Lisa Velez, also known as Lisa Lisa, is a renowned Latin Hip Hop/Freestyle/Pop Diva who emerged from the 1980s music scene.
As a member of the 80s supergroup Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, produced by Full Force, Lisa Lisa's breakout hits such as "I wonder If I Take You Home", "Can You Feel The Beat", and "All cried out" played a significant role in popularizing the underground genre of "Freestyle Music" and bringing it to mainstream audiences.
Later, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam crossed over to the pop charts with their second album "Spanish Fly", which featured mega hits like "Head to Toe" and "Lost In Emotion". She was the first Puerto Rican/Latino artist to cross over to the Pop and R&B charts, and both albums shot straight up the charts to platinum status several times over, with most of the album's singles going gold at the same time.
As the 1990s rolled in, Lisa Lisa's C&C Music Factory produced hit 'Let the beat hit em' took off to the top of the dance charts!
Lisa Lisa also ventured into acting, playing the mother on Nickelodeon's TV series "Taina", and later making appearances on NBC's Law and Order SVU.
Some of her biggest hits have been re-recorded by "Allure & 112, Nina Sky, and The Black Eyed Peas.
Lisa Lisa set the music bar high for those to come later and set fashion trends as well. Born and raised in the "Hell's Kitchen" section of New York City, Lisa's hair flipped over one eye and her unique style caught fire in the urban community.
Soon after she hit the airwaves, young girls everywhere were dressing and singing like the 80's icon.
Lisa Lisa paved the way for an entire generation of Latino American artists to follow in her footsteps, such as Selena, J-Lo & Cardi B, to name a few. She is definitely a pioneer and a trendsetter of an entire generation.
Lisa recently collaborated with A&E Lifetime to executive produce her very first biopic, airing February 2025. The story is based on her beginnings in the music industry in the mid 1980s. The film is named after one of her biggest hits, "Can You Feel The Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story!"
