A couple weeks ago, I was granted the opportunity to talk to one of the music scene's newest rising stars, Lady Sovereign. Hand picked by Jay-Z to sign to Def Jam, this British teen has hard lyrics and an even harder stage persona. Calling herself "the hardest working midget in the game". 

Lady Sov got the blogosphere a buzz with her EP Vertically Challenged. Fader described here as a pint-sized girl who once slapped a bouncer three times her size for not letting her father backstage at one of her shows.

When I got on the phone with Lady Sov, I was expecting a rock hard attitude.  Someone who would answer my questions with blase indifference. To my surprise, she was quiet and shy, nothing like the rough edged lyrics she spits so fluidly.

I was actually really embarrassed because I was having problems with my tape recorder...I kept getting very loud feedback and while I was apologizing profusely, Lady Sov laughed and said how it reminded her of the sound system at New Yorks giant club Webster Hall. She waited patiently till I finally figured out what the problem was and fixed it and reassured me in her cool street London accent that everything was, indeed, cool.

The following is the transcribed conversation in which Lady Sov told me such things like being signed to Def Jam, chavs and why Philadelphia was sending her hate mail:

You’re in New York now and you’re performing at Summer Stage on Sunday?

Lady Sovereign: Uh huh.

Are you excited about that?

LS: Yeah! Like, you know, it’s a big deal isn’t it? Everyone’s like “Aww yeah”.. And I’m headlinin’ it.

Not too shabby. I wanted to ask you about your experience with Def Jam and first I wanted to ask you if, before you got signed, were you aware of the legacy of Def Jam?

LS: Yeah, of course. Ah…yeah…

So now that you are kind of a part of that, how do you feel? How do you see yourself fitting into that?

LS: It’s still not fully sunk in yet, and I mean, like, it’s been like a year and a bit now and it’s like, you know. Still tryin’a realize exactly what I’ve gotten myself into. It’s like… wow… I’m still… my feet are still on the ground and I just don’t realize…

So none of it has sunk in?

LS: Yeah, obviously it has a bit, but…

Cause you have your album coming out here in the fall?

LS: October…

So, how does that feel?

LS: I just want it to come out. I just want the album to come out now. You know, I’m just anxious for it.

So how do you feel being one of the few female artists that have been handpicked to Def Jam, as a female artist, how do you feel about that?