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| by kenn on 11/25/2005 10:03:00 AM |
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Jay-Z backs Lady Sovereign's U.S. reign
Source:
Brooklyn hip-hop mogul Jay-Z's greatest concentration in the business game as of late has been squarely on Britain. Jay recently put a bid in on the ownership rights to both the Chelsea and Arsenal Football Clubs, two high-profile Premiership league teams. But his most heated deal-making has been his recent push to stake out a place for Def Jam in the booming world of British hip-hop. And at the top of Jay's list is Lady Sovereign.
A sensation at home, Lady Sovereign has begun to draw the attention of the international press for being grime's first female breakout star. A subgenre of Britain's underground "garage" hip-hop scene, grime typically features rapid-fire rhymes over stark, dance-influenced beats, and much like stateside hip-hop, it has a subculture all its own. The hype surrounding grime began several years ago as the style began popping up on mixtapes and pirate radio in the U.K. underground. It has exploded in Britain and become more mainstream thanks to the success of artists like Dizzee Rascal and the So Solid Crew.
But grime's translation to American hip-hop fans has been a slippery slope. Dizzee Rascal found some modest U.S. interest with his Mercury Prize-winning "Boy in Da Corner," but his tour fell flat, with many of the tickets for his 2004 Trocadero show simply given away at the last minute.
Now, grime's next crossover star has risen in the form of a white, 19-year-old school dropout from Wembley. Yes, Lady Sovereign has the look of an American suburban idol, but can her music knock 50 Cent and Eminem off the minds of middle-schoolers? Doubtful, but with Jay-Z as your backer, something must be right.
Lady Sovereign has had several charting singles and is becoming a regular on the BBC. While this may hint toward her betrayal of grime's roots in the underground, some see her as the genre's next big push toward legitimacy. Her just-released "Vertically Challenged EP" collects her string of U.K. singles into a convenient package for U.S. consumption.
Plumbing grime's typical lyrical themes, Lady Sovereign raps frenetically about her burgeoning status, difficult upbringing and partying. "Random" even takes a couple of shots at American hip-hop. Another theme explored -- the cultural significance of "hoodies," which have come under attack in the U.K. recently because of their tenuous association with crime and "anti-social behaviour."
All of this is delivered over bottom-heavy beats in Lady Sovereign's thick cockney patois with confidence well beyond her 19 years. She's got the look, sound and buzz of a U.S. grime breakout, and she certainly has one of the best businessmen in the game as her backer.
Catch Lady Sovereign in her first stateside tour Thursday at 10 p.m. at Silk City, 500 Spring Garden St. $8. (215) 592-8838.
Free
Apple iPod Program
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