Television

Appearance, Archives, Interview, Television

That Time T-Boz Played as Pam Grier a Reverse Stripper in the 2014 Animated ‘Black Dynamite’ Series

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

The year was 2009 when the blaxploitation 1970’s classic ‘Black Dynamite‘ was given a reboot on the big screen. That was when Cartoon Network‘s adult animated division Adult Swim decided to create an animated spin off series, based on storylines from the updated movie.

The original pilot episode of the animated series, executively produced by Carl Jones (‘The Boondocks‘), debuted in 2011. The series wasn’t released in full until 2012, lasting 2 seasons and airing 20 episodes in total.

T-Boz was no stranger to the world of animation. She had announced in 1999 that she was working on developing a cartoon with the Jim Henson Company, titled ‘It’s A Fly World’, although it never came to fruition.

She had also provided voice-over work for André 3000‘s Cartoon Network series ‘Class of 3000‘. “I did the voice, but they ended up going with someone else because I couldn’t get my voice to sound younger,” T-Boz told Billboard.

T-Boz was then hired by the Adult Swim company to play a guest role as Pam Grier on the second season of ‘Black Dynamite’. During this episode, Pam Grier is kidnapped along with some other top Blaxploitation actors, such as Rudy Ray Moore, and Jim Kelly, by the notorious Bill Cosby, who wants to transform actors into dignified representations of the black race.

“I was the reverse stripper,” T-Boz explained. “It was funny because I was supposed to be sexy, but I started off naked and put my clothes on.” While Bill Cosby is on his mission to force the changes, Black Dynamite, who is voiced by the original actor Michael Jai White, saves the day.

T-Boz later supplied her voice-over talents as a favor to The Asylum’s 2016 movie, ‘Trolland‘, where she played the character Jarvik. Ja Rule and Dick Van Dyke also star.

We hope to see T-Boz in more voice-over roles in the future, as well as acting roles!She starred in ‘After Masks‘ earlier this year.

Check out the complete TLC filmography!

Announcement, Appearance, Interview, News, Television

T-Boz Cameo In Teaser For ABC’s Girl Group Drama Series ‘Queens’

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

Aside from her busy tour schedule on the TLC ‘Celebration of CrazySexyCool‘ tour, T-Boz has lent her time to ABC to star in a Mockumentary on the fictional 90’s hip-hop girl group, The Nasty B’s, for the upcoming drama series, ‘Queens‘, airing on Oct 19.

The promotional trailer is called ‘Beneath The Hits’, a nod to the hit VH1 documentary series ‘Behind The Music’, and features commentary from other real life music stars such as Ashanti, Tyrese and Cam’ron, which adds to the authentic feel you get from a story on a girl group that doesn’t really exist.

In a bid to give it a true taste of 90’s nostalgia, T-Boz opens up about the realities of the music business and her thoughts on The Nasty B’s. “The music industry has a way of swallowing you up and then spit you out, quick”, she says. “But the Nasty B’s? Those girls be jamming”, she adds. “They are seriously talented”.

Tyrese later adds comments about being fond of the many after party’s he experienced during the reign of The Nasty B’s, and Ashanti says she was ‘devastated’ when the group broke up. Cam’ron also appears and will have a reoccurring role in the show.

‘Queens’ follows four women in their 40’s who reunite for a chance to recapture their fame and regain the swagger they had in the 90’s when they were legends in the hip-hop world!

Starring Eve as Brianna aka Professor Sex, Naturi Naughton as Jill aka Da Thrill, Nadine Velazquez as Valeria aka Butter Pecan and Brandy as Naomi aka Xplicit Lyrics.

Taylor Sele as EricJones and Pepi Sonuga as Lil Muffin also star.

‘Queen’ will air on ABC and stream on Hulu from Oct 19.

Watch the official trailer:

Announcement, Television, Tribute

Normani Pays Homage To TLC During Her ‘Wild Side’ VMA Performance

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

Normani and the members of her former group Fifth Harmony have always been huge fans of TLC, and they would always show them love, praising them as inspirations in interviews and covering their songs in various shows.

Normani has paid some more homage this week, when she deservedly was presented with the opportunity to perform her latest single, “Wild Side“, at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, and she did not disappoint!

Normani delivered the TV debut of “Wild Side” in a TLC inspired silver metallic outfit that drew from the group’s 1999 “No Scrubs” video. Normani was joined by a group of backup dancers in similar outfits that accompanied Normani as she danced across the stage.

Normani’s performance for the song, which samples Aaliyah’s “One in a Million”, also featured choreography very reminiscent of Aaliyah’s music video for the hit 1996 track.

She then gave us a raunchy dose of Janet Jackson inspired choreography, when she brought out singer Teyana Taylor out on stage, strapped to a human shaped platform, where she then seductively danced around and over Teyana, very much like Janet seduces a fan during the segment on her own tour.

Fans were also quick to point out the similarities and excitedly took to Twitter:

https://twitter.com/dlceszn/status/1437232826299166721?s=19

What were your thoughts on the Normani VMA performance?

Interview, News, Television, Tribute

Kiely Williams Star of ‘BET Presents The Encore’: “3LW Were Inspired By TLC”

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

Kiely Williams is a founding member of the R&B girl group 3LW, whose platinum self-titled debut album, ‘3LW‘, was released in 2000, with hits such as “Playas Gon Play“, “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)”, and “I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)”, taken from the follow-up album, 2002’s ‘A Girl Can Mack’.

After Kiely ended her time with 3LW, which also consisted of members Naturi Naughton, Adrienne Bailon, and Jessica Benson (replacing Naturi in 2003), she took the opportunity to join another girl group in 2002 with Adrienne — The Cheetah Girls — along with Raven-Symoné and Sabrina Bryan — for the Disney franchise, until 2008.

Kiely has been most notably quiet since the groups ended, focusing on family life, but she has finally broken her silence this year, as she is one of the stars of ‘BET Presents The Encore‘, an experimental reality show to see how nine former R&B stars can come together to form a super girl group!

She spoke with BET’s Noteworthy this week to talk all things girl groups, and admits that she has a real passion for 90’s R&B. When the hosts asked Kiely about the 3LW influences from other girl groups before hers, Kiely proudly reveals that her group was very inspired by the style and the individual characteristics of the legendary TLC!

“We modeled ourselves after, I guess more TLC, with the idea that each person had their own individual style, and not having like, one main lead singer”, Kiely states about the magical formula that helped TLC stand out from the crowd. “People sung, people rap, people danced, people did everything”.

“We did it that way, rather than like with The Supremes model, where there is a lead singer and back up singers”, Kiely continues. “So, we definitely modeled ourselves after TLC, but still in our own little way. The idea for 3LW was little women, that we are — we might be small, but we are mighty! We know our business”.

TLC have always been supportive and open to other girl groups doing their thing, as they never saw girl groups as competition — they would rather compare themselves to guy groups like Bell Biv Devoe and Boyz II Men!

Back in 2001, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes told MTV News that she indeed was a fan of 3LW. “Let’s see, I like 3LW. The first time I saw the ad, I did think it looked like a JCPenney ad”, Lisa jokes. “But, it took me to watch the video of the girls in action, and they are adorable. They are doing their [thing]”.

“Look, this is how it is”, Lisa concludes. “Anybody can copy TLC — either you got it, or you don’t.”

Kiely reveals why she loves girl groups so much. “For me personally, growing up, I was always a fan of Total, Xscape, Brownstone, the list can go on and on. But I love R&B girl groups. I love 90’s R&B in general. I think it was the best era”.

Watch ‘BET Presents The Encore’ every Wednesday 10/9c on BET