Lady Leshurr

Melesha Katrina O'Garro[1][2] (born 15 December 1989) known professionally as Lady Leshurr (/ˈliːʃər/),[3] is a British rapper, singer, songwriter and producer from Kingshurst, Solihull, UK. [4] She is best known for her Queen's Speech series of freestyles,[5] the fourth of which became popular in 2016. The Rap Game season 2 competitor Nia Kay stated that Leshurr was one of her influences due to her uniqueness and rap skill.[6] Her subsequent freestyle, Queen's Speech 5, was called "brilliant" and "2015's crowning freestyle" by Spin.[7]

Lady Leshurr
Lady Leshurr performing at Field Day 2017
Background information
Birth nameMelesha Katrina O'Garro
Born (1989-12-15) 15 December 1989
OriginKingshurst, Solihull,[1] England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2009–present day
Associated acts

Biography

Born to parents from the Caribbean[8] Isle of Saint Kitts,[1] her first foray was into poetry and writing at age six[9] but she decided that writing music would bring her to a wider audience,[8] releasing her first mixtape at age fourteen.[10] In her words:

I grew up around music. My mum used to play a lot of reggae like Sister Nancy and Bob Marley around the house so basically, when I was around six, I was messing about and doing my own little raps and songs. My family are all rappers and singers anyway so I was always involved in it from a young age.

— Lady Leshurr, 2011[11]

Leshurr played one of the lead female roles in Vertigo Films' 2009 film 1 Day.[12]

She won second place in the Best Female category of the Official Mixtape Awards 2011. To complement the music releases, she has designed a range of merchandise, the "Friggin L" clothing line[13] named after her 2011 mixtape Friggin L.[14]

In 2016, she won the MOBO Award, celebrating excellence in black music, for Best Female Act. In 2019, she won the award for "Best Rap / Grime Act" at the Birmingham Music Awards.

In 2019 Leshurr performed at the Nicki Wrld Tour in her hometown Birmingham and in Manchester as a special guest for Trinidadian American rapper Nicki Minaj.

Personal life

Leshurr came out as pansexual in September 2018.[15]

Influences

Leshurr has named Ashley Walters, Eminem, Ms. Dynamite, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott and Lil Wayne as her primary influences.[16]

Her sound is an eclectic, unique blend that combines elements of Dancehall, Grime, Hip Hop/Rap, and Reggae.


Discography

Mixtapes
Title Details
Friggin L
2000 and L
  • Released: 11 May, 2012[17]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Streaming
L Yeah!
  • Released: 15 February 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Streaming
Mona Leshurr
  • Released: 9 March 2013
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Streaming, Digital download
Lil Bit of Lesh
  • Released: 22 May, 2014
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Streaming, Digital download

Extended plays
Title Details
Queen's Speech
  • Released: 9 September 2016
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Streaming, Digital Download
Mode
  • Released: 27 April 2017
  • Label: Sony
  • Formats: Streaming, Digital download
Quaranqueen
  • Released: 6 June 2020
  • Label: Unleshed Records
  • Formats: Streaming, Digital download

Singles

As lead artist
Year Title[18] Album
2011 "Friggin L"[19] Friggin L
"Lego" Non-album singles
2015 "Lukatar"
"Queen's Speech 1"
"Queen's Speech 2"
"Queen's Speech 3" Queen's Speech
"Queen's Speech 4"
2016 "Queen's Speech 5"
"Panda Freestyle" Non-album singles
"Where Are You Now?"
(featuring Wiley)
"Queen's Speech 6"
2017 "Juice" Mode
"Queen's Speech 7" Non-album singles
2018 "R.I.P"
"New Freezer"
"OMW"
"Black Madonna"
(featuring Mr Eazi)
"Black Panther"
"3AM In Brum"
2019 "Horrid"
"I've Gotta Be Me"
"Your Mr"
2020 "Carmen"
"Quarantine Speech" Quaranqueen
"Quaranting"

(featuring Busy Signal)

 Quaranqueen
Year Title Album
2011 "Move"
(Fire Camp featuring Lady Leshurr and Scrufizzer)		 Move
2012 "Murder"
(Lea-Anna featuring Lioness, Lady Leshurr and Ce'Cile)		 Murder EP
"Finally"
(Leon & Harvey featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Finally EP
"Wonky"[20]
(Orbital featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Wonky
"Boring Bitches"[21]
(Etta Bond and Raf Riley featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Emergency Room
"Run Your Mouth"
(Noisses featuring Rtkal, Foreign Beggars and Lady Leshurr)		 Run Your Mouth EP
"Step in the Dance"[22]
(Mike Delinquent Project featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Step in the Dance EP
"Sick Love"[23]
(Vince Kidd featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Sick Love EP
2013 "Blazin'"
(Torqux featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Blazin' EP
"Bet on It"
(Young O featuring Griminal and Lady Leshurr)		 Bet on It
"Swag Fi Dem"
(RSXG Productions, Juki Ranx and Brooklynne featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Swag Fi Dem EP
"I Ain't Rich... Yet"
(J. Appiah featuring Lady Leshurr)		 I Ain't Rich... Yet EP
2016 "Run"[24]
(Tiggs Da Author featuring Lady Leshurr)		 TBA
2018 "Block and Delete" remix

(C4 featuring Lady Leshurr)
2018 "Don't Believe You"

(Lethal Bizzle featuring Lady Leshurr)
2019 "Pretty Little Thing"[25]
(will.i.am featuring Lady Leshurr, Lioness & Ms Banks)		 Non-album single
2019 "Mike Myers"

(Swifta Beater featuring Lady Leshurr, Remtrex and Bowzer Boss)
2019 "Still Here"

(Offcourse featuring Lady Leshurr)

Guest appearances
Year Title Album Label
2010 "This is SRE (Drop the Funk)" (Invasion Remix)
(SRE featuring Lady Leshurr, Jaykae and Hitman)		 This is SRE EP Sidewinder Raw
2011 "We Know"
(Trilla featuring R.I.O and Lady Leshurr)		 01:21 Trilla Music
"Ready" (Remix 2)
(Cons featuring Tor, Kasay, Tempa, Lady Leshurr and Nolay)		 June Bug RGS
"Gangster" (Lady Leshurr Remix)
(Zdot featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Gangster Elite Music
"So Much More"
(Manga featuring KOF and Lady Leshurr)		 Obzokey Wranglings N/A
2012 "Heart of Stone"
(Bashy featuring Dot Rotten, Black the Ripper and Lady Leshurr)		 The Great Escape SB.TV
"Level Up" (Remix)
(Sway featuring Kelsey and Lady Leshurr)		 Level Up EP 3Beat
"WAVY" (Seamix)
(Kano and Footsie featuring Lady Leshurr, Jme, D Double E and Sway)		 WAVY / Kano Stencils N/A
"Hoods Up" (Remix)
(Teddy Music featuring Lil Nasty, Double S, Lady Leshurr, Scrufizzer, Dot Rotten and Tre Mission)		 Hoods Up EP Teddy Music
"I Wanna Rock" (All Stars Remix)[26]
(Maxsta featuring Tinchy Stryder, Rizzle Kicks and Lady Leshurr)		 I Wanna Rock EP Sony
"Move to Da Gyal Dem" (Female Remix)
(Donae'o featuring Mz. Bratt, Lioness, Terri Walker and Lady Leshurr)		 Move to Da Gyal Dem Zephron
"Da Cypher (Part Deux)"
(Bigz featuring Lady Leshurr and Mistah Fab)		 The Bigz Bang Theory DCypha
"Va Heter Det"
(Max Peezay featuring Lady Leshurr)		 F.A.S 3 Devrim
2013 "Let the Dogs Run Wild"
(Labrinth featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Atomic Odd Child
"Now That You're Gone" (Remix)
(Tanya Lacey featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Now That You're Gone EP Laceywood
"Hoods Up" (Remix)
(Lil Nasty featuring Double S, Lady Leshurr, Dot Rotten and Tre Mission)		 This is UK Grime Vol. 3 Defenders
"Off the Leash"
(Teddy Music featuring Double S and Lady Leshurr)		 Rehearsals Teddy Music
"Spitfire"
(Big Shizz, Lady Leshurr, Jammer, Realz, Jammin and Villain)		 Lord of the Mics V Lord of the Mics
2014 "Bother You" (Remix)
(D'banj featuring Lady Leshurr)		 Bother You Mi7, DKM
"Got It"
(Zdot and Krunchie featuring Krept, Konan and Lady Leshurr)		 Adrenaline EP Sonus Music
"Blow It Up"
(Zdot and Krunchie featuring Lady Leshurr)

Filmography


Television

° Later...With Jools Holland (2018) - Musical guest

°Sunday Brunch (2018) - Musical guest

° Don't Hate the Playaz (2018- current) - Team captain

°The X Factor UK (2018)- Musical guest: Olly Murs featuring Lady Leshurr

° Happy Hour with Olly Murs (2018) - Musical guest

° I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here: Extra Camp (2018) - Guest panelist

° The Rap Game UK (2019) - Special guest judge

°CelebAbility (2019) - contestant

°Even Later…with Jools Holland and Lady Leshurr (2019) - Special guest co-host

° Celebrity Masterchef UK (2020) - Contestant


References
  1. "Lady Leshurr". SXSW. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  2. "Companies House". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  3. "Lady Leshurr Reveals Origin Of Her Name and Correct Way To Pronounce It" Archived 18 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. "Lady Leshurr: 7 interesting facts about the 'Queen's Speech' rapper". What's Good?. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  5. "Everyone is talking about Lady Leshurr". Shazam. 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  6. Carley, Brennan Lady Leshurr’s Brilliant ‘Queen’s Speech 5′ Is 2015’s Crowning Freestyle Archived 1 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine Spin. 30 December 2015
  7. "Lady Leshurr: 'The industry just doesn't know what to do with women'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  8. "Lady Leshurr". Britishunderground.net. Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  9. "Glastonbury Festival – Lady Leshurr". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  10. Anderson, Errol. "Lady Leshurr: The female Busta Rhymes". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  11. "WRAP UP AND WATCH OUT: LADY LESHURR". MTV UK. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  12. "lady leshurr". RTD Productions. Archived from the original on 26 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  13. "Lady Leshurr unleashes Friggin L Mixtape". SoulCulture. Archived from the original on 26 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  14. Johnson, Shakeena (21 September 2018). "Lady Leshurr comes out as pansexual: "If you can't take me for who I am then you can leave"". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  15. "Lady Leshurr Loves Lil Wayne". MTV. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  16. "Mixtape: Lady Leshurr – 2000ANDL (hosted by DJ Whoo Kid)". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  17. "Lady Leshurr on iTunes". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  18. "2012 Official Mixtape Awards". Missing or empty |series= (help)
  19. Pelly, Jenn. "New Release: Orbital: Wonky". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  20. "Etta Bond featuring Lady Leshurr – Boring Bitches". Soundophiles.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  21. "iTunes – Music – Step in the Dance (Remixes) (feat. Lady Leshurr) – Single by Mike Delinquent Project". iTunes Store. 23 September 2012. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  22. "UK Chart > New Entries: 12 December 2012". zobbel.de. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  23. "Tiggs Da Author - Run (Official Video) ft. Lady Leshurr". YouTube. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  24. "Pretty Little Thing (feat. Lady Leshurr, Lioness & Ms Banks) - Single by will.i.am". iTunes Store. Apple. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  25. "20 Years of East London in 20 Minutes!". BBC. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
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