It’s 25 years since Lisa Maffia shot to fame with So Solid Crew. Then a fresh-faced garage vocalist, she already had a daughter – born when she was just 17 – but she wasn’t letting anything hold her back.
It’s been a wild ride ever since, including gigs as a model, interior designer and hair salon owner. Now a DJ on Capital XTRA, she tells Meg Jorsh how she future-proofed her career…
Talking to Lisa Maffia on Zoom is like going round to a lovely, warm neighbour’s house. You feel like a part of her life. Today she’s had a “wonderful morning” with her nephew, meeting the Chelsea FC team at Stamford Bridge stadium in London.
Lisa's in the pink as she steps out in London
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Lisa's in the pink as she steps out in London(Image: Getty Images for Universal)
“He got his t-shirts signed. We got free hats and footballs and we took pictures of every single player, it was wonderful.
“We had such a lovely time and it’s off the back of me having four hours sleep. I’m absolutely exhausted.”
Lisa, 46, runs through her jam-packed schedule over the last 24 hours. She was in Margam, West Wales, for the In It Together Festival, then back home for a birthday party that lasted until 2am.
She flew to Barcelona earlier this week, doing a photoshoot for Reebok. There may also have been an ASOS campaign – it involved “parachuting” – but before you can ask for the details, she’s already moved on.
It’s not bad for a woman who entered the public eye in 2001, when So Solid Crew’s 21 Seconds became a shock No.1 hit. “I rarely get a weekend off,” she admits. “And when I do it’s by choice – a big occasion, like my mum’s birthday, or my daughter’s birthday, or now my grandson’s birthday.
Lisa with So Solid Crew at the Brit Awards in 2002
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Lisa with So Solid Crew at the Brit Awards in 2002(Image: Getty Images)
“He’s six-years-old, so I’m doing glamour at the moment. I’m trying to stay glam so I can be a glam-ma.”
Looking at Lisa’s complexion, it’s hard to think of her as a grandmother. But her daughter Chelsea, whose four-year-old vocals are heard at the start of 21 Seconds, is apparently turning 30 this year.
What’s easier to see is how the singer and rapper, known as the First Lady of UK Garage, connects with listeners at her new job. She’s now a radio presenter on Capital XTRA, with her own show every Sunday afternoon.
“I got asked to do other stations and I just didn't see them fit me and who I am today,” she says. “I'm older, I don't make any excuses for that. And I don't want to celebrate something I don't enjoy listening to, right?
Lisa looking glam for the 2005 MOBO Awards
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Lisa looking glam for the 2005 MOBO Awards(Image: PA)
“So when they asked me to do Capital XTRA and it was a ‘reloaded’ show, it just made sense because that’s what I love. I love old school music.”
Lisa herself is still performing regularly. She’s got solo gigs lined up throughout the summer, including a slot at the Sidewinder festival in Malta and an appearance with ex-JLS star Marvin Humes in Nottingham.
But the savvy star, from Brixton, south London, learned early in her career that if she wanted to stay the distance, she needed to diversify her skills.
She says: “Music won’t last forever unless you make it last forever. That means doing lots of other things that you can make money from and also keep your popularity going.
Lisa training for reality show The Games in 2005
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Lisa training for reality show The Games in 2005(Image: Getty Images)
“People move on, especially when it comes to not constantly making fresh music. If you’re not going to do that, you really need to keep your old music fresh.”
That entrepreneurial spirit has led Lisa down some unexpected alleyways. Since leaving So Solid Crew in 2003, she’s launched her own fashion range, a booking agency and a beauty salon in Margate, Kent.
That’s on top of the TV gigs, modelling work – with appearances in Vogue and Elle magazines – and her merchandising firm, Lyrical UK. “I’m a woman,” she laughs. “We can multitask like that.”
She admits the music industry has changed beyond recognition. The dawn of streaming services has made record sales less lucrative, while software advances have given every teenager their own recording studio.
Lisa on stage at Blackheath Live, south London, in 2025
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Lisa on stage at Blackheath Live, south London, in 2025(Image: Getty Images for Bauer)
But Lisa, who recently released house single Fever with producer Molly Mouse, still has some wise words for anyone starting out.
“You should make your foundation as solid as possible,” she says. “That means doing all the pirate radio stations, all the graft, all the gritty clubs and the little pubs.
“Make your foundation concrete because no matter what and where you go or where you’re trying to get to, those people will support you.”
· Tune into Reloaded Sunday with Lisa Maffia on Capital XTRA on Sundays from 12:00pm-4:00pm, also available on Global Player and YouTube.