Vertically Challenged

by

Lady Sovereign

Edit

As a DJ in Wash., DC, I've keenly followed the evolution of beats and bass from East London, spanning from late 80s acid house parties, to hardcore "rave" breaks, then jungle, drum'n'bass, speed garage, UK garage and now grime/eski presently.

If you're looking for drum'n' bass or hip-hop this CD isn't it. But if you're a true fan of either of those genres this IS essential listening material. Lady SOV's rapid-fire Cockney slang over air horns, punchy bass and scattered breakbeats encapsulate on CD the raw pirate-radio vibe of East London that heavily influenced the rave/jungle/drum'n'bass (as well as dancehall, garage, techno) subcultures. Here in the States the totalitarian power of the FCC would never allow this to happen, but the fact that in the UK it was (and still is) somewhat tolerated, millions of Londoners have access to this music as it is made live on the airwaves every day.

For open-minded hip-hop fans, this CD yields more evidence that New York isn't the mecca of urban music culture it's made out to be. Comparing the creative diversity of music styles or the sheer volume of weekly new releases between the two cities, London easily wins. And it finally seems that Londoners know this fact (and are rightfully proud).

But hey, let's not get into NY vs London or Grime/Drum'n'Bass/Garage vs. hip-hop. Both cities and styles are influential on (and influenced by) the other. Listen to Twista, Timbaland or Missy to hear the UK influence in American hip-hop. And drum'n'bass has liberally sampled US hip-hop for over a decade, both lyrics as well as beats.

Unfortunately, the dominance of pop and mainstream r'n'b on American MTV and radio prevents many from experiencing the genius that London has to offer. Hopefully CD's such as Lady SOV's and others in this genre will bridge the differences. And now that Jay-Z has signed her, anything is possible...

Ugh! I'm so disappointed! I love Lady Sovereign. I love all the songs on this EP. But I had no idea that they would be CENSORED on this disc! All curse words and objectionable phrases have been eliminated with editing, or in some cases, alternate lyrics. LAME! This EP should carry a label identifying it as a CLEAN version so that consumers know what they're getting. Strangely, there doesn't seem to be an Explict Lyrics version available. This seems to be it. If I am wrong, I apologize, and someone please correct me, but I haven't been able to find any listings indicating both edited and explicit editions exist, which is extremely frustrating. I have heard uncensored versions of these songs, so I know they are out there. Unfortunately, they are not presented on this disc. Awful.

Five stars for Lady Sov and these songs when they're uncesnored. One star for the versions presented here.