Lady Leshurr interview: 'I get lots of ideas when a beef kicks off on Twitter'

All hail Lady Leshurr. The rapper, 29, has a fanbase that spans everyone from Nicki Minaj to 60-year-olds in the US who post fan videos online.

Her schoolyard-style banter on the 2015 Queen’s Speech tapes went viral, as she spat out a personal pet peeve on each track: “Their lips look like crispy bacon”; “Brush your teeth” (she hands out toothbrushes at shows).

Her new single, OMW, is the first track off this year’s forthcoming album Unstable. Stay tuned...

Home is?

Solihull, Birmingham. We were one of the only black families to grow up in our neighbourhood. I spent my days going to the youth club, recording myself and playing football in the streets. I was always a striker.

Who’s in your court?

Cara [Delevingne] and I are mates, we text all the time. It’s largely emojis... I always use the “shh” emoji. You can send that to anyone after they’ve texted. It means “let me speak”.

An unlikely Instagram BFF?

I always show love to Missy Elliott because she’s always shown love to me. We message. When my video Lego came out [in 2011] I messaged one of her producers just to say: “Look, this was inspired by her.” Next thing I know she’s messaging me herself saying: “Big up, the video’s dope.”

What couldn’t you live without?

I’m always on Twitter. That’s where most of my lyrics come from. If I’m scrolling through and I see a Twitter beef kicking off, it might just spark up an idea. It’s like work for me.

Is there something you’d like named after you?

Can I rename the Queen “Lady Leshurr”? I’d love to meet her. I’d say: “I am the real Queen.” That would go viral.

Worst habit?

Cracking my phone screen. I get through a new screen every two or three months.

What annoys you most?

When people walk slowly, that annoys me. Get out of my way!

The most influential hip-hop artists - In pictures

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