For the love of side ponytails

Growing up in public housing projects in London, Louise Harman listened obsessively to her mother’s Salt-N-Pepa albums and began rapping at age 14. She began her MC career in front of a mirror, using a can of hairspray for a microphone.

In the years since, she’s taken a new name and very nearly achieved world domination. Christening herself Lady Sovereign for the trademark sovereign ring she wore at the time she recorded her first tracks, Harman has quickly scaled the ranks to become one of the most prominent hip-hop artists in the United Kingdom, and one of the most recognizable female MCs in the world.

After dropping out of high school at age 16, she starred in a bizarrely self-referential educational film about the life of a female MC who was a high school dropout. She talked the film’s producers into allowing her to record the soundtrack, and continued posting demo tracks on music Web sites. Eventually, her recordings made their way to record producer Medasyn, who arranged for Sovereign to participate in an MC contest titled “The Battle,” which was released in 2003. From there, Lady Sovereign released a series of singles that gained her increasing attention.

A solid performance on the charts and a bevy of free downloads led to a record deal and a 2005 EP that collected her singles. 2005 also saw Lady Sov contributing to other projects. She appeared on the grime compilation Run The Road as a solo artist and lent vocals to The Streets’ contribution to the same album. She released a reply remix to The Ordinary Boys’ single “Boys Will Be Boys,” and appeared in 2006 on their single “Nine25” (a remix of Sov’s own single “9 to 5”).

In 2005, Lady Sov secured a contract with Def Jam. Jay-Z, Usher and L.A. Reid requested an on-the-spot freestyle from Sovereign, and offered her a contract with Def Jam immediately. In 2006, Def Jam released her full-length debut album, Public Warning, making her the first non-American female ever to release an album on the label. Her first single from the album, “Love Me or Hate Me,” was the first video by a British artist to reach No. 1 on the U.S. version of MTV’s Total Request Live.

Lady Sovereign has developed into one of the most compelling artists in rap, not the least because of her provocative satirization of female stereotypes. Sovereign brags that she “ain’t got the biggest breasts [but] write[s] all the best disses.”

She’s also become something of a controversial figure. The UK grime scene is male-dominated and Sovereign is currently its only white female MC. But despite her minority status, she’s obtained a substantial degree of recognition from her colleagues. Sov has garnered comparisons to Eminem and requests for collaboration from artists as varied as Missy Elliot and Basement Jaxx.

Lady Sov’s current tour marks her second time touring as a solo artist in the United States. She’s honed her live act appearing on TV and opening for artists like The Streets and Gwen Stefani. Her reputation as an explosive, quick-witted performer is well-deserved. The Doug Fir is an uncharacteristically intimate venue for an MC with such a high profile, and will afford a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the most acerbic wits in show business.