Birmingham Rap queen, music producer and actor, Lady Leshurr, will perform to just 300 lucky fans at a one-off intimate city centre show on Wednesday 13 December, in a surprise announcement via social media this week.
The award-winning Queens Speech and Dancing on Ice star will close her Innocent mini-tour at Space 54 in Forum Birmingham - on the city centre site previously home to the Top Rank, Hummingbird, Carling and O2 Academy and Birmingham Ballroom - now revamped and featuring a high-end sound and lighting experience for music fans. Speaking ahead of her first intimate performance in Birmingham for over five years, Lady Leshurr said: “It’s an honour to be performing in my hometown for the Innocent tour as the last time I performed in a small venue in Birmingham was around five years ago!
“It’s going to be such a heartwarming feeling to connect again through music and experience an intimate show with an audience that had to witness me going through one of the worst times of my life through social media.” The Rapper, whose real name is Melesha O’Garro and who hails from Solihull, has been writing and performing since the age of 14.
The artist hit global fame in 2016 after releasing a series of freestyle raps entitled Queen’s Speech on YouTube, although she had appeared in the cult Birmingham gangland feud film 1 Day released in 2009 and had been appearing live and releasing tracks throughout the 2010s. Winning a MOBO Award for ‘Best Female Act’ in 2016, and again in 2019 for ‘Best Rap/Grime Act’ Lady Leshurr has opened as a special guest for major artists including Nicki Minaj, had her own radio show on BBC 1Xtra for three years before going on to reach the semi-finals as a contestant on ITV prime time entertainment show Dancing On Ice in 2021.
Since emerging 15 years ago with a series of self-released mixtapes, Solihull native Lady Leshurr has worked hard to join the ranks of a new generation of UK rap royalty, recording and collaborating with grime pioneers Wiley, Kano, D Double and Jammer, alongside a whole host of Birmingham MC talent including Jaykae, Trilla, Remtrex, and Bowser Boss. In November 2023, Lady Leshurr was acquitted of all charges of attacking her ex-partner following a lengthy and overly-publicised court case, during which time fans continued to show the artist support online.
“Being accused of something you haven’t done is one thing but being silenced is another, and the main point of this tour is to finally speak up about my battle with the justice system and what I’ve had to endure throughout the past 14 months.” Notable for her unflinching lyrical delivery and topical wordplay, the 34-year-old has earned a loyal fanbase and guaranteed a place amongst the most genuine and exciting artists to have been produced by Birmingham's diverse and vibrant music community.
A vocal supporter of positive mental health, Lady Leshurr has publicly shared her struggles with self-confidence, individuality and sexuality with media, fans and industry. Space 54 is part of Forum Birmingham, an independent 3,500-capacity entertainment space sitting in the heart of Birmingham's city centre.
