Interview

Announcement, Interview

Reigndrop Lopes Plans Left Eye Biopic and New Music!

Leon@TLCArmy 1 Comment

20181212_001611 (4)

The prayers of many fans of the ‘L’ of TLC may have finally been answered, after years and years of hoping. The world could soon be blessed with some brand new music by the late and great Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes – according to her sister, Reigndrop Lopes.

If the prospect of new Left Eye music isn’t enough to keep you on cloud nine, Reigndrop also revealed that she has been steadily working on a Lisa Lopes biopic for the last 3 to 4 years, and plans to take as long as is required to ensure the project is done right to do her sister justice.

Speaking as a guest in Atlanta at The Conversation Corner for The Status Network with author Andrew Snorton, Reigndrop opened up about her own personal projects as well as the upcoming projects for Lisa.

Maintaining Left Eye’s Legacy

“I always wanted to continue my sister’s legacy in a positive way, so everything I do I try to make it positive for the young people coming up, specifically females, because I’m a female so I can relate to them more. I know how it was coming up, being bullied and not being like everybody else. So, I made sure I put that into everything I’m doing, whether it’s the acting, or the music or writing a book”.

Health Coaching

“I write plans for people and I also cook for people. Some people will hire me and I’ll come in and cook for them. I’m also still working on a healthy kids cooking show”.

Lisa Lopes Biopic

“It’s taking me years, but I’m going to take as long as it takes to get it done right! I’ve been working on this about 3 to 4 years now. So I pretty much want to get people who care about the story. I don’t just want someone who has a name in the industry or they have a background in making films. I want them to be in it for personal reasons.”

Overcoming frustrations making the movie

“I wanted to give up on making this movie so many times, because I don’t know anything about making a movie. But I know for a fact that I can do it, I just need the right people in place to guide me, and do the things they’re good at, and I stick to what I’m good at. I’m really good at having a vision, so the first person I met with was Rob Hardy, and he told me, if you want the movie to go a certain way you should get the script done first. So, I’m looking for a great scriptwriter. I’ve met with a few already but I haven’t found that perfect person”.

Reigndrop Lopes has a holiday single, “The Holidays Are Coming”, available on her website, where you can also purchase official Left Eye merchandise at ReigndropMusic.net

 

Advertisements
Interview, Music

Missy Elliott: “Left Eye Wanted 702’s ‘Where’s My Girls At’ For TLC!

Leon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

TLC_04_090 med (3).jpg

Missy Elliott, who has a history of writing and producing some of pop music’s most creative and catchy songs, breaks down some of the hits she’s written for herself and other stars. Elliott is one of the nominees for the 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

702, “Where My Girls At?”

702’s “Where My Girls At?” reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart in 1999, but Elliott said she initially wrote the anthem for TLC.

“Lisa (“Left Eye” Lopes) really wanted it, she really wanted that record, but I guess, if it’s two against one (what can you do?)” So I ended up giving that record to 702, which was cool because they were a group. I knew whoever had it, I wanted it to be going to a group.”

Of the biggest songs of 1999, “Where My Girls At?” was ranked No. 11 by Billboard. Elliott said she wanted women to feel empowered when they heard the fun track.

“It’s almost like church — when you go to church, pastor is saying something (and you’re) like, ‘I swear up and down that message is for me.’ I wanted to create something women could feel like, ‘I could relate to this record.’”

For more on Missy Elliott’s produced hits for other artists you can read the full article on The Detroit News.

Interview, Lifestyle

Chilli Reveals Acupuncture and Red Light Therapy Keeps Her Healthy

Leon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

chilli

There isn’t a more perfect example of the phrase “black don’t crack” than Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas. One third of the 1990’s R&B group, TLC, Chilli hasn’t appeared to age since the day the group entered the music scene over 25 years ago.
After dominating the charts with TLC’s four multi-platinum albums, Chilli is showing no lines of slowing down — professionally or physically.
Despite many years of touring, performing, and life on the road, Chilli has maintained her physique and youthful glow thanks to being disciplined and figuring out a regimen that works best for her. And it’s clearly working.

maxresdefault (2)

Mainly, because the 47-year-old mom takes her health very seriously.
“You have to take care of the temple like God wants us to,” Chilli told ESSENCE exclusively. “Your older self will tell what the younger self did. The earlier you start, the better.”
Besides God laying his hands on her, what exactly does Chilli do to maintain her youthful glow?
“I do acupuncture,” she revealed. “I do a lot of different things to make sure inflammation is not in my body. Most people have inflammation, they don’t even know it because they don’t feel it at the time.”
She continued, “A good chiropractor is also essential because your hips and stuff are not balanced. You don’t know it until you lay on that table and you see one leg is longer.”

maxresdefault (3)

And with so many new fads on the market promising to reverse aging, remove fine lines and get rid of that stubborn fat, it’s often hard to determine what’s going to have health benefits for the long run. For Chilli, she undergoes cryotherapy, or cold therapy, regularly.
“I also do red light therapy. That’s also good for inflammation,” she said. “It’s an LED light and it doesn’t burn your skin, but it helps with arthritis. Even if your skin has acne and stuff like that, you can find red light therapy. I suggest doing the whole body. That’s what I do on a consistent basis. I don’t ever feel like I have any injuries.”

CIZE-The-Next-Level-TLC

Finally, she said that the real key to looking as amazing as she does it eating right — a lot. “That helps and you can enjoy life a lot longer,” she said.
Welp, there you have it. If you’ve ever wanted to know how Chilli does it — now you know.

chilli (1)

By Kimberley Wilson for Essence 
Interview

TLC On Their Tour Residency Wishes & Future Music Plans!

Leon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

JRG_2683

Patch: It’s been a little over a year since you released your album, “TLC.” What was it like to work on and release new material after all these years? … And is it really your “final” album?

Chilli: It was like riding a bicycle really. Once you know how to do something that you love, even if you step away for a long time, to come back to it is to pick it up like you never stopped. It was really exciting. It’s the final album, yes, but I wouldn’t say it’s the last of TLC music that you’ll hear from us. We’re open to tons of opportunities. Album wise though, yes, it was definitely the final one.

T-Boz: It’s been an absolute blessing. The studio is my second home really; I’ve never stopped recording. The difference for this was just that it was for our next studio album. It’s always hard doing a new album because it’s so much pressure. The studio part is easy, but the pressure is the hard part. And yes, it’s the final album. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of TLC though, it’s just the final album. We’re still open to singles and soundtracks and Christmas songs. There will still be lots of TLC!

Patch: If you ever recorded another record, what are some artists/groups you’d like to collaborate with?

Chilli: Bruno Mars, definitely.

T-Boz: So many of the artists I’ve dreamed of collaborating with have died in the past few years, so I really need to think about this one. There’s so many great artists out there.

Patch: You’ve headlined or co-headlined several successful tours, including I Love the 90s: The Party Continues Tour in 2017. What do you enjoy most about touring?

Chilli: I just love being on stage. What we do on stage, looking out to the audience and how the music is affecting those fans, from people smil[ing], to people who are crying, to people singing along and dancing, that makes me feel good.

T-Boz: The fans and the energy are the absolute best. Just being able to tour and have sold out shows 26 years later is an absolute blessing.

Patch: What is your favorite song to perform live and why?

Chilli: I don’t have a favorite song to perform, but anything uptempo I really enjoy. I don’t like to slow it down.

T-Boz: I don’t have one to be honest. I love them all. The energy on stage is what I love performing most, more so than the individual songs themselves.

Patch: Would you ever consider a Las Vegas residency?

Chilli: Well, we’re currently working on that. Hoping to lock that down sooner than later!

T-Boz: Absolutely! This has been our dream for years now!

Patch: You were in San Diego not too long ago for the San Diego Pride Festival. What was that experience like, and why is the cause important to you?

Chilli: It was honestly such a great show. It was awesome. And important, because we want our fans to know we love them as much as they love us. Every time we get to perform, we want to make them feel that, and San Diego was just perfect for that.

T-Boz: For us, fans are fans, no matter their sexual orientation, but I love Pride because it allows people to be themselves and stand up for what they believe in. You’re supposed to have pride in who you are, and that’s what Pride is about. Anytime fans are being true to themselves, we want to support that!

Patch: Now you’re headed back to the San Diego area. Your performance at KAABOO in Del Mar is just weeks away. What can fans expect?

Chilli: They can expect a lot of energy. A lot of energy. There’s a lot of choreography. Even on the ballads, we bring the energy and the entertainment.

T-Boz: High energy concert, ton of excitement! Basically, we plan to have a big party together with tens of thousands of people, that’s what this is all about!

Patch: Will you get a chance to enjoy the festival? If so, who are you looking forward to seeing?

Chilli: We’re excited for everyone, but I’m really excited to see Katy Perry! She’s amazing, so it’ll be awesome to see her.

T-Boz: I wish! But my family are waiting for me. I’ve got a little one at home who’s waiting for me, so I’ll be in and out, to be with my family.

Patch: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Chilli: Just that I’m so excited to be a part of this and I hope they invite us again!

T-Boz: I just want to thank the fans for their support over all these years, still coming to see us and selling out all these shows! If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t be doing this anymore.

Content extraction credit: Loopy Adorno
Charity, Interview

T-Boz: “Politics Prevented Missy Elliott Feature On Last TLC Album!”

Leon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

TLC_04_090 med.jpg

Last year when TLC were doing the promotional rounds for their new album, they revealed the record had 2 guest features, but the final tracklist only featured one guest, Snoop Dogg (on ‘Way Back’).

This had fans wondering who that missing guest feature could have been. J. Cole? Drake? Lil Mama? Well, it was none of the above!

Finally, T-Boz has put all speculation to rest! She exclusively told Daniel S. Bahrami for Loverboy Magazine that the guest feature was none other than Missy Elliott!

“Oh that was Missy Elliott!“, T-Boz exclaimed when asked about the mystery feature. “I love her dearly, but it was just a matter of politics taking too long. We needed to put the album out for the fans. I want to make it clear – it had nothing to do with her! I’m glad we are free from all that industry stuff now. I don’t have the patience.“

During the interview, T-Boz answered a lot of questions fans have been wondering.

TLC European Tour 

“Yes, the European fans definitely will get to see more of us. I don’t know why we didn’t go there before. I know some plans were postponed. We’re rescheduling that now.”

LGBTQ Fanbase

“Honestly, I’ve never separated people like that. I love our LGBTQ fans, but I don’t look at it like, ‘We have two different fan groups. Those are my gay fans, and those are my straight fans.’ If I can touch people with my music, then that makes me happy. From the get-go I’ve always told people to be themselves and stand up for themselves. I guess that resonates more with the LGBTQ community and I’m all for that. People need to be cool in their own skin.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race 

“[Appearing on the show] That’s totally up to them. I would definitely come! Helloooo! I would love to be a judge and I personally love RuPaul. We worked with his make-up artist, Mathu Andersen, on the ‘No Scrubs’ video. I specifically asked for someone who knew how to do drag make-up, because I’ve always been so mesmerised by it. I wanted that kind of make-up and Mathu was perfect.”

T-Boz Unplugged 2018

“One thing we are working on is a Las Vegas residency. We are also doing ‘T-Boz Unplugged’ on 14th October in L.A. It raises awareness and funds for kids growing up with sickle cell. It’s at Avalon. You can find out more and make donations at www.tbozunplugged.com. It’s awesome because the foundation teaches kids about holistic remedies and acupuncture, not just being on all that medication which keeps us in a weakened state. Also how to build your up body, in an organic way.”

Check out the full interview HERE 

Anniversary, Interview

TLC Honor Lauryn Hill’s ‘Miseducation Of’ Album on 20th Anniversary

Leon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

20170630-175431-EAG-Z-TLC-1-T5r_65792 (1) (1).jpg

2018 marks the 20th anniversary since the release of Lauryn Hill‘s ground-breaking debut solo album, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ in 1998.

Beats 1 caught up with the ladies of TLC to share their thoughts on the album and some of their memories of the former Fugees frontwoman!

Chilli:

I love the whole album and it’s hard for me to pick just one song because of her delivery. I mean, she be in the videos sometimes pregnant, and sometimes not. She was doing it at a time where they would probably be like, “wait until you have your baby.” Whereas these days, a female artist — whether you’re an actress or whatever — if you’re pregnant, you celebrate that from the moment that you decide to share it with the world. She didn’t care, she just did it. Her voice — to be able to rap like that and sing like that, she was and is unbelievably talented. There’s nobody like Lauryn Hill.

c7e7ac71588b0724fdc1c6bcc6f9d048

T-Boz:

She’s special. She is very special. And you know what I love and respect about her, is that I remember meeting her for the first time when we first came out. She paid us so much homage. Even in the beginning, she went out of her way to get over to me, to say something. I thought that was really cool how amazingly nice she was in and to give respect to another artist. She’s so dope.

You can listen to the full episode on Beats 1 here.

Interview, Lifestyle

What Chilli Wants Is For Women To Be Open To Dating Outside Their Own Race

Leon@TLCArmy Leave a comment
Screenshot_20180818-172558_Chrome
Chilli with model Lasse Larsen in 2010

Chilli is no longer actively looking for Mr Right, as she is currently dating someone that she is ‘testing the waters’ with, she revealed exclusively to Essence this week.

Staying true to her own word, she is also open to dating men outside of her own race, noting that her current love interest is not black, and she wants more women to be more open minded.

179378058
Chilli with photographer Robert Ector in 2010

“I want for women, especially for women of color, to not be so closed minded when it comes to love,” Chilli, who identifies as mixed, said. “God made all of us and you may not find your husband because you’re trying to stick to one group. You’ve got to be open.”

“You want the person who’s the best person for you, no matter what color he is”.

10327_1221696696984_1065938962_714186_5814021_n
Chilli with Floyd Mayweather and Calvin Evans shooting for ‘What Chilli Wants’ 

“I usually know after two months…I can just tell. I’ve always known,” she said. “The day I turned 30, I got this kind of smartness or something, this maturity about myself…when your turn 30, you become more confident in how you feel about things, which is great. That way you can cut and weed out a lot of the BS you go through.”

But one area in Chilli’s life that has never had any BS is when she’s onstage performing with her group, TLC. The bestselling girl group is one of the featured acts on Netflix’s Once In A Lifetime Sessions, streaming now.

The eight-part music documentary takes fans behind the scenes to witness intimate performances by some of their favorite artists.

Chilli said that “it was an easy yes” to document their performance for a Netflix special, which features the other remaining member of TLC,  Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins. The duo continue to tour as a group after the death of their third bandmate, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, who died in 2002 after a fatal car crash.

“We’re all about connecting with our fans and so to do this in a way where we could perform in front of a nice intimate setting for our fans and then kind of open up to let fans see how we record in the studio and having our live band there, it was just a great recipe for something delish,” she said.

“And it’s something new,” Chilli added, “we’re always very happy to be part of something new.”