The teenager spoke with Vibe.com about her cheeky style, taking grime to the U.S., and being a girl in a man's world.
VIBE: How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
Lady Sovereign: A cheeky midget.
Do you think America is ready for grime?
America's ready for grime, yeah. A lot of it is quite similar to Crunk, so I think they'll love it.
Why do you think there's so few British female MCs?
There's loads out there, probably hundreds, lurking around in their bedrooms like I once did. But most don't like to push themselves out there, don't get heard or don't have the courage or confidence to do it. That's probably why.
Do you think being female and white has made it harder to make it as a rapper?
Not really. Being female is kinda easier in a way. When a female MC does come through you get attention straight away because it's different for people to hear. So it's a lot easier to get into it. But being white isn't really an issue anymore. I used to get a lot of 'Oh you're white…,' but no one really says anything anymore. They seem to just put it past them.
Which American artists are you influenced by?
Anyone cheeky, like Missy Elliott, Eminem and Ludacris.
What inspired you to become an MC?
Listening to MCs on pirate radio stations. I just kept listening and I heard Ms. Dynamite's tune "Booo!" That pushed me forward a bit because you didn't hear any female MCs until then. I always thought it was a male thing and girls weren't allowed in.
How would you describe your style?
Cheeky, random and funny.
What do you think makes a good rapper?
Originality, confidence and passion.
You're known for being cheeky. What's the naughtiest thing you've done on tour or in the studio?
I'm always doing weird things. Even if it's not in the studio. I'm just really random and stuff. If my friends are sleeping, I'll spray shaving foam all over them or something. I'm just really weird and annoying. It's just random things I do. Like if someone says a joke or if something happened that's really funny, I will just carry on with the joke at the end of the day. I just can't help it. And I'm quite straight up, I'll tell someone if they need to fix their hair or whatever.
Tell us about your childhood.
It wasn't very glamorous. I grew up on an estate in Wembley, North London, but it's been knocked down now. It was quite ghettofied. I lived there for about 10 years. I got kicked out of high school, so I'm a bit of a dunce.
What would you change about the urban music scene?
The whole way that outsiders perceive the garage/grime scene as bad, 'cause it's hard to get a gig without it being cancelled in the UK. Just the whole way that people look at it. That's what could change about the scene. It's starting to get better now as major radio stations are starting to play (other grime acts like) Wiley and Shystie. It's getting better but people just need to take it in a bit more.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Hopefully being on CD covers in shops and on the charts.
Visit www.ladysovereign.com to listen to Lady Sovereign's music. Read more vibe.com online exclusives.
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Comments
1.
Rosanna Boobyer says:
Hi Danielle just writing to say I enjoyed your web site.And to say I have a Daughter Danielle too ,so tto let you know thereare two Danielle Boobyer,s in the world .haha
December 20, 2006 at 7:12 pm