Over the Influence

"Joanna Levesque, better known as "JoJo", knew she was her family's ticket to financial freedom. Born in Foxborough, MA, to parents who self-identified as addicts, her smooth voice captured the attention of a record label exec when she was just twelve years old. That exec put the machine in motion, and JoJo would go on to be the face for the ever-more-popular hip hop and R&B sounds of the early aughts. She'd be the kind of star young girls could relate to as they dressed up for dances and football games. In 2004, you couldn't leave the house without hearing her hit single "Leave (Get Out)". Nearly two decades later, she remains the youngest-ever solo artist to have a debut #1 single in the U.S. But what happened to JoJo? That's the first question Google suggests when you search for her name. In this debut memoir, JoJo mines diary entries, photos, song lyrics, and conversations with loved ones to share what really happened. From growing up in a broken home to being raised by a broken music industry, to tales from her darkest ten years, when a marathon lawsuit with her music label prompted a period of proper rebellion, complete with drugs, drinking, sex, and complicated relationships, JoJo holds nothing back in these pages. She also interrogates how race intersected with her career, her relationships, and the public's perception of her, reflecting on how operating with a victim mentality left her feeling stuck in her ability to move forward in life and as an artist. By sharing her story in the tradition of other child stars like Drew Barrymore and Jennette McCurdy, JoJo hopes to help readers who see themselves in her journey see the light sooner--and avoid making the same mistakes she did. As intimate as it is inspiring, and as refreshing as it is revelatory, this breathtakingly candid memoir is JoJo's chance to finally tell her story in her own words for the first time"--