Lisa Maffia

Last updated

Lisa Maffia
Singer Lisa Maffia performing at o2 Arena for Redbull Culture Clash in London 2016.jpg
Lisa Maffia in 2016
Background information
Birth nameLisa Maffia
Born (1979-06-16) 16 June 1979 (age 45)
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • rapper
  • actress
  • model
  • fashion designer
  • presenter
Years active1998–present
LabelsIndependiente
Epic Records
Maffia Recordz
Universal
Member of So Solid Crew

Lisa Maffia (born 16 June 1979) is a British singer-songwriter, musician, rapper, actress, fashion designer, model and presenter, who originally came to the public's attention as the main female member of So Solid Crew. Whilst in So Solid Crew, the singer notched up five top 20 hits, including a platinum-selling single "21 Seconds" and a platinum selling album They Don't Know. As a solo artist, she has released two top 10 singles and an award-winning album including the platinum selling single "All Over". Her most recent release to date, was 2017’s "Wah Gwarn". Maffia is mixed race, born to a half-Italian mother [1] and a Jamaican father. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Biography

Maffia was born in Brixton, London, the daughter of a Jamaican father and Anglo-Italian mother, Shirley Maffia. Through her mother, Maffia is a second cousin of actress Louisa Lytton – Maffia's mother Shirley and Lytton's mother Jane Nastri are first cousins [6] Maffia has a daughter, Chelsea, born when she was 18. [1] She trained in Latin, ballroom, tap and modern dancing and practised gymnastics as a child. She attended Norwood School in West Norwood. Maffia then went on to Brixton College to do a diploma in Photography and Art & Design. In 2000, Maffia got her career debut when she added her vocals to the So Solid Crew track, "Oh No".

On 6 August 2001, whilst with So Solid Crew, "21 Seconds" was released. It reached number one in the United Kingdom in August 2001. The single also won Best British Video at the 2002 BRIT Awards. With the success of "21 Seconds", the crew went on to release their debut album They Don't Know which ending up going platinum.

On 21 April 2003, departing from the So Solid Crew, Maffia made her debut at number 2 with "All Over". [7] [8] It spent three weeks in the top 10. She then released "In Love" which reached number 13. [8] This led to the singer releasing her debut solo album, First Lady . Promo for the album included support slots for artists such as Christina Aguilera, Ashanti, Loudbankcoast, Ja Rule, Daniel Bedingfield and Blue. The album failed to reach the success of its singles reaching number 44 in the UK Albums Chart, [8] and led her to leave her record label. Maffia also performed her single "All Over" at the MOBO Awards. Taking a break from music, Maffia took part in the Channel 4 reality TV show The Games . She earned a silver medal behind Kirsty Gallacher. After The Games, Maffia set up her own independent record label, Maffia Recordz, on which she released her underground single "Shake 4 Daddy" and signed acts such as North Star and Romeo. The label also signed the soundtrack to the film, Rollin with the Nines.

In May 2007, Maffia announced on her official Myspace that she has been recording her upcoming album at the Murlyn Studios, known to have written songs for Christina Milian, Madonna, Kylie Minogue and others. On 10 September, Maffia released her single "Bad Girl"; whilst the single reached 36 and number 4 in the overall dance charts, [9] the single had success over Europe leading to Maffia doing a European tour. On 20 August 2008, it was announced Maffia would participate in ITV2's CelebAir where cameras followed Maffia and other celebrities as they work as air hostesses. Maffia won CelebAir on 23 October 2008. [10]

Maffia updated via Twitter that she recorded every other week (during January 2009 to August 2009), working with various producers including Roger Sanchez and Bloodshy & Avant and to expect a surprise US star. She also recorded four songs for the comeback album of So Solid Crew including "Since You Went Away", the video of which was shot in June 2009.

In January 2010, Maffia released and toured with So Solid Crew on their single "Since You Went Away". The track reached the top 10 in the independent singles chart, leading to various performances on Big Brother's Big Mouth, Channel 5's Five Live and Radio One's Live Lounge. With the success of the track, it was announced on Maffia's official Twitter that there would be one final album from So Solid Crew, and to also expect more albums from Maffia herself, with her next solo album to be expected in 2012.

In March 2012, Maffia announced her underground single titled "Don't Stop the Music", featuring Maffia Recordz signees MC Romeo and Tyler Daley. Its worldwide premiere was aired on BBC'S 1Xtra on 8 April 2012, and then went on to be released in July 2012. On 22 July, Maffia announced via Twitter she would be teaming up with Aggro Santos on a new track produced by Paul Morrell. Maffia also appeared on Peter Andre's album Angels & Demons on a track titled "X".

In July 2017, Maffia premiered the first single from her new album on BBC's 1Xtra, "Wah Gwarn". [11] Maffia also announced she would be executive producer for UK film Little Lighty, the first film to be produced under Maffia Media (Lisa's production company). [12] In 2019, she presented her own music cooking show on BritAsia TV called Certified. [13]

In December 2021, Maffia announced via Instagram her new EP will be released in September 2023, and the release of her debut autobiography in 2024.

Awards

2001

MOBO Awards

2002

Brit Awards
MOBO Awards
Dancestar World Dance Music Awards

2003

MOBO Awards

2004

MOBO Awards

2018

Black Magic Awards

Concert tours

YearTitleDurationShows
2003Blues & Soul/First Lady Tour1 April 2003 – 20 July 2003 (England)30
The First Lady Tour (also known as the Blues & Soul Tour) was a series of short concert-like promotional appearances at University and club-type venues by Lisa Maffia that took place from April to July 2003.
2013They Don't Know Tour21 March 2013 – 5 October 2013 (England)
5
The They Don't Know Tour is Lisa Maffia's first official tour with So Solid Crew. Dates are: 21 March 2013 – IndigO2, London 2 October 2013 – Waterfront, Norwich, 3 October 2013 – The Institute, Birmingham, 4 October 2013 – The Ritz, Manchester, 5 October 2013 – The O2 Arena, London

Filmography

Films

Documentaries

Television

Modelling

Having modelled for Vogue , Elle and a range of women's and men's magazines, Maffia has also appeared in magazine polls. She ranked No. 91 (2002) in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women and ranked No. 77 (2002) in Loaded's Hot 100 Babes. In September 2007, Maffia was voted number 33 in the top 50 sexiest brunettes poll in Nuts magazine.

Business and ventures

In 2012, Lisa founded her own interior design & home staging company, House Of Maffia.

In 2020, Lisa launched Salon 48, a hair & beauty salon in Margate. The same year she also opened Lyrical UK, a music industry personalised message service featuring artists from the UK Garage scene.

In 2022, Lisa announced via Good Morning Britain the release of Maffia Rum, a line of alcoholic beverages.

Discography

Albums

Singles

YearTitleChart positionsAlbum
UK
[16]
UK
R&B
UK
Dance
AUS
[17]
NZ
[18]
NLD
[19]
SCO
2000"Oh No (Sentimental Things) / Dilemma" (with So Solid Crew) They Don't Know
2000"No Good 4 Me" (Oxide & Neutrino feat. Megaman, Romeo & Lisa Maffia)63 Execute
2001"21 Seconds" (with So Solid Crew)111459 They Don't Know
2002"Romeo Dunn" (Romeo featuring Lisa Maffia, Tiger S & Thug Angel)3220Solid Love
2003"All Over"214223429 First Lady
"In Love"13431
"Women of the World"7719
2005"Shake 4 Daddy"Non-album single
2007"Bad Girl (At Night)" (Dave Spoon feat. Lisa Maffia)36431Non-album single
2010"Since You Went Away" (So Solid Crew feat. Lisa Maffia and MC Romeo)8210Non-album single
2012"Don't Stop the Music" (Lisa Maffia feat. MC Romeo and Tyler Daley)Non-album single
2017"Wah Gwarn"Non-album single

Guest appearances

Released: 2002

Released: 2013

Released: 2018

Released: 2020

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dizzee Rascal</span> British rapper (born 1984)

Dylan Kwabena Mills, known professionally as Dizzee Rascal, is a British rapper and MC. He is often credited as a pioneer of British hip hop and grime music and was ranked by Complex as one of the greatest British rappers of all time. His work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline and R&B. Dizzee Rascal's music is also often credited with bringing UK rap into the mainstream and became the country's first rapper to achieve international recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamelia</span> British singer (born 1981)

Jamelia Niela Davis is a British singer, actress and television personality. She has released three studio albums, each of which has reached the Top 40 in the UK, which collectively have spawned eight UK top-ten singles. In addition, Jamelia has won four MOBO Awards, a Q Award and has received nine BRIT Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MOBO Awards</span> Annual music awards in Britain

The MOBO Awards are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in "music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music.

Oxide & Neutrino are an English DJ and MC garage duo from London, consisting of Alex Rivers (Oxide), and Mark Osei-tutu (Neutrino).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21 Seconds</span> 2001 single by So Solid Crew

"21 Seconds" is a song by UK garage group So Solid Crew. Released as the second single from their 2001 debut album They Don't Know, it was the first of five consecutive top-20 hit singles for the group.

Marvin Dawkins, better known by his stage name Romeo, Nigel, or MC Romeo, is a British rapper and MC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutya Buena</span> British singer (born 1985)

Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena is an English singer and songwriter who rose to fame as a member of girl group Sugababes. With Sugababes, Buena had four UK number-one singles, an additional six top-ten hits and three multi-platinum albums. After leaving the group in December 2005, she released her debut solo album, Real Girl in June 2007. Buena returned to Sugababes with the original line-up in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Over (song)</span> 2003 single by Lisa Maffia

"All Over" is the debut solo single of So Solid Crew member Lisa Maffia, released as the lead single from her first solo album, First Lady (2003), on 21 April 2003. In the United Kingdom, the song spent 12 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number two. It was the 85th-best-selling single of 2003 in the UK. Worldwide, "All Over" reached number 23 in New Zealand and peaked inside the top 50 in Australia and the Netherlands.

<i>Execute</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Oxide & Neutrino

Execute is the debut album of So Solid Crew members Oxide & Neutrino, released on 28 May 2001. It features the Casualty sampling number 1 single "Bound 4 da Reload (Casualty)" and the Prodigy cover "No Good 4 Me". The song "Devil's Nightmare" was also featured on the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinie Tempah</span> British rapper and singer

Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, better known by his stage name Tinie, is a British rapper and singer. He has been signed to Parlophone since 2009, now a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment company Disturbing London in 2006, along with his cousin Dumi Oburota.

Rachel Estelle Irene Prager, professionally known as Baby Blue, is a British rapper and singer from London, England. She is known for her work with singer Estelle and collaborations with John Legend, Madness, Sway, Shystie, Ms. Dynamite and Lady Sovereign. Baby Blue has a sound that fuses hip hop with grime, R&B and soul. In 2018, Prager-Riel became "Head of Music" at 7Wallace, Idris Elba's record label.

So Solid Crew are a British UK garage and hip hop collective originating from Battersea, London, which achieved wide success in the early 2000s. The group consisted of many members, the most notable being Asher D, Lisa Maffia, Harvey and Romeo. So Solid have been credited for being pioneers in the UK music scene. By turning UK garage from a dancey-genre to one that was darker and more MC-oriented, and gaining mainstream success, they inspired London youth to experiment with their own darker sounds, leading to what would become known as grime music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuse ODG</span> Ghanaian-English singer, songwriter and rapper (born 1988)

Nana Richard Abiona, better known by his stage name Fuse ODG, is a Ghanaian-English singer, songwriter and rapper. He came to attention with his first Top-10 song on the UK singles chart, "Antenna", and for his second last Top-10 on that chart, "Dangerous Love". He also featured on Major Lazer's "Light It Up (Remix)", which reached No. 73 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Simz</span> British rapper (born 1994)

Simbiatu "Simbi" Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, better known by her stage name Little Simz, is an English-Nigerian rapper. She rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums: A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015), Stillness in Wonderland (2016) and Grey Area (2019), the last of which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won the awards for Best Album at both the Ivor Novello Awards and the NME Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mabel (singer)</span> Singer and songwriter (born 1996)

Mabel Alabama-Pearl McVey is a singer and songwriter. The daughter of English music producer Cameron McVey and Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, she rose to prominence in 2017 with her single "Finders Keepers" which peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nao (singer)</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1987)

Neo Jessica Joshua, better known as Nao, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer from East London. Her sound has been described as soul combined with electronic music, funk and R&B. Nao coined the term "wonky funk" to describe her style. She released her debut album, For All We Know, in 2016, her second album, Saturn, in 2018, followed by her most recent album, And Then Life Was Beautiful, released in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave (rapper)</span> British rapper (born 1998)

David Orobosa Michael Omoregie, known professionally as Dave or Santan Dave, is a British rapper and actor. He is known for his socially conscious lyricism and wordplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's All Gravy</span> 2002 single by Romeo

"It's All Gravy" is a song by British rapper Romeo featuring vocals from American singer Christina Milian. Written by Romeo, StarGate, and Roger Russell, the track samples the keyboard riff from "Real Love", a 1992 song by R&B singer Mary J. Blige, so Audio Two, Mark Morales, and Mark C. Rooney are also credited as writers. In the song, Romeo sings about how he became famous while Milian provides the chorus vocals and ad libs.

"No Good 4 Me" is a song by UK garage duo Oxide & Neutrino, released as the second single from the debut album Execute. The song features other members of the So Solid Crew; Megaman, Romeo and Lisa Maffia. It reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 6. It was the second of six non-consecutive top 20 hit singles for the duo.

References

  1. 1 2 Emma Brockes (26 January 2004). "The Monday interview: Lisa Maffia | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  2. Brockes, Emma (26 January 2004). "The Monday interview: Lisa Maffia". The Guardian via www.theguardian.com.
  3. "uk.askmen.com". Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  4. "thesituation.co.uk". Archived from the original on 6 April 2009.
  5. "Lisa Maffia su Apple Music". Music.apple.com.
  6. Davies, Alex (19 September 2018). "EastEnders' Louisa Lytton's life away from soap – from age to career". Ok.co.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  7. "Wiltshire Clubbing – Lisa Maffia at The Brunel Rooms". BBC. 9 March 2004. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 343. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  9. Archived 1 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "I'm on CelebAir ... get me out of here!" . The Independent. 23 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  11. Archived 15 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine October 2014
  12. "Actors Wanted for Short Film 'Little Lighty' - StarNow". Starnow.co.uk.
  13. MAFFIA, LISA [@lisamaffiauk] (12 March 2018). ".@BritAsiaTV Certified | Coming soon - Hosted by @lisamaffiauk - Guests @jaysean | @mreazi | @joegrindsn1 | @jernademiah | @djironik | @raxstaruk | @arjunartist | @Paigey_Cakey | @FekkyOfficial | @steelbanglez | @mumzystranger | @realmostackpic.twitter.com/FfohFtzoDr" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 April 2019 via Twitter.
  14. 1 2 Archived 16 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Llewellyn, Caspar (30 August 2001). "So Solid Crew in line for three Mobo pop awards". Telegraph. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  16. Peaks in the UK:
  17. "Discography Lisa Maffia". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  18. "Discography Lisa Maffia". charts.nz. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  19. "Discography Lisa Maffia". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 August 2022.