According to Spin magazine, Velez was born in 1966 in Hell's Kitchen in New York City as the youngest of ten to a religious mother, who supported the family by babysitting, and an absentee father.

Of Puerto Rican descent, Velez learned to speak Spanish at home and English in school.

At Sacred Heart she studied alongside several future members of the Irish-American criminal organization, The Westies.

In school she was also part of a traveling singing group that sang Motown hits and songs from old Broadway musicals.

The group disbanded in 1991, and Velez pursued both solo singing and acting careers, and Moseley and Hughes went on to do other projects.

In 2009, she released Life 'n Love, an album of new material on Mass Appeal Entertainment featuring the single "Can't Wait" with guest rapper Pitbull.

In March 2014, she appeared with Stevie B., TKA, Sa-Fire, and others at the eighth annual Forever Freestyle showcase at the Lehman College Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx.