque 1 2)" |
| 2005 | "A Little Bit of Shhh" |
| 2006 | "Blah Blah" (featuring Kalie Burgess) |
Notes and references
- "Lady Sovereign making splash across Atlantic" by Brian Garrity, Reuters UK, October 21, 2006, retrieved October 22, 2006.
- Lady Sovereign
- ^ Catriona Mathewson (February 22, 2007). "Sovereign hits her gold mine". News.com.au.
- ^ Jasmine Dotiwala (February 13, 2007). "Jasmine's Juice". The Voice.
- Frere-Jones, Sasha. "True Grime." New Yorker, 21 March 2005. <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/21/050321crmu_music>
- Frere-Jones, Sasha. "True Grime." New Yorker, 21 March 2005. <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/21/050321crmu_music>
- Frere-Jones, Sasha. "True Grime." New Yorker, 21 March 2005. <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/21/050321crmu_music>
- Gitlin, Lauren. "Lady Sovereign Rules." Rolling Stone 1 December 2005. <http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/8901025/lady_sovereign_rules>
- http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/da/67961
- Frere-Jones, Sasha. "True Grime." New Yorker, 21 March 2005. <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/21/050321crmu_music>
- Simon Price (February 11, 2007). "Lady Sovereign, Scala, London". The Independent.
- "Lady Sovereign: Official Site". Def Jam.
- "Lady Sovereign's Warning". Yahoo! Launch. July 17, 2006.
- "Love Me or Hate Me" Video. Lady Sovereign. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1sHAX2F4PE
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/playlist.shtml BBC Radio 1 Playlist
- HMV.com: albums: Public Warning (2007)
- Frere-Jones, Sasha. "True Grime." New Yorker, 21 March 2005. <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/03/21/050321crmu_music>
- "Lady Sovereign freaks out @ Studio B (video)". Brooklynvegan. 2007-05-22.
- "Lady Sov at Avalon". LAist. 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
- Help Me Get Random With Lady Sovereign
- Pop Quiz: Lady Sovereign
- LETTERS / San Francisco man who raised money for a 'date' with Lady Sovereign tells his side of story
- Lady Sovereign News on Yahoo! Music
- MySpace.com - Lady Sovereign - London, UK - Hip Hop / Garage / Autre - www.myspace.com/ladysovereign
External links
- Lady Sovereign's Official Site @ Def Jam Records Page
- Official promo website
- Template:MySpace
- Lady Sovereign discography at Discogs
- Lady Sovereign discography at MusicBrainz
- Lady Sovereign at IMDb