Still spitting with her trademark north London accent, the self-proclaimed “biggest midget in the game” makes her mark on the global industry with her official debut album, ‘Public Warning’, an Eminem-style comedic offering (circa 1999) from the diminutive grime emcee.

The album features all of her UK single releases, including ‘Random’, ‘Ch-Ching’ and ‘Hoodie’, which can be seen as both a blessing and a curse, for some of these date back to her pre-major label days, and have therefore been floating around the Net for some time. Despite this, Sovereign manages to inject some new creativity in the form of quirky grime-pop tracks like ‘A Little Bit Of Shhh’ and her new single, ‘Love Me Or Hate Me’. Her witty flow and down-to-earth personality are clearly evident on these cuts, with Sov poking fun at herself and her simple ways: “Never had my nails done/Bite them down until they’re numb/I’m the one with the non-existent bum/Now I don’t really give a…ugh!” The latter track is good enough to warrant a verse by Missy Elliot on the remix, which is sure to raise a smile among listeners.

The album also features ‘9 to 5’, the solo version of her popular duet with The Ordinary Boys (‘Nine2Five’), which proved to be her biggest UK chart hit to date, reaching number six in May 2006. However, the original solo track fails to have the same impact as the collaboration, and thus you are left wanting to skip to the next track. Likewise is ‘My England’, which, while good at disproving the English stereotypes, becomes a bore midway through the second verse, partly due to the lack of a quality beat to underpin the mediocre lyrics.

Overall, Lady Sovereign’s debut is a decent effort. While not outstanding, ‘Public Warning!’ is worth a listen, even if just for the hilarious craics alone. The album’s strength lies in a handful of her earlier cuts, and while her new material is mostly average, there are a few gems hidden amongst the rough.

Sov arrives on the global scene with an album that hasn’t seen the Londoner compromise her unique Britishness, and for that, I applaud her. Signing to such a major label could make or break an artist with an underground following like Sov’s, but she has succeeded in making her face and her unusual sound known for more than just her ‘chav’ look – a feat she should soon achieve in her native UK too.