Lisa Maffia’s memoir First Lady offers a rare glimpse into the life of the groundbreaking woman who went from So Solid Crew to the voice of a generation.

In her first book she candidly reflects on her struggles with identity, early motherhood, abusive relationships, and the pressures of fame, while also charting her path as a pioneer in a male-dominated music genre.

Lisa says:

“I never imagined I’d be called a First Lady.

“Not when I was 13, crammed into a tiny bedroom in South London, feeling invisible in my own home. My sister, her boyfriend, and their baby took up half the room; the other half was all I had. I'd spend hours by the window, trying to make sense of a world that felt like it was shrinking around me, until I couldn't breathe. I thought if I stayed small, I wouldn't be noticed - and then maybe the chaos would pass me by.

“But when I was 17 and had my own child, the chaos didn't stop. It got louder. The world didn't shrink - I did. I stayed with a man who was supposed to love me, but who only knew how to break me down. It's funny how easy it is to accept someone's version of you when you don't know who you are.

“Then music found me. Or maybe I found it - I'm not sure anymore. But it was in those seconds, those rare moments when I stepped up to the mic, that I stopped being invisible. Music didn't ask me to be small. It told me I could take up all the space I wanted. It gave me my voice.

“That's the thing no one tells you - when you find your voice, the world can't take it away. No matter how many people try to silence you, the power is already yours. And I've spent my entire life fighting to keep that power, learning that being the First Lady isn't just a title. It's a declaration of survival.”