“Being an artist is all about creating and experimenting and just trying to push boundaries,” states Lady Leshurr in a brand new video for Crack Magazine and New Era. Right now, the Birmingham born rapper is staying true to her word: poised at the launch of her new project, Unstable, a conceptual set of songs due to land later this year, she’s also writing a book charting her glow up, from the youth clubs of Birmingham where she learnt her craft, to her breakthrough off the back of her Queen’s Speech freestyle series.
It was the fourth freestyle in the series, Queen’s Speech 4, that really anointed her star status, with the track going viral in 2016. Inspired by haters who use the anonymity of Twitter to berate Leshurr, Queen’s Speech 4 functions as both a satisfying clap-back and statement of self-determination, albeit delivered with the humour and observation that has become her calling card.
As she documents in this short, shot at Rowan’s bowling alley in North London, it’s precisely this abiding self-belief has helped make the artist born Melesha Katrina O’Garro who she is, informing her sense of resilience, but her art too. “Everyone’s always going to have an opinion really, so it doesn’t really matter if people like you or not.”“But,” she continues. “I always take that little speck of positive out of the negative. I take it and I use it”
It’s not hard to see her resolute self-belief channelled into her own, unique style. “Before I even met New Era, I was rocking New Era caps,” explains Leshurr of her natural affinity for the brand. “Nine times out of ten I’ll be wearing a cap onstage, and it’s New Era.”
The last year has seen Leshurr continue to pursue a path that is authentically her own. Now, she’s feeling as ready as she’s ever been, creatively reset and ready to own 2019. “I feel like I’ve found my motivation again, something that’s definitely going to excel me and take me to the next level,” she declares, before adding in true Leshurr style: “And just prove a few people wrong, you know?”
Watch the full video above and check out New Era’s in-depth interview with Lady Leshurr here.