Words by Nadine White
A pint-sized embodiment of fierce talent, creativity, wit and sass, Melesha O’Garro, otherwise known as Lady Leshurr, is currently running rings around the game; much like U.K. hip-hop colleagues Krept & Konan and Stormzy. With the backative of a loyal, ever-expanding fanbase of “shur-pporters” (as she calls her fans), she is ablaze. In her latest coup, she’s amassed over 6 million hits on YouTube with her video for “The Queen’s Speech’ Pt. 4,” a freestyle in which she tosses off cheeky lines like, “I can’t believe the cheek/Some girls wake up and don’t even brush their teeth/That’s a dead ting, that’s a bad breath ting/How could you talk my name and you ain’t even brushed your teeth?”
Her music has yielded praise from mainstream bigwigs such as Alexander Wang and Vogue Magazine, which aptly dubbed her “Britain’s hottest female rapper”; her style has won her an endorsement deal from the Boohoo chain and a placement in Samsung’s latest Galaxy ad campaign. No overnight success, Leshurr’s been on the Grime scene since 2009, having dropped nine mixtapes and four EPs, to date.
It is refreshing to see that Leshurr is about something, too. One does not just hear this in her rhymes, but also away from the studio too. In 2013, she turned down a lucrative deal with Atlantic Records, disliking the way that they intended to pit her against Nicki Minaj. Whilst there have been stylistic and lyrical comparisons made between her and Nicki, those who know better cite Leshurr’s unique disposition, and the fact that she was actually around before Nicki’s big breakthrough in 2010.
Born to Kittitian parents in Solihull, West Midlands, the Caribbean is quite literally at the core of this 24-year-old artist; she has said that her childhood soundtrack was comprised of Bob Marley and Sister Nancy. On that note, she’s hopped on the remix of Gyptian’s melodic dancehall single “All On Me,” courtesy of Dutch producer Diztortion, just released through VP Records.
Check the track below, and tell us what you think in the comments.