TLC

Formed: 1991, Atlanta, Georgia

Members: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, vocals (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 27 May 1971; died Jutiapa, Honduras, 25 April 2002); Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, vocals (born Atlanta, Georgia, 27 February 1971); Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, vocals (born Des Moines, Iowa, 26 April 1970).

Genre: R&B

Best-selling album since 1990: CrazySexyCool (1994)

Hit songs since 1990: "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs"

Female trio TLC formed in 1991, when the hip-hop-oriented R&B known as "New Jack Swing" was at its height. Strong hooks, flamboyant clothes, and an unapologetic embrace of female sexuality helped them break through to immediate pop success, which they maintained throughout the decade while evolving into more mature artists. On their way to becoming the biggest-selling female group in history, they spawned successful imitators such as SWV and Destiny's Child and made headlines with a host of financial, legal, and personal problems. After the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in 2002, the remaining members announced that they would never again tour under the name TLC, without officially dissolving the group or ruling out the possibility of releasing new albums.

Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes met in Atlanta, Georgia, as members of an all-female R&B group. In 1991 they decided to go their own way and soon met Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, with whom they formed TLC. They shortly landed a manager, 1980s R&B singer Pebbles, and began working with local producer Dallas Austin. Pebbles brought TLC to the attention of her then-husband, Antonio "L.A." Reid, and his partner, successful producer/singer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Reid and Edmonds signed TLC to their LaFace label, which released their debut album, Ooooooohhh . . . On the TLC Tip, in early 1992.

Ooooooohhh . . . On the TLC Tip favors the typical New Jack production of the time, leaning toward up-tempo dance songs that intermingle T-Boz's husky croon, Chilli's smoother, more melodic singing, and Left Eye's growling raps. The first single, "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," employs a hip-hop groove and a call-and-response chorus to present a bouncy yet aggressive celebration of the female libido: "Yo if I need it in the morning or the middle of the night / I ain't 2 proud 2 beg." The accompanying video established the trio's young and sassy image, showing off their exuberant dancing and colorful, oversized outfits, which Left Eye memorably accessorized with a condom-turned-eye patch. "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" became a Top 10 pop hit, and was followed by the equally successful singles "Baby Baby Baby" and "What About Your Friends," eventually driving sales of the album to 4 million.

In the two years before releasing their follow-up album, TLC maintained their public profile with "Get It Up," a hit single from the soundtrack to the 1993 movie Poetic Justice, starring pop singer Janet Jackson. Less favorable publicity came in June 1994, when Left Eye was arrested in Atlanta for burning down the house she shared with her then-boyfriend, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Andre Rison. As part of her defense, Left Eye made public Rison's alleged physical abuse and admitted to a drinking problem, agreeing to enter rehab to avoid jail time. A few months later TLC released their second album, CrazySexyCool.

Growing Up

CrazySexyCool represents a significant departure for TLC, toning down the rowdy playfulness of their debut and adopting a more sophisticated, mature approach. The group moves away from the heavily rap-influenced sound characterizing Ooooooohhh . . . On the TLC Tip in favor of smooth R&B tracks emphasizing T-Boz's sultry lead vocals and Chilli's harmonizing. The result is an elegant fusion of hip-hop and classic soul that makes CrazySexyCool one of the defining albums of 1990s "urban" pop. CrazySexyCool was a commercial breakthrough as well. The lead single, "Creep," a jazzy, assured endorsement of the benefits of occasional infidelity, became a number one pop hit. The album's next single, "Red Light Special," also topped the charts, as did "Waterfalls," which uses muted horns and T-Boz's melancholy vocals to plead for an end to self-destructive behavior in the inner city. The ground-breaking video for the latter, which employs cutting-edge special effects to emphasize the track's underlying message of compassion, won the group four MTV Video Music Awards in September 1995. CrazySexyCool became the second biggest selling album of 1995. It eventually went eleven times platinum, making TLC the biggest selling female group of all time.

It was at the height of this success that TLC faced a public financial crisis. A recurrence of T-Boz's sickle-cell anemia forced the group to cut short a tour in support of CrazySexyCool, costing them millions of dollars in potential revenue. In July 1995 the trio filed for bankruptcy, blaming debts in connection with Left Eye's arson charges and their less-than-fair share of royalties from sales of CrazySexyCool. This latter complaint eventually led them to part ways with their manager, Pebbles, who by then had undergone a bitter divorce from L.A. Reid. TLC's problems had little effect on the continuing success of CrazySexyCool. In February 1996 it won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, with "Creep" winning Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

TLC largely spent the next year and a half away from the spotlight, sorting out their finances and planning their next album. In June 1997 Chilli and Austin had a son. At the same time, TLC announced that Austin would not be reprising his producer duties on the upcoming album, citing a dispute over his fees. By the end of the year, however, Austin was back on board for his third consecutive TLC album. FanMail was released in February 1999, more than four years after its predecessor.

FanMail finds TLC largely revisiting the territory charted by CrazySexyCool, this time employing a wide variety of producers in addition to Austin. The result, while not groundbreaking, is nonetheless solid, and the album enjoyed substantial critical and commercial success. The first single, "No Scrubs," distinguishes itself from previous TLC hits by featuring Chilli on lead vocals. She deftly uses her gentle, feminine voice to introduce a sassy warning to would-be suitors without the funds to back up their posturing: "If you don't have a car and you're walking / Oh yes, son, I'm talking to you." "No Scrubs" spent a few weeks at number one, and hit enough of a nerve that it inspired an answer song from New York City rap trio Sporty Thievz, "No Pigeons." The album spawned two more Top 10 hits with "Unpretty" and "Dear Lie," and went on to sell 6 million copies. In September 1999 "No Scrubs" won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video.

Strife and Sorrow

As TLC was enjoying renewed success with FanMail, tensions between Left Eye and the other two members were threatening to tear the group apart. In an infamous interview with the magazine Entertainment Weekly in November 1999, T-Boz and Chilli accused Left Eye of distancing herself from the group, while Left Eye criticized her bandmates' business acumen and challenged them to a competition in which each would release a solo album. TLC managed to settle their differences enough to perform that February at the 2000 Grammys, where they earned a Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for "No Scrubs" and a Best R&B Album for FanMail.

On April 25, 2002, Left Eye was killed in a car accident while on vacation in Honduras. At the time of her death, TLC had begun recording their fourth album, 3D. A mourning Chilli and T-Boz completed the album and released it in November 2002, subsequently announcing that it would be their last as TLC.

By skillfully applying three distinct vocal talents to top-notch production and consistently provocative songwriting, TLC dominated urban music for virtually the entire 1990s. In the process of winning unprecedented commercial success, they helped define the hip-hop-flavored soul that characterized the decade. The sudden death of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes left TLC's future uncertain, just when the group was showing promising signs of further growth.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Ooooooohhh . . . On the TLC Tip (LaFace, 1992); CrazySexyCool (LaFace, 1994); Fanmail (LaFace, 1999); Greatest Hits (LaFace, 2001); 3D (LaFace, 2002). Soundtrack: Poetic Justice (Sony, 1993).

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

N. E. Krulik, Lisa Lopes: The Life of a Supernova (New York, 2002).

WEBSITE:

www.laface.com/#tlc.

matt himes