On the 20th anniversary of the passing of the legendary Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, her sister Reigndrop Lopes took some time out to speak with Essence about her memories of Lisa and forthcoming plans the Lopes family have in store to keep Lisa’s memory alive.
Reigndrop informs the publication that she is still in the process of producing a biopic based on the life of her superstar sister, but she wants to place emphasis on the positive side of Lisa, who was a fun-loving sister-friend with a heart of gold.
Although Lisa was featured in the VH1 biopic, ‘CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story‘ in 2013, Reigndrop wants to go deeper into Lisa’s character with the individual biopic. “I just want to tell the real story,” Reigndrop says. “The story of how she grew up, how she became who she was and then her journey to change from who she was as to who she wanted to be.”
Reigndrop, Lisa & Ronald Lopes
The production team behind the Lisa Lopes biopic includes Elizabeth Hubbard, an executive producer for the Grammy and Oscar-winning ‘Summer of Soul’ documentary. No release date has been set as of yet for the work-in-progress project.
As for some new Left Eye music, Reigndrop assures fans that the Lopes family will indeed release some new music for the world to hear. “We do have some unreleased music. We will release it. I’m not sure if it’s going to be with an album, but we’ll definitely get it out for sure.”
Reigndrop posted a heartfelt tribute to her sister on the 20th anniversary of her passing, where she also teased that there was more Left Eye material to come. “20 Years ago you transcended & Left me The Legacy 2 B Continued… Eye Am My Sisters Keeper! There’s More 2 come!!! Eye Hope Eye Make You Proud! ENERGY NEVER DIES…”
Fans are still eagerly waiting for the Lopes family to release Lisa’s debut solo album, ‘Supernova‘ from 2001 which still remains globally unreleased and has no digital presence on streaming platforms. Reigndrop has previously stated that she wants to release the album at the right time and revealed that the family indeed own the masters to the album. “Timing is everything, it’s going to come out when it’s supposed to come out”, she told fans last year.
So, how does Reigndrop want Lisa to be remembered? “[What] I want the world to remember most is Lisa’s spirit. She was a giver,” Reigndrop says. “She loved to help the underdog. It’s like, if people weren’t drawn to you, she would be drawn to you just because of the fact that she just always saw something in you that other people didn’t.”
Reigndrop accepted a Lifetime Achievement award on behalf of Lisa earlier this year and we will hopefully look forward to seeing more Lisa Lopes attributed honors throughout the year on the 20th anniversary since she transcended.
Read more from Reigndrop’s Essence interview here.
Shop Reigndrop’s accessories dedicated to Lisa here.
Partial proceeds will go to the Lisa Lopes Foundation, which benefits families in need.
TLC blessed fans in the UK on Easter Sunday (April 17, 2022) with an exclusive interview on the Global based radio station Capital XTRA Reloaded to celebrate the stations ‘Legend Sessions’ with a special spotlight on Ludacris and the legendary TLC!
Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas took a trip down memory lane with Mike Panteli to discuss their fashion statements from the early 90’s and how they got started in the group, the biggest-selling US girl group ever, with over 85 million albums sold worldwide!
“I think it was a shock to everybody, especially the way Left Eye was sitting up there [in the “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg” video] in that big bright hat in those bright colours”, T-Boz reminisces about their debut single setting new standards for female’s at that time. “I think we really grabbed people’s attention, with our sound, the look and the way we were dressed. I think we hit the scene at the perfect time, in the perfect way. I think we also made it posisble for people who already dressed that way to feel sexy and not feel like outcasts.”
TLC in 1992
Despite the music scene being heavily dominated by girl groups promoting ‘girl power’ in the late 90’s, Chilli reminds listeners that TLC were indeed the pioneers of girl power from the very beginning. “I think that people knew for sure that we were all about girl power”, Chilli reveals, “and just the way that we hit the scene in the way that we did opened the door for people like Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child“.
T-Boz and Chilli both spoke about their musical upbringing (they both grew up wanting to be stars, but not necessarily in a group), and say that one of the unique thing’s about TLC is how neither of them sound like each other, and they are like three solo artists packaged into one supergroup. “I can sing T-Boz’s parts, but I won’t sound like her”, Chilli laughs. “[T-Boz] can sing my parts, but she won’t sound like me, and we can both rap Lisa’s parts, but we won’t sound like her. So, each girl has her own thing that is so different”.
TLC stand out from the crowd not just because they sing memorable, catchy songs, but because of the unique lead vocals of T-Boz in her deep, raspy tone. “Jermaine Dupri did our first demo and I did background vocals singing deep for Kris Kross“, T-Boz reveals. “He already knew the swag, but what he did do was tell me that I should keep that as my style. He was like, ‘you have a different style, you should do that as your thing’. I sang deep for my audition for my manager at the time, Ian Burke, that’s how he knew I could sing deep”.
The success of TLC went from strength to strength after the debut album. Chilli said she was relieved that they didn’t suffer from the ‘sophomore jinx’ when they released their second album, ‘CrazySexyCool‘ in 1994, which went on to sell over 12 million copies in the US alone and solidified the ladies as a serious group with huge longevity.
“Once the music video to “Waterfalls” was released, that’s when we started really selling [album units]”, Chilli admits. “Because that message [in the music video], people could really relate to it”. Arista boss Clive Davis initially didn’t have faith in releasing “Waterfalls” as a single, but the ladies were able to convince L.A. Reid (TLC’s label boss and owner of LaFace, a subsidiary label to Arista) to take a chance on it and he agreed to commission the multi-million dollar music video, with ground-breaking special effects at the time it was made in 1995.
Panteli dug into the ladies musical archives to find out what their first records were that they bought in their younger days. T-Boz reveals that Michael Jackson‘s “Off The Wall” was her first purchase, whilst Chilli’s selection was more surprising. “The first record that I asked my mom for was Queen “Another One Bites The Dust”, Chilli reveals. ” I wore that thing out! It had scratches on it and everything. She bought me this little record player with psychedelic lights on top when you open it. That was my first record”.
The legendary Prince is another artist that TLC were proudly associated with. T-Boz explains how she was able to work on the cover of his iconic “If I Was Your Girlfriend“. “I was in a nightclub and Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs came up to me and said he has a record that he has for his group Total but he wanted me to have it instead. His producer Chucky Thompson [who recently passed away, Rest in Peace] got together to work on it, and then we finished it off with Dallas [Austin]”.
Prince is notoriously protective of his work and rarely allows permission for artists to cover his work. Howveer, that rule did not apply to TLC! Prince was a huge fan of TLC. “I was so excited”, T-Boz exclaims, “because Prince has been known to say no to everybody, and he said yes to two songs, “Get It Up” (for the Poetic Justice soundtrack) and “If I Was Your Girlfriend”. People still to this day ask us, how did we get Prince to say yes, it’s because he loves us, that’s why!”
TLC have previously stated that they would love to work with Cardi B and Bruno Mars, and that is still applicable to this day. “Right now, I’d still like to have Bruno Mars”, Chilli admits. “I love him. We both love him equally. He is just phenomenal, all across the board”.
So, what’s next in the pipeline for TLC? Well, they have previously teased the production of a Broadway musical, the process has since moved along and made some progress and is closer to becoming a reality. “I’m really excited about the musical”, T-Boz says. “Now, we’re working with a writer and [deciding] on how we want the stage performances to go”.
There is also a chance that there will be some brand new TLC music produced for the project. “I think that we’re going to do some new music for that, mixed with the old”, T-Boz reveals. “I think that it will be something really different and interesting. Even though we have told VH1 stories, behind the scenes, we have just finished an A&E documentary which features stories that we have never told before. We have 30 years of stories to tell, so, why not tell it on Broadway, you know?”.
TLC will arrive in the UK this June as part of their European 2022 tour! Their show in London is now sold out, so get tickets to rest of the tour while you still can!
Tickets available at Livenation.co.uk and Ticketmaster.co.uk
Catch the replay of the CapitalXTRA Reloaded TLC special HERE
Centennial Media released an exclusive collector’s edition tribute magazine in March 2022, dedicated to the life and legacy of the TLC superstar Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, entitled, ‘Centennial Legends Music Spotlight presents Lisa Lopes: Tribute to a Legend’.
The 98-page special looks back at the remarkable life and career of Left Eye, and offers a complete guide to all things Left Eye and TLC, from the very beginning of Lisa’s upbringing in Philadelphia and how her career began after her move to Atlanta, to the impact that her legacy has left on the music industry to this very day, with her influence present in artists like Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat and Cardi B, amongst others.
Other notable highlights in the special are the detailed milestones in Lisa’s career timeline; how she overcame her relationship issues and legal problems to still produce the biggest hits throughout the 90’s and cement TLC as the biggest-selling female group in the United States with 85 million albums sold to date!
The magazine also touches on the various ways T-Boz and Chilli have continued the legacy of Left Eye through their ongoing commitment to keep TLC alive, with new music, multiple television appearances, an upcoming musical and remaining a consistent presence on tour with sold out shows across the United States and all over the world.
There is even a fun quiz at the end of the magazine to test your TLC knowledge and see if you really are a big diehard fan! Major props to the publishers Ben Harris and Sebastian Raatz and the rest of the Centennial team who put in the work and research to make this project happen. It truly is one of a kind, Lisa will be so proud of this.
‘Lisa Lopes: Tribute to a Legend‘ will be available on all good newsstands until June 20th, 2022. It has been purchased by fans at stores such as Target, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Whole Foods, Giant Eagle, Walmart and Woodmans, to name but a few.
Not only did Lisa receive a phenomenal tribute magazine this year on the 20th year anniversary of her passing, Lisa was also honored with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at the 6th annual Glitz & GirlPower Awards on March 31, 2022 in Hollywood, FL.
Lisa’s younger sister, Reigndrop Lopes, was in attendance at the show to receive the award on behalf of her sister. Here’s what the organisers had to say, “As a member of TLC, one of the most successful and beloved pop groups of all time, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes dedicated the last years of her life to the education and empowerment of humanity, through holistic healing.”
“Lisa’s spiritual journey began while traveling through the impoverished Central American country of Honduras – drawn to the regions natural beauty, and most of all, its people. While there, Lisa discovered that the key to physical, mental and spiritual health could be found in the earth’s natural resources; an insight Lisa was eager to share with millions.”
Lisa’s sister Reigndrop accepts Lisa’s Lifetime Achievement Award on March 31, 2022
“Today her legacy lives on through the Lisa Lopes Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting families in need, while empowering individuals with the tools to live a more self-sufficient and healthy lifestyle.”
Let’s hope we can get Lisa’s “Supernova” album released on digital platforms this year finally!It’s what Lisa would have wanted, her work of art touching as many ears as physically possible!
Big thank you to Jordan Cooper for filling me in on the Lifetime Achievement and Megan Dove for helping me get the magazine! 😊
Doja Cat has seemingly paid some homage to the legendary TLC in the latest single to be lifted from her third studio album, ‘Planet Her‘. “Get Into It (Yuh)” went viral on TikTok, so Doja Cat finally released the music video on January 31, 2022.
In the intergalactic music video, directed by Mike Diva, Doja Cat is on a mission to rescue her pet cat and takes on some aliens! The video also features a cameo by the producer of the track, Y2K.
One of the scenes in the video has a striking resemblance to the iconic 1999 “No Scrubs” video, the lead single from TLC’s ‘FanMail‘ album. The futuristic elements of Doja Cat’s video match the TLC classic, as well as her hair and make-up, resembling T-Boz‘s look in the video.
T-Boz in the TLC ‘No Scrubs’ video (1999)
Doja Cat’s hairstylist Jared Henderson seemed to confirm the comparisons to T-Boz when a fan mentioned to him that Doja Cat’s pink hairdo was giving him T-Boz vibes, and Jared pinned the comment on his post. Doja Cat’s make-up was done by Ernesto Casillas.
Doja Cat in ‘Get Into It (Yuh) video (2022)
Doja Cat fans were quick to highlight the homage Doja Cat was paying to the trendsetters TLC, and they all approved of the music video.
Some fans even feel that Doja Cat’s moves are similar to the moves Left Eye does during the scenes when she performs her rap.
Leon@TLCArmy
TLC-Army.com 