Wanjiru Waweru, Jadetimes Contributor
W. Waweru is a Jadetimes News Reporter Covering Entertainment & America News
Newburgh, New York — Lisa Valez who is known as Lisa Lisa became a music phenomenal, outstanding performer who made a huge wave of the 1980s. She is a Hip-Hop Diva Icon and pop recording artist who brought her life story into a movie. From her apartment in Hell’s Kitchen with her mother and nine siblings to her historic rise into fame.
“I’m just enjoying the ride. I really am,” said Valez.
Valez became an executive producer and a co-star in her latest Lifetime Biopic, “Can You Feel The Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story.” The film explores the life of a 15-year-old Valez, who rose to fame as the lead singer in the 1980s group Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. Valez is portrayed as her mother in the biopic film.
“I started singing with my mom in the church choir, so the second that she gave me with my first solo, to see that tear come out her eye, I was like, ‘Yeah I want to do that,” said Valez.
The biopic discovers a dark side of her that many people were not aware of what was going on behind the scenes especially showing the symptoms of her breast cancer diagnosis.
“I was 20. I never even told my mother. I remember I was in the shower, and I found bruises on my side, and I was like, that feels weird,” said Valez. “I went to my doctor, and they were like, yeah, you have ductal carcinoma. Nobody knew I had to hide it because I got reactions from some of the crew and they would ask me silly questions, ‘Why are you always sleeping? We got to work. Let's do this,’ and, ‘Are you pregnant?’ Because of the chemo pack and all that. I was swelling, and they didn't understand, and I was like, that right there scared the hell out of me. I'm like, 'They're not going to allow me. They're not going to let me sing.'"
Valez’s struggles continue from batting a serious illness to her hard journey to be ahead of her music career. She explained that watching the movie to create a true honest story became very difficult for her. She went through a lot. Her passion for music has not changed since.
“I’m like, wow. There were some major breakdowns for me while filming this,” said Valez. “It was and still is my dream to perform for an audience. I love it. So, whatever I got to do to a certain point, I will do.”
“Can You Feel The Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story” released on February 1, 2025, and it was premiered on Lifetime.
“Can You Feel The Story: The Lisa Lisa Story” produced by Swirl Films with Tracy Byrd, Valez, Toni Menage, and Abbey Sibuca. Ron Robinson and Eric Tomosunas are responsible as Executive Producers. Produced with the contribution of GroupM Motion Entertainment with Richard Foster and Chet Fenster as executive producers. Taliah Breon was directed from a manuscript by Rebecca Murga.
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