Rapper who warns against social media gets set for Dancing on Ice
Lady Leshurr talks to Prudence Wade about social media, mental health and believing in yourself
While you might have an image of a stereotypical rapper in your head, Lady Leshurr can’t be neatly put in a box. The 30- year- old Birmingham native – real name Melesha O’garro – who has just been awarded and MBE, has made a name for herself with witty raps, quirky videos and impressive freestyles.
Leshurr doesn’t swear or use violent and sexual imagery and says one of her main goals is to inspire youth. “It’s not like I’ve tried to take the role on purpose, it’s something I’m very passionate about.”
As a contestant on the next series of Dancing On Ice, Leshurr is going to be on our screens a lot more in 2021 – and this is why she’s well up to the job of being an inspirational figure…
On being a role model…
Leshurr went viral in 2015 for her freestyle video, Queen’s Speech Ep. 4, and the hook of the song is something you might not expect from a typical grime track, as she urges listeners to ‘ brush your teeth’.
This is very much on- brand for Leshurr, who also released a coronavirus- related song this year, reminding people to wash their hands. “I feel like I’m a role model in a sense, because I don’t swear, I don’t talk about violence or anything; my music is all about entertaining and trying to teach kids along the way,” Leshurr explains. So many celebrities shy away from the label, so it’s refreshing to hear the rapper wholeheartedly embrace it.
“I feel like, out of all the artists in the UK, I’d probably be the best person kids are going to listen to and be inspired by, because I keep it as I am and say it how it is,” Leshurr adds, her sore, croaky throat unable to mask her enthusiasm.
She recognises how humour can be a huge tool, saying: “I feel like I can speak to them [ kids], and they trust me – and that’s a big thing. When kids trust and believe in you, they’ll rely on you, look up to you, and probably be influenced by you.”
Leshurr admits she’s a naturally
positive person, but won’t shy away from tough subjects. “I always try to show people that there may be highs, but there are also a lot of lows,” she explains. “And there are ways to deal with those lows.”
The fact her music isn’t peppered with swear words will no doubt endear Leshurr to parents, but it wasn’t a conscious decision on her part. “I just feel there’s no reason to swear,” she says simply – and now she appreciates it’s “a massive thing to be able to listen to songs that your kids want to listen to all together in the same environment”.
On social media…
“I used to be online 24/ 7, my neck was nearly breaking because my head was so low – just constantly on a phone and constantly online,” Leshurr confesses – but her attitude changed when she realised “how toxic social media has become”.
After monitoring how much she was consuming, Leshurr learned to balance it for the sake of her mental health – but she’s worried for children, like her young nieces and nephews. “I think the main reason why young kids in general are feeling so low, getting anxiety earlier and feeling depressed is because of social media,” she says.
Leshurr thinks we should be
especially careful on Instagram, because “pictures are more vivid in your head”, she says. “And kids are on there, they’re seeing picture- perfect things and it’s making them feel a certain way about themselves – it’s just really horrible.”
If Leshurr was in charge, she’d impose time limits on social media for people of a certain age. “Kids are literally waking up and going straight on to social media – that’s just not normal,” she says. “It’s not healthy, and it’s sad to see how social media is controlling so many people. Even me, I was controlled at one time.”
Her advice for young creatives…
Leshurr credits her local youth club as the place which “really set my foundation as an artist”, and she’s devastated by the closure of clubs all over the country. “I think that is a really important part of your childhood, and it can develop you in the early stages to whatever you want to become.”
Her advice for young creatives is: “Follow your heart, and you have to believe in yourself. I think that little bit of uncertainty is what stops you from getting to the next level.”
Lady Leshurr is the 2020 Course Ambassador for Samsung’s Not A School programme. For more information on the course and how to sign up, visit www. samsung. com/ uk/ notaschool