Lady Sovereign - Public Warning

When it comes to grime, this pint-sized white London teenager has eclipsed even Dizzee Rascal, its biggest star. With ska and dancehall beats, expletive-spitting rhymes and a warp-speed flow to rival Eminem, Lady Sovereign’s spunky debut on Jay-Z’s label is a distinctly Brit affair, from the tongue-twisting title track to the comic confessional “Made in England” (“we ain’t all posh like the Queen”). She knows full well that her brazen style will offend some, but doesn’t care: “I’m English,” she says, “try and deport me.”