TLC (band)
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| TLC | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Background information | ||
| Also known as | 2nd Nature | |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Genre(s) | R&B, hip hop, pop | |
| Years active | 1991 – present | |
| Label(s) | LaFace/Arista | |
| Members | ||
| Tionne Watkins Rozonda Thomas |
||
| Former members | ||
| Lisa Lopes (deceased) | ||
TLC, an abbreviation for "T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli", is an American R&B and hip hop group that formed in 1991. Originally called 2nd Nature, the group was founded in Atlanta, Georgia by Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Crystal Jones. Before signing to LaFace Records through a production deal with R&B singer Peri "Pebbles" Reid, the group's name was changed to "TLC", and Crystal Jones was replaced by Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas.
The best selling female group in American music history and one of the biggest of all time, TLC's second album, CrazySexyCool (1994), was one of the first albums to be awarded diamond certification by the RIAA for selling at least 10 million copies with 11 million sold in America and a total exceding 15 million worldwide. It was the first album by an all female group to be certified Diamond. However, the group was just as noted for its controversy as it was for its music and success.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] 2nd Nature
In 1991, Atlanta teenager Crystal Jones put out a call for two more girls to join her in a hip hop/R&B group to be called "2nd Nature". Her request was eventually answered by Tionne Watkins, a native of Des Moines, Iowa who moved to Atlanta with her family at an early age, and Lisa Lopes, a rapper who had just moved to the city from her native Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with only a keyboard and $750. 2nd Nature eventually managed to arrange an audition with R&B singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid, who had started her own management and production company, Pebbitone. Impressed by the girls, Pebbles renamed the group "TLC" and arranged an audition for the group with local record label LaFace Records, run by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Pebbles' husband, Antonio "L.A." Reid. Reid was impressed with Watkins and Lopes but felt that Jones should be replaced; within a few months, former Damian Dame backup dancer Rozonda Thomas was brought in to replace Jones. The girls were signed to LaFace through a production deal with Pebbitone (with Pebbles taking the role of the group's manager)(see Artist development deal) and almost immediately went into the studio with producers Reid and Babyface, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, and Marley Marl to produce their first album.
Besides being an acronym for "tender loving care", the name "TLC" was based upon the first names of the original members of the group: Tionne, Lisa, and Crystal. Therefore, when Thomas joined, the girls were given nicknames: Watkins became "T-Boz", Lopes "Left Eye", and Thomas "Chili".
[edit] Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip (1992)
The first TLC album, Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip, was released in February 1992 by LaFace. The songs on the album were a blend between hip hop and R&B, similar to the "new jack swing" sound popularized by producer Teddy Riley in the late-1980s; TLC's sound was dubbed "new jill swing". The album was a success, being certified double-platinum within a year and launching a number of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (#6), "Hat 2 Da Back" (#30), "What About your Friends" (#7), and "Baby-Baby-Baby" (#2).
TLC's lyrics, chiefly written by Left Eye and Dallas Austin, were playful, female-empowering anthems characterized by Left Eye's quirky, nasal-toned raps, T-Boz's low-voiced lead vocals, and Chilli's powerful vocals and harmonization. The musical formula was augmented by the girls' brightly-colored videos and curious costuming: each girl wore wrapped condoms on their clothing (Left Eye also wore one in a pair of glasses over her left eye)
During TLC's first national tour as MC Hammer's opening act, Left Eye and Chilli discovered that T-Boz had sickle-cell disease, an ailment which she kept a closely-guarded secret until she became ill while TLC was touring the southwestern U.S. T-Boz would continue to battle her condition and eventually became a spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America in the late 1990s. [1]
At the conclusion of the tour, TLC decided to take more control of their careers and thus informed Pebbles that they no longer wished her to be their manager. Pebbles released the group from its management deal, but they remained signed to Pebbitone, and Pebbles continued to receive a share of their earnings.
In 1993, TLC played the musical group "Sex as a Weapon" in the New Line Cinema feature film House Party 3, starring Kid 'n Play.
[edit] CrazySexyCool (1994)
Left Eye had started dating Atlanta Falcons American football player Andre Rison shortly after the release of Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip, and by 1994 the two were living together in Rison's upscale home. Their relationship was allegedly filled with violent moments, and Left Eye filed an assault charge against Rison on September 2, 1993, although Rison later denied battering her. Left Eye was also battling alcoholism, having been a heavy drinker since her early teen years. After another fight between Left Eye and Rison in the early morning hours of June 9, 1994, Left Eye, tipsy from alcohol, tossed numerous pairs of Rison's newly purchased sneakers into a bathtub, doused them with gasoline, and set them on fire. The Plexiglas bathtub quickly melted and set the house on fire. Although firefighters were called to the scene, the house could not be saved due to the toxic fumes. Left Eye was eventually arrested for and indicted on charges of first-degree arson; she was sentenced to five years of probation and required to enter alcoholism rehabilitation. Rison eventually reconciled with Left Eye, and they continued dating on-and-off for most of the next few years.
TLC re-entered the studio with Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, Organized Noize, and Sean "Puffy" Combs to record their second album, CrazySexyCool, during the fall of 1994. Left Eye was released from rehab to attend the recording sessions, but the finished album featured significantly less of her raps and vocals. The album instead focused more on T-Boz's and Chili's contributions and a smoother, more fluid sound, similar to the most successful single from the first album, the U.S. #2 hit "Baby-Baby-Baby". All four singles from CrazySexyCool reached the Billboard Hot 100 top five, including "Red Light Special" (#2), "Diggin' On You" (#5), and the #1 hits "Creep" and "Waterfalls". "Waterfalls", an Organized-Noise produced record that featured an old-school soul-based musical arrangement, socially conscious lyrics criticizing drug dealing and unsafe sex, and an introspective rap from Left Eye, became TLC's biggest hit, and its million-dollar music video was an MTV staple for many months.
CrazySexyCool eventually sold over 11 million copies in the U.S., becoming one of only seven R&B albums to ever receive a diamond certification from the RIAA, and won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. However, many were shocked when, in the midst of their apparent success, the members of TLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 3, 1995. [2]
They declared debts totaling 3.5 million dollars, much of it because of Lopes' insurance payments citing from the Rison arson incident and Watkins' medical bills, but the primary reason being that each member of the group was taking home less than $35,000 a year after paying managers, producers, expenses, and taxes. They sought to renegotiate their contract with LaFace—under their 1991 contract, they only received seven percent of the revenues from their album sales—and to dissolve their association with Pebbitone. Both Pebbitone and LaFace countered that TLC simply wanted more money and were in no real financial danger, resulting in two years of legal hassles before the cases were finally settled in late 1996. TLC's contract was renegotiated, their production deal with Pebbitone and Pebbles (who had separated from husband Reid by this time) was rescinded, and the group was set to re-enter the recording studio in 1997.
[edit] Sampling Case
In 1996, TLC was sued for sampling. The case was ultimately resolved in 1998 in the landmark case of Fantasy, Inc. v. La Face Records. In his decision, a California judge determined that TLC was not liable for sampling Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff" in their song, "Switch". [1]
[edit] FanMail (1999)
Preliminary work on TLC's third album, FanMail, was delayed when friction arose between the group and their main producer Dallas Austin, who was by this time dating Chilli and helping to raise their young son Tron. Austin wanted $4.2 million and creative control to work on the project, resulting in a stand-off between the producer and the artists. During this period, Chilli appeared in the independent film HavPlenty and T-Boz co-starred in Hype Williams' 1998 film Belly with rappers Nas and DMX. Left Eye started her own Left Eye Productions artist development company and signed Blaque, a TLC-like female R&B/hip hop trio. She also appeared on the "Not Tonight" remix with fellow female rappers including Lil' Kim, which garnered the ladies a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performace by a Duo, Band, or Group in 1998.
TLC eventually began working with other producers for the FanMail album, until finally negotiating with Austin, who produced the bulk of FanMail and gave the album a futuristic, more pop-based feel. FanMail was another success for TLC, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart and selling over 6 million copies in the U.S. The album featured the #1 U.S. hit "No Scrubs", a single written by Kandi Burruss and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle of Xscape, and produced by Burruss' husband, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs. "No Scrubs" was the second song by TLC to feature Chilli alone on lead vocals (the first being "Take Our Time" from 1994's CrazySexyCool; the third and fourth examples were "I Miss You So Much" and "Come On Down" from FanMail). This track was famously the victim of a rebuttal entitled "No Pigeons" by hip hop group Sporty Thievz. The second single, "Unpretty," was an alternative rock-styled song about self-love written by T-Boz and Dallas Austin; it also reached #1 in the U.S.
The videos for both songs were heavily featured on MTV and BET, and three more singles received decent radio play without the support of music videos: "Silly Ho" (#59), "I'm Good At Being Bad", and "Dear Lie" (#51) (a video was shot for "Dear Lie", but it only played overseas). Like CrazySexyCool, FanMail won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album of 1999.
During and after the release of FanMail, Left Eye made it known to the press on multiple occasions that she felt that she was unable to fully express herself working with TLC and Dallas Austin. Her contributions to the songs had been reduced to periodic eight-bar raps, and studio session singers (most often Debra Killings) often took her place on the background vocals for the groups' songs. In its November 28, 1999 issue, Entertainment Weekly ran a letter from Left Eye that challenged her groupmates to record solo albums and let the fans judge which of the three was the most talented:
- "I challenge Tionne 'Player' Watkins (T-Boz) and Rozonda 'Hater' Thomas (Chilli) to an album entitled The Challenge... a 3-CD set that contains three solo albums. Each (album)... will be due to the record label by October 1, 2000... I also challenge [producer] Dallas 'The Manipulator' Austin to produce all of the material and do it at a fraction of his normal rate. As I think about it, I'm sure LaFace would not mind throwing in a $1.5 million dollar prize for the winner."
The ladies eventually settled the feud, and The Challenge was never followed through. Left Eye did, however, begin recording her solo album, Supernova. In the year 2000, she released a single with Melanie C (of the Spice Girls) in the UK and Europe, called "Never Be The Same Again"; it became a massive success reaching number-one in many countries including the UK.
[edit] Personal time
After the conclusion of the successful FanMail tour, the ladies took some time off and pursued personal interests.
T-Boz married rapper Mack 10 in August 2000, and the couple had a daughter, Chase, that same year. They would remain together until 2004, when T-Boz, stating that Mack 10 frequently terrorized her, filed for separation. In 2000, she released a book entitled Thoughts.., which featured essays and anecdotes from her personal and professional life, and her poetry, including the two poems that were the basis for "Unpretty" and "Dear Lie". She also appeared on the soundtrack for the animated film Rugrats In Paris.
Left Eye did not attend T-Boz's wedding; when she also did not turn up for a scheduled press conference and a family gathering, T-Boz and Chilli announced to the press that Left-Eye was missing, in hopes of finding her. For an entire week, no one was able to find or contact her. Her bandmates, family, and label worried until Left Eye showed up on the August 14, 2000 broadcast of Inside Edition, stating that she and her new boyfriend Sean Newman had gone looking for wedding rings. Left Eye and Newman eventually called off their wedding, and Left Eye began dating Andre Rison once again. On June 14, 2001, Rison announced that he and Left Eye were engaged, but the wedding plans were eventually cancelled.
Left Eye died in a car crash in 2002 while on holiday in La Ceiba, Honduras.
Chilli and Austin separated in 2000, and Chilli began a relationship with fellow LaFace recording artist Usher. The couple's high-profile romance ended in 2004; the breakup was the main subject matter of Usher's album Confessions.
[edit] 3D (2002)
It was decided by TLC and Austin that they would complete the remainder of their fourth album without Left Eye, to be called 3D, which also featured production from Rodney Jerkins, The Neptunes, and Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The decision was also made that TLC would retire after the release and promotion of 3D; Left Eye would not be replaced. Left Eye had already completed her vocals for four songs; the remainder were performed by T-Boz and Chilli alone, who gave reverence to Left Eye on a number of the tracks. The first single for 3D was "Girl Talk", the video for which featured T-Boz and Chili alone in live-action segments and Left Eye in animated segments. Its follow-up, "Hands Up", featured only T-Boz and Chili in its video, but took place in a nightclub named Club Left Eye (Lopes' production company's "eye" logo was a prominent feature on the club's walls). The album only sold two million copies in its first year of release, and "Girl Talk" (US #28) was the only single to reach the U.S. top forty; "Hands Up" never charted, and a third single, "Damaged", reached #53.
In June 2003, at Zootopia, an annual concert hosted by New York radio station Z100 held at Giants Stadium, TLC appeared in what was announced to be their last performance. The group, introduced by Carson Daly, showed a video montage dedicated to Lopes, and went on to perform songs against video footage of Lopes performing the same songs, and wearing the same outfits, that were appearing onstage. Fan reaction to the performance led Watkins and Thomas to decide not to disband the group.
[edit] Now and Forever: The Hits (2005)
In 2003, LaFace had scheduled the release of Now and Forever: The Hits, a TLC greatest hits album with a new song, "Come Get Some", featuring Lil Jon and Sean Paul of the YoungBloodZ. However, the compilation was not released domestically until June 2005, although versions of the compilation were released internationally in 2004 and the album was also available as a legal download from the iTunes Music Store in November 2004. On June 21, 2005, Now and Forever: The Hits was quietly released in the U.S. The album debuted at #53 with just 20,000 copies sold.
On June 25, 2004, T-Boz and Chilli announced that they were pitching a reality television show to FOX, where contestants would compete for a chance to record a single and perform in concert with the two of them. Fox passed on the show, which was eventually picked up for development by UPN. R U The Girl with T-Boz & Chilli debuted on UPN on July 27, 2005. The winner of the show would record with T-Boz and Chilli on a new single and perform the track with them in a live concert finale in Atlanta. Roughly 4.1 million viewers tuned in for the season finale of R U The Girl on September 20, 2005, with 20 year old Tiffany "O'so Krispie" Baker as the winner. Despite media speculation that the winner of the series was to become a new, permanent member of TLC, Watkins and Thomas have stated that Lopes will never be replaced, suggesting that they will continue to record and perform together as TLC. [3]
On October 4, 2005, "I Bet", TLC's first new single in over two years, was released as a single to radio and on the iTunes Music Store, credited to "R U The Girl with T-Boz & Chilli" with no mention of the TLC name on the package. The song was also appended to pressings of Now and Forever: The Hits released after October 11, 2005. "I Bet" failed to chart in America and Europe, ending reports that Watkins and Thomas were putting the finishing touches on a repackaged Greatest Hits.
During the fall of 2005, Watkins lent her vocals to both "It's Good", a track off of the Youngbloodz' 2005 album Ev'rybody Know Me, and an Atlanta sports anthem titled "The ATL", featuring Ludacris, Monica, Sammie, Ciara, and a few other people. Furthermore she co-produced the motion picture ATL (based on Dallas Austins' high school experiences) and worked on a clothing line for kids titled, "Chase's Closet". This fall she will also be starring in a new cartoon series called Class of 3000, also starring Andre 3000 from OutKast.
Meanwhile, Thomas signed with New York-based publicity firm WeRoqq, represented by Josie Zohny. Accroding to Akon, she is currently signed to his Kon Live Distribution. Her yet-to-be-titled album will be released in early 2007. One of its tracks, "Gameproof", recently leaked onto the internet against WeRoqq's permission, but Chilli appreciates the fact that buzz on the track has been mainly favorable.[4]
In a Black Hair Magazine interview, Chilli stated that TLC is to get back in the studio some time this year to record a new album. T-Boz & Chilli are currently in talks to host their own talk show.[citation needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Title | Charts | World-wide sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip | US #14 | 6 million (4x Platinum in US) |
| 1994 | CrazySexyCool | US #3, UK #4 | 15 million (11x Platinum in US) |
| 1999 | FanMail | US #1 (5 weeks), UK #7 | 9.5 million (6x Platinum in US) |
| 2002 | 3D | US #6 UK #45 | 2 million (Platinum) |
| 2003/2004/2005 | Now and Forever: The Hits | US #53 (2005 release) | 0.5 million |
| 2005 | CrazySexyHits (UK Only Release) | - | - |
[edit] Singles
Estimated singles sales: US: 7 million, Worldwide: 11 million
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | U.S. certification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | UK | AUS | ||||
| 1992 | "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" | 6 | 2 | 13 | Ooooooohhh....On The TLC Tip | Platinum | |
| 1992 | "Baby-Baby-Baby" | 2 | 1 | 55 | Ooooooohhh....On The TLC Tip | Platinum | |
| 1992 | "What About Your Friends" | 7 | 2 | 59 | Ooooooohhh....On The TLC Tip | Gold | |
| 1992 | "Sleigh Ride" | Home Alone 2 Christmas soundtrack | |||||
| 1993 | "Hat 2 Da Back" | 30 | 14 | Ooooooohhh....On The TLC Tip | |||
| 1993 | "Get It Up" | 42 | 15 | Poetic Justice soundtrack | |||
| 1994 | "Creep" | 1 | 1 | 22 | CrazySexyCool | Platinum | |
| 1995 | "Red Light Special" | 2 | 3 | 18 | CrazySexyCool | Gold | |
| 1995 | "Waterfalls" | 1 | 4 | 4 | CrazySexyCool | Platinum | |
| 1995 | "Diggin' On You" | 5 | 7 | 18 | CrazySexyCool | Gold | |
| 1996 | "Creep '96" | 6 | non-album | ||||
| 1998 | "Silly Ho" | 59 | 21 | FanMail | |||
| 1999 | "No Scrubs" | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | FanMail | Gold |
| 1999 | "I'm Good At Being Bad" | 38 | FanMail | ||||
| 1999 | "Unpretty" | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | FanMail | Gold |
| 1999 | "Dear Lie" | 51 | 70 | 31 | 35 | FanMail | |
| 2000 | "What It Ain't (Ghetto Enuff)" (Goodie Mob featuring TLC) |
World Party | |||||
| 2002 | "Girl Talk" | 28 | 23 | 30 | 3D | ||
| 2002 | "Hands Up" | 3D | |||||
| 2003 | "Damaged" | 53 | 3D | ||||
| 2003 | "Turntable" | 3D / Now & Forever: The Hits | |||||
| 2004 | "Come Get Some" (featuring Lil Jon and Sean Paul of the YoungBloodZ) |
81 | Now & Forever: The Hits | ||||
| 2005 | "I Bet" (featuring O'so Krispie) |
Now & Forever: The Hits | |||||
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Young Artist Awards for Favorite New Music Artists [2] |
| 1993 | American Music Award nominations for Favorite New Artist - Rap / Hip-Hop, Favorite Artist - Rap / Hip-Hop, Favorite New Artist - Pop / Rock [3] |
| 1995 | MTV Video Music Award wins for Best Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Best R&B Video, Viewer's Choice for "Waterfalls" |
| 1995 | MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Special Effects, Best Editor, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Breakthrough Video for "Waterfalls". |
| 1996 | Grammy Award wins for Best R&B Album ("Crazysexycool"), and Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals("Creep"). [5] |
| 1996 | Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocal for "Waterfalls". |
| 1996 | American Music Award nominations for Favorite Soul/R&B Album ("Crazysexycool"), Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group,and Favorite Artist of the Year [6] |
| 1996 | Soul Train Music Award wins for Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo ("Waterfalls"), Best R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo ("Crazysexycool"), Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video ("Waterfalls"). [7] |
| 1995 | Billboard Music Award wins for Artist of the Year, R&B Artist of the Year, R&B Single of the Year ("Creep"). |
| 1995 | Lady of Soul Award wins for Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo ("Creep"), Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year - Group, Band or Duo ("CrazySexyCool"). |
| 1996 | American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group. |
| 1996 | Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo ("Waterfalls"). |
| 1999 | MTV Video Music Award win for Best Group Video ("No Scrubs"). [8] |
| 1999 | MTV Video Music Award nominations for Hip Hop Video of the Year, Best Art Direction, Best Director, Best Editing, and Viewer's Choice for "No Scrubs". |
| 1999 | Soul Train Music Award wins for Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo ("No Scrubs"), Best R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo ("FanMail"). |
| 2000 | Grammy Award wins for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals ("No Scrubs"), Best R&B Album ("FanMail"). |
| 2000 | Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year ("No Scrubs"), Album of the Year ("FanMail"), Pop Vocal Group ("Unpretty"), Short Form Music Video ("Unpretty") |
| 2000 | Lady of Soul Award wins for Aretha Franklin Award (Entertainer of the Year), Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo ("No Scrubs"), Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year - Group, Band or Duo ("FanMail"). |
| 2000 | American Music Award win for Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Soul / Rhythm & Blues |
| 2003 | Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance By A
Duo or Group with Vocals ("Girl Talk"). |
| 2003 | Soul Train Award nomination for Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo ("Girl Talk"). |
| 2003 | NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Duo or Group |
| 2003 | Lady of Soul nominations for Best R&B/Soul Single - Group, Band or Duo ("Girl Talk"), and Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year - Group, Band or Duo ("3D"). |
| 2004 | Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals ("Hands Up"). |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Our Georgia History: TLC.
- ^ Henriques, Diana B. and Samuels, Anita M. (February 5, 1996). Does Going 'Broke' Mean Artist Really Doesn't Have Any Money?. New York Times.
- ^ Radio interview with Tionne Watkins and Rozonda Thomas about R U The Girl (see "Interview Audio" link above)
- ^ Mitchell, Gail (November 14, 2006). TLC's Chilli Inks With Akon's Konvict Muzik. Billboard.
