Lady Sovereign:Jigsaw

Lady Sovereign: 'Jay Z wasn't my bumchum'

Lady Sovereign has played down her relationship with Jay-Z, insisting that he was never her "bumchum".

The hip-hop mogul signed Sovereign to Def Jam in 2005, but she left the label last year after becoming depressed on a US promo tour.

"I walked away from [Def Jam] but they was letting me go at the same time," she said. "A few people stood up for me in meetings - Jay-Z said to them, 'You can't let this girl go' - but by then I'd had enough anyway."

When asked by DS about her relationship with the rapper, she replied: "Don't go there! I've banned that question because I got asked it so much before!

"There's not that much to say really. We weren't bumchums or anything - I only met him a few times."

Lady Sovereign, who now runs her own label Midget, released her new album Jigsaw yesterday.

Lady Sovereign: Jigsaw

The recent release of UK rapper Lady Sovereign’s much-anticipated second LP, Jigsaw comes after 2006’s Public Warning, and the 2007 EP Those Were The Days. While her success on U.S Top 40 charts has been minimal, the self-poclaimed, “biggest midget in the game” has pulled out all the stops for Jigsaw and delivered an eleven-song LP that packs a punch, but unfortunately fails to follow through.

The record opens with a repetitive song titled, “Let’s Be Mates,” which Billboard.com, “a rocky start.” Perhaps the overbearing techno beats and lackluster lyrics had something to do with it. The LA Times took a dislike to track one, calling it, “phoned-in Cat Power bedroom pop that squanders her endearing MC skills.”

Jigsaw continues with “So Human,” a track built around The Cure’s “Close To Me,” which DrownedInSound called an improvement on the original. Then comes the money-hungry anthem, “Pennies” and the surprisingly streamlined, “Guitar.”

Unfortunately for the Lady, BBC reviewed Jigsaw saying the final three songs, “delve in to filler territory, with ‘Student Union’, ‘Food Play’ and ‘I Got The Goods’ sounding like unfinished prototypes.” The bulk of the record seems to fall flat among critics, earning this lady less-than-rave reviews. The LA Times wrote, “[this record is] sonically a good fit for her nimble and still undeniable flow, but the wheels come off whenever Sov’s newfound earnestness undermines her insouciant appeal.” The Boston Globe also ripped the tiny rapper, saying, “on her third album…Lady Sovereign sounds like the life of the party who gets lonely when it’s over.” Her efforts seem earnest, but they haven’t exactly paid off magnificently.

All hope is not lost, however. The Austin Chronicle wrote of Jigsaw, with this record, “Lady Sovereign reaffirms that she’s the singular queen bee in the hive of the still-buzzing London grime syndicate.” The bottom line regarding Jigsaw is that there isn’t much substance, but somehow Lady Sovereign manages to maintain her composure and deliver an acceptable album. Critics may not love it, but there’s something to be said for a little controversy.

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