Killing her hamster by ignoring it, walking the streets in a fat suit and fighting with monkeys make up just a few of the haphazard events in Lady Sovereign's first music video, "Love Me or Hate Me," which became the first video from a British star to reach the top spot on MTV's Total Request Live.
The self-proclaimed "biggest midget in the game" keeps the frenetic absurdity on high throughout her full-length debut album, Public Warning. Don't assume the 5-foot-1-inch 20-year-old British rapper confines her craziness to just her music either. At her Oct. 28 performance at the 9:30 club in D.C., Lady Sovereign not only forgot some lyrics because of a few too many drinks, but also brought up a banana-costumed audience member and assaulted him verbally and physically.
Despite an Eminem-style sense of disrespect and Jay-Z's Def Jam sponsorship, this side ponytail-adorned pipsqueak has little in common with most American rappers -- largely because of her completely erratic styles.
While Fergie's all-over-the-place The Dutchess remains the nearest comparison, Lady Sovereign fails to copy the professional satire that the Black Eyed Peas star managed.
At least she keeps things moving through a series of disjointed, irreverent songs that combine hip-hop, grime rap and new wave electronica with the only common denominator -- her in-your-face attitude.
Lady Sovereign is at her best when she's mocking herself, something she does full force in her first single, "Love Me or Hate Me." The titular option quickly shows her carefree attitude as she sings, "If you love me then / Thank you / If you hate me then / F*** you."
Her seemingly snotty but really laughable challenge gets fleshed out in listing the common characteristics of girls and singers she doesn't possess amidst electronic beeps, quick beats and the occasional burp.
Continuing her take-no-nonsense attitude, Lady Sovereign details the woes of her full-time singing career in "9 to 5." With a drearily boring beat, she tries to make up for the lack of an actual tune with lyrics any college student can relate to -- such as explaining the importance of Red Bull, the inevitability of hangovers and giving her digits to "a bro" who was only good-looking when she was drunk.
While Lady Sovereign manages to throw every convention out the door with her first single and some of the more similar songs, she still adheres to the norm of a hip-hop singer trying unsuccessfully to aim for an ounce of maturity.
Lady Sovereign makes her attempt in the autobiographical "Those Were the Days," where she unintelligibly lists boring childhood memories in a heavy English accent over repetitive guitar plucking in the background. They might be the days that Sovereign "will never forget," but listeners should try to forget the entire song.
Luckily, Lady Sovereign usually sticks to making fun of herself and pretty much everything else. "My England" features a slower rhythm as Lady Sovereign mocks misconceptions about her home country. Yet, does she really need to inform listeners that "we're not all squeaky clean?" Or couldn't listeners realize that within seconds of any of her songs?
While "My England" becomes bogged down with a stale beat, Lady Sovereign does return to the quick, erratic beats of her single with "Public Warning."
The song is all over the place. Her voice switches from her normal angry teen sass to childish whines as the beats speed up for her rants and slow for the choruses. This just helps her point: "I don't wanna play none of your games / I wanna play all of my games."
Lady Sovereign couldn't be clearer in saying that she does whatever she wants. Just as she admits in her first single, she can't sing or dance -- she does anyway. That's not to say she does either well, because she doesn't. Lady Sovereign's more like a horrible train wreck at which you just can't help but stare.
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