The Rattler October 25, 2006 v. 94 #4 - Blume Library - St. Mary's ...

EntertainmentOctober 25, 2006 The Rattlerwww.stmarytx.edu/rattler 7Grime In PublicBy Jennifer ZúñigaOut of South London’s streets,Louise Harman, aka Lady Sovereign,clutches the mic and spits unrefinedlyrics dripping with veracity on adaily basis. Public Warning, her U.S. debut, servesas documentation.Comical and witty, Lady Sovereign, whose namederives from her experience of stealing a sovereignring in her early adolescent years, makes herentrance on the record with “9 to 5,” a track whichdreams up Sov “in FHM posing in a bikini / Nextto a Lamborghini / Next stop the theme tune forTweenies / I’m presenting C-beebies / Have youseen me?” A complete nightmare for the “biggestmidget in the game.”In “Random,” Sov fires back at J-Kwon’s “Tipsy”with “Everybody in the club getting’ tipsy / …justwhine like a gypsy” and plays off of Ludacris’ “GetOut the Way” as well as acknowledging “J-Lo’s gota body.” The unlady-like MC is grimy enough tocause controversy.Perhaps the most hyped up track on the album,“Love Me or Hate Me,” serves as Lady Sovereign’spersonal outlook on her audience. Never too harshwith exploiting news-worthy events, Sov sets itstraight, spewing, “Well oh gosh I’m not posh me, Iwear odd socks / I do what I’m doing, yeah.”Plainly stated, she also boasts and challenges,“Yeah, I do have some stories / And it’s true I wantall the glory / Go on then, come on support me / I’mEnglish try and deport me!”With all of Sov’s urban street chat, there remainsa question. Is Sov ready to be loved orhated by Americans?The U.K.’s rendition of U.S. rap music is whatgarage is spun into. Garage grime is slowly tricklinginto the states with it’s new hip-hop beats and dugup roots.As the first female MC to sign with a U.S. recordlabel, Jay Z’s Def Jam, Sov is either going to pavethe way for other U.K. MCs or destroy the competitionof remaining artists trying to make an overseacrossover. Set to release on Oct. 31, Sov gives a fairwarning, “Smokin’ kills and so do my lyrics.”Regardless, it seems the S-O-V is “here to stay.”GRAPHIC ART BY JENNIFER ZÚÑlGA