Lisa Maffia

Lisa Maffia, born on June 16, 1979, in Brixton, London, established herself in the UK music scene as a founding member and the main female vocalist of the UK garage and hip hop group So Solid Crew. Her early life included training in Latin, ballroom, tap, and modern dancing, alongside gymnastics. She pursued a diploma in Photography and Art & Design at Brixton College before making her recording debut in 2000 with So Solid Crew on the track “Oh No.” The group’s breakthrough came with the release of “21 Seconds” on August 6, 2001, which topped the UK Singles Chart and earned a Platinum certification. The success of this single was followed by their Platinum-selling debut album, “They Don’t Know.”

Transitioning into a solo career, Maffia released her debut solo single “All Over” on April 21, 2003, which peaked at number 2 on the charts and spent three weeks in the top 10. Her subsequent single “In Love” reached number 13. These releases led to her debut solo album, “First Lady,” which charted at number 44 on the UK Albums Chart. In addition to her music career, Maffia participated in the Channel 4 reality TV show “The Games” in 2004, where she earned a silver medal. Following this, she founded her independent record label, Maffia Recordz, and released her underground single “Shake 4 Daddy,” signing artists and the soundtrack for the film “Rollin with the Nines.” She continued to release music, including “Bad Girl (At Night)” in 2007, which reached number 36 in the UK and number 4 on the overall dance charts, leading to a European tour.

Maffia’s career also includes television appearances and entrepreneurial pursuits. She won ITV2’s “CelebAir” in 2008 and appeared on various shows like “Top of the Pops,” “MOBO Awards,” “BRIT Awards,” and “The Real Hustle.” In 2012, she founded House of Maffia, an interior design and home staging company. Later, in 2020, she launched Salon 48, a hair and beauty salon in Margate, and Lyrical UK, a music industry personalized message service. In 2022, Maffia introduced Maffia Rum, an alcoholic beverage line, and continued her involvement in film as an executive producer for “Little Lighty.” Throughout her career, she has consistently been recognized for her influence, receiving numerous MOBO Awards with So Solid Crew and a Music Honour at the Black Magic Awards in 2018.