Features
Make Way For The Lady
Her fans call her Sov and she stands ready to lead yet another British Invasion with the one-two punch of a soon to be released album and a North American tour.
The 26-city tour launches October 23 at Club Soda in Montreal, and bounces around the U.S. and Canada, finishing up with a December 31st show at Atlanta’s Loft at Center Stage. New York indie rockers Young Love will be along for the duration of the tour as support.
Lady Sovereign, whose real name is Louise Amanda Harman, has been cited by fans and critics alike as one of the key players in the rapidly growing British grime hip-hop scene.
Grime, which originated in London’s gritty East End, draws from hip hop, techno, drum & bass, dance hall and even punk. Its songs are often marked by syncopated rhythms, cockney rhymes, video game synthesizer blips, wicked guitar riffs and dirty, infectious basslines.
Sov first caught the attention of fans when she joined three other up-and-coming MCs to record “The Battle,” a freestyle battle of the sexes rap. She followed this success with three more singles, all of which found their way into the U.K. charts.
Her popularity caught the attention of Def Jam CEO Jay-Z, who set up an audition that resulted in a contract with the label.
Def Jam released an EP of her songs last fall, which quickly earned her a sizeable following in the U.S. Her debut full length album, Public Warning, is due October 31.