Debut album from Lisa Jo

Based in Tampa, Florida, Lisa Jo has always found music as a lifeline, helping her overcome significant struggles through creative expression. Before stepping into her role as a songwriter and producer, Lisa Jo’s life looked very different; she was both a singer and a nurse, balancing her passion for music with a career devoted to caring for others. Music had always been present, threading through every stage of her life, moments of joy, heartbreak and quiet reflection alike.

However, her world changed when a terminal illness destroyed her vocal cords, taking away not only her singing voice but also the career she had built around it. Losing the ability to sing would be devastating for anyone whose identity is tied to music but the challenge didn’t end there. Around the same time, she was confronted with an overwhelming medical battle, a dual cancer diagnosis that included multiple myeloma in her blood and bone marrow as well as lymphoma affecting her brain and neck.

The weight of these diagnoses would be life-altering for anyone tet the hardships continued to mount when two years ago, she lost her husband unexpectedly, forcing her to deal with deep personal grief while continuing to care for her family. When singing was no longer possible, she refused to abandon music altogether and shifted her creative focus, turning to songwriting and production as new ways to express what she could no longer deliver through her own voice.

The transition was more than a technical change, it was an emotional rebirth and songwriting became a language through which she could process pain and healing, translating life’s most difficult chapters into sound. Music had already begun to re-enter her life in a new way following the loss of her mother in September 2025, before the damage to her vocal cords had fully surfaced. During that time, she quietly began releasing a handful of self-produced tracks independently.

Listeners connected with the honesty embedded in her music and the response was immediate and overwhelming. Within a short period, her following grew rapidly, approaching nearly 100,000 followers across her combined social media platforms. Now she brings us the fullest showcase of her musical vision with her debut album titled Hood Rats, a thirteen-track outing of grooving hip hop music. Kicked off with “Everyday Struggle,” the snap of the beat and pulse of bass sets up an old school hip hop scene as J-Mac’s slick rapped delivery rolls above to form an infectious rap jam.

“Voodoo” brings big wobbly bass notes and crisp percussion dashed with smooth string textures as J-Mac’s commanding vocal performance spins razor-sharp bars throughout. Intricate piano lines and airy vocalisations form an atmospheric scene on “Hope in the Hood” before powerful vocal work and jumpy beats form an emotive hip hop experience.

On tracks like “Everybody’s Friend,” the emphatic vocal performance of Ebony Reign rolls above punching rhythms of staccato instrumentation to serve up a gripping hip hop anthem. Other highlights come with tracks such as “Beast With Rage” with its thumping beats and dark aesthetic capped by impactful vocal work to forge an engrossing soundscape.

“Street Queens” lands with elegant piano backing and soulful vocal elements before the shuffle of percussion sets the track in motion with rapped flow, gliding with flashes of instantly catchy melodic hooks to craft an epic R&B-tinged hip hop outing. Closing the album with “Fierce,” sparse piano chords form a delicate arrangement as the swell of powerful vocals ushers in the rustle of drums and surging sonic energy, casting an all consuming finale to Lisa Jo’s incredible debut album.

Listen to Hood Rats below