Louise Amanda Harman (born 19 December 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 that 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 Melanie Chisholm (namely her Sporty Spice persona), for their physical resemblance and similar athletic clothing, 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 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." This can be heard in Lady Sovereign's track "Cha Ching (Cheque 1, 2 Remix)" and "Love Me or Hate Me".
Albums
2006 - Public Warning
2009 - Jigsaw
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