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Lady Sovereign
Public Warning
(Island Def Jam/Universal)
"I can't dance and I can't sing. I can only do one thing and that's be Lady Sovereign," claims Louise Harman.
Thankfully, that's more than enough to make the self-proclaimed "biggest midget in the game" the latest U.K. rap sensation -- and to make her North American debut Public Warning the latest example of how the Brits are beating the Yanks at their own hip-hop game.
Combining Beastie Boys brass with the offkilter delivery and twisted humour of Eminem, the vertically challenged 20-year-old ladette spits rude rapid-fire rhymes over bumptious bottom-heavy grime beats supplied by longtime DJ Frampster. Nearly half of Public Warning consists of previously released singles and EP cuts, which makes it a bit of a rip for anyone who's already heard year-old tracks like Random, Fiddle With the Volume, Hoodie, 9 to 5 and A Little Bit of Shhh.
But even if this isn't your first exposure to Lady Sov, newer numbers like the stereotype-bursting My England ("We ain't all posh like the Queen, we ain't all squeaky clean") will make a lasting impression.
Make way for the S-O-V.
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Track Listing:
1. 9 to 5
2. Gatheration
3. Random
4. Public Warning
5. Love Me or Hate Me
6. My England
7. Tango
8. Little Bit of Shhh
9. Hoodie
10. Those Were the Days
11. Blah Blah
12. Fiddle with the Volume
13. Love Me or Hate Me [Remix] - Missy Elliott, Lady Sovereign