Lady Sovereign Says, 'Fur Is Nasty!'

Talk to some people about fur, and they'll turn their faces away. They don't want to hear about animals who go mad on fur farms in filthy cages or who scream in pain as they're skinned alive. They don't want to face up to the facts of fur, because they think that it's somehow cool to wear it – but not the UK's hottest MC of the moment, Lady Sovereign.

Realising that a ton of dead animal skin doesn't make up for a charm deficit, the smart and sassy “Lady Sov” told us she would never endorse the cruel and unnecessary slaughter of innocent animals for “fashion”. It's that certainty of mind and spirit that's helped her boldly go where Robbie Williams, Oasis and many other British artists have never gone: to the top of the music charts in America. Right now, Lady Sov is the toast of hipsters and hip-hoppers on both sides of the Atlantic, and she is a dead cert for superstardom in 2006. But life hasn't always been like this for Lady Sov.

Wembley's own diminutive mistress of the mic has made her way from the bottom to the top via the old-fashioned route. She's slogged around the clubs, spat her furious way through battle after battle, heard the nay-sayers' nay-saying and then silenced the critics in her own unique and wickedly funny way. So far, there's been a clutch of underground club hits (check out “Ch-Ching” and “9 to 5”), some sterling remixes (including one from Beastie Boys legend Ad-Rock) and an infamous meeting with Def Jam's head honchos in New York, where the self-proclaimed “vertically challenged” MC won over all who were present in 48 free-styled bars. Now she's on course for global appreciation, and peta2 grabbed a moment from her hectic schedule to talk to her about how things are going and whether it's ever worth being brutal to be bling.

What are you up to right now?

I've just been at Radio 1. I've been doing promo on the new single "Hoodie".

I've seen the campaign mentioned in the news.

Yeah, we're trying to get the word out there that it's not fair to target hoodies, you know? People are trying to blame the hoodie for all kinds of anti-social behaviour, and I'm just saying that a piece of clothing can't be to blame. What about baseball caps, you know? Nobody's trying to ban them at shopping centres and stuff. I'm just saying you can wear a hoodie and not be a criminal, you know? Leave the hoodie alone, man! I like my hoodies! We still have to get people behind the “Save the Hoodie” campaign, which is running now, so all the UK kids should check out the Web site SaveTheHoodie.com.

You're obviously not afraid to stand up for what you believe in.

Well, you know, I'm only little (laughs), so I've always had to say just what I think or nobody would listen.

I guess it's important to have that confidence, in music in general and especially on the hip-hop and grime scenes. I read that you met with people at Def Jam records and that they were impressed. You're obviously doing something right.

Yeah, you know, I flew to New York and met Jay-Z at his offices; he was cool. He's supporting what I do, so that's good. We'll see what happens.

So the world of "bling" beckons – where do you stand on the whole fur issue?

Fur? Nah, man, I would never wear fur, you know? It's just nasty. It's horrible. There's no need, so I wouldn't wear it.

Some people think that wearing a dead animal adds to their status – celebrities sometimes make that mistake. They forget that animals are routinely beaten, electrocuted, drowned or gassed, just so we can steal their skin.

I ain't obsessed with all that "bling" thing. I'd rather chat about what's real to me. I don't need to be ashamed of where I come from, you know? I like to stick with what's real to me, and wearing a cat ain't real to me!

Do you think that people who wear fur have lost touch with reality a bit by denying to themselves all the pain and suffering that went into their chinchilla coat or whatever?

Thing is, I've had so many pets, right? You name it, I've had it – cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits. And I wouldn't have ever worn their fur, so why would I wear another animal's? There's just no point. Fur is nasty.

Fur is nasty – but you can help to fight back against those who think that butchering animals for fashion is cool. Join the peta2 Street Team, and you'll be paid in points for any work you do to fight cruelty to animals – points you can then redeem for all kinds of cool stuff. If you haven't already, sign up now.