The acclaimed rapper, singer and producer, who has clocked up in excess of 160 million views and over one million subscribers on YouTube, will perform live to 150 lucky fans as part of the BOM (Birmingham Open Media) fifth birthday and Shout Festival 10th birthday celebrations, at BOM’s city centre gallery venue.

Hosted by drag artist Yshe Black, featuring sets by DJ Sippin’ T from London club night and curatorial collective BBZ as well as performances from Shout Festival’s House of Bab, the evening will mark the organisation’s combined fifteen years presenting and curating music, dancing, high fashion, LGBTQ+ culture, technology and social impact in the city.

Since emerging a decade 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.

Notable for her unflinching lyrical delivery and topical wordplay in viral video series Queens Speech, the 29-year-old has earned a lyoal fanbase and guaranteed a place amongst the most genuine and exciting artists to have been produced by Birmingham’s diverse and vibrant music community.

The MOBO Best Female Act award winner (2016), who also starred in the acclaimed Birmingham gang film 1 Day, co-hosted a recent Later With…Jools Holland programme and opened as special guest for global star Nicki Minaj on 2019 world tour, has been a vocal supporter of positive mental health, publicly sharing her struggles with self-confidence, individuality and sexuality with media, fans and industry.

Speaking ahead of her first intimate performance in the city for over a year, Lady Leshurr said, “Playing smaller shows with my home town family is always a real vibe; especially when we’re supporting people and places that deliver a positive impact on the city at the same time. Being part of Birmingham’s rise to the top is a privilege and I’m hyped for everyone who will be joining me for these celebrations!”

BOM is a centre for art, technology and science dedicated to creative innovation with purpose, located just one minute’s walk from Birmingham New Street Station, Grand Central and the Bullring. The BOM gallery is free to enter and presents cutting edge digital artworks and exhibitions that spark debate about technology and scientific progress.

Born from hacker culture and dedicated to positive social impact, the organisation’s exhibitions and events explore topical issues in digital culture and science which impact on human lives. BOM’s education work engages excluded children, young people and adults in creative technology programmes, with a particular interest in neurodiversity and technology.

Louise Latter, BOM Curator, praised the rapper’s public stance on issues including anxiety and depression, Black British identity, LGBTQ+ rights and more, saying, “Lady Leshurr is an exceptional 21st century role model for building self-confidence, exploring independence and maintaining creativity in a challenging world.

“The teams at BOM and Shout Festival are absolutely thrilled to have one of the UK’s most progressive and fierce artists helping us to celebrate the BOM and SHOUT birthdays with an intimate, memorable and dazzling night of music and culture”.

Birmingham’s SHOUT Festival grew out of a desire to celebrate and promote the diversity of the city’s LGBT cultural community. Launching in 2009, SHOUT Festival (a project of Birmingham LGBT) was created as a direct response to a significant lack of representation for of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer in Birmingham’s arts venues.

Over the past decade the festival has grown and changed, building in ambition to take on new challenges including as a film festival and an arts festival working across different venues, starting new conversations and delivering new programmes and ideas. In recent years SHOUT has developed a robust and dynamic annual festival taking place for ten days each November.