Lady Sovereign - “Love Me Or Hate Me” (Dirty)
[ Windows Hi | Windows Lo | Real ]

I did not start this site to become a journalist… or a critic for that matter. I have never even toyed with the idea of pursuing either of those careers. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a hack! Really, I view myself as a curator… like amateur, reckless A&R or something. I’m happy with that.

Since I didn’t get a fancy degree in journalism, I don’t know the rules. Like, I didn’t learn the things journalists learn at University. For example: how to properly use a tape recorder. You think it’s simple. Right? Plug it in and press record. Well… the part they teach you in University that us common folk don’t know is that you should plug the mic cord into the the mic input and not into the headphone output. Yeah.

Serious. I’m an idiot.

So, my Lady Sovereign interview is a bit spoiled. Though I must say it was lovely chatting with her. She was about a billion times more laid back than I would have predicted. I was totally expecting some hyperactive, crazy talk.

I am piecing this together by memory and notes. This is going to be like one of those he said/she said type things. Like office gossip but no lies. Some real rock and roll journalism integrity…

To begin, I asked Sov why people hate her so much. I mean, that’s what we all really want to know. Right? Of course, she didn’t know. Lady Sovereign suspects that it’s because people judge her image before they hear her music. Perhaps they try and pigeonhole her as hip-hop when she’s more than that. Perhaps.

Which of course lead to my next question. Celebrity vs. Music. Sov is one of those artists that people like to talk about as a person more than the actual music. Her “celebrity” status often out weighs her work as an artist. Does this frustrate Lady Sov? No! Of course not. Sov hopes people will read about her and will be interested enough to check out her music. Sounds fair.

When asked about the Internet, Sovereign immediately lit up. Under all that bravado there is actually a self-proclaimed geek. She actually manages and checks her own Myspace. When she is not busy with her music, she is on the Internet like 24/7. Of course, the Lady Sovereign phenomenon grew out of the Internet. She began by releasing her own tracks… emailing them to friends and posting them on facepix. Eventually Sov spread to blogs and message boards which quickly helped to ignite a career. It is within reason to believe that Lady Sovereign wouldn’t be Lady Sovereign had it not been for the Internet. The Internet provided access to a global audience and has been the vehicle for her early success.

As far as leaks go, “it pisses me off a bit,” Sov confesses. “But it gets people talking.” She doesn’t mind so much when tracks leak because it builds hype. It gets people talking. It’s how she built her career. Surprisingly, Sovereign actually seemed a bit happy that her work gets leaked on the Internet. Her hopes are of course that people will like what they hear and then buy the record.

This marketing approach, or carefreeness, is a complete 180 degree reversal of the RIAA lawsuits that have plagued music consumers over the past few years. Without a doubt, this radical thinking and DIY viral marketing has helped propel Sov to be one of the most talked about emerging artists of 2005/2006.

Public Warning, Lady Sov’s debut album, has been on the back burner for over a year now. The release date keeps getting pushed… and pushed. Why? Hype. More hype, more opportunities for shows and other commitments. Even though it is easy to understand why Public Warning was delayed for so long, it has left fans and critics both wondering if Lady Sovereign can actually deliver. When asked about this Sov seemed a bit frustrated. She’s “ready” for the album to be released. Lucky for both Sov and fans, the wait won’t be much longer. The release date for Public Warning was actually recently moved forward from October 10th to October 3rd.

Where does Lady Sovereign see herself in five years? She wants things to be “nice.” Nice was the simple answer. As far as plans go though, she has a Carpe Diem attitude. No plans. Like most youth, she’ll see where life takes her.

Related posts:

• Kitsune Maison
• DJ Never Forget
• Van She
• Cool Kids Can’t Die
• Metronomy