Announcement, Interview, News, Tribute

Left Eye Biopic In The Works and Plans to Release Lisa’s Unheard Music

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.

Announcement, Event, News, Tribute

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes Receives Tribute Magazine & Lifetime Achievement Award 20 Years Since Her Passing

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! 😊

News, Tribute

Cardi B Tributes Left Eye In Latest Music Video “WAP”

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The phenomenal hip-hop rapper Cardi B is making a big return in 2020 with a helping hand from Megan Thee Stallion on her latest single, “WAP“, and she once again pays homage to a very special person, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

Cardi B decided to rock a hairstyle in the music video based on the style Left Eye wore at the Soul Train Awards 2000, created by TLC’s long-time hairstylist, Marie Brown (formerly Davis), who is now the owner of Atlanta’s Glamorazzi Salon.

Referencing the afro-futuristic braids, Marie explains how she came up with the creation. “The circles are the little round pieces of styrofoam. Styrofoam from Michael’s. You wrap them around, and they’re just braided on and connected onto her hair. I was just always trying to do something different. I was trying to always reach a different level with her and she was just free to do it.”

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Cardi B is no stranger to paying homage to TLC. She previously wore another style like Lisa’s at her Coachella debut in 2018, and also has name dropped Left Eye and TLC in numerous tracks on her debut album, ‘Invasion Of Privacy‘.

Some fans on the Left Eye fanpage The Eye Is Right also noted other similarities in the music video. The scene with Megan and Cardi looking thorough the other rooms is reminiscent of TLC’s “Hands Up” video. And the end scene of the girls running away is very similar to TLC’s “Dear Lie” video, where Lisa knocks on a door and quickly runs away.

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Watch the full video:

Do you think Cardi B paid homage or was it a coincidence?

 

Announcement, Appearance, Interview, Tribute

Family of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes Reveal One-of-a-Kind Modern Headstone

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The family of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes officially unveiled the brand new headstone that they have commissioned for the beloved TLC star on November 9, along with the creator Tim Morris aka Cemetery Tim, responsible for the recent Eazy-E headstone.

Siblings Reigndrop and Ronald Lopes and mother Wanda Lopes-Coleman unveiled the masterpiece in Zillah, Washington at an exclusive free public event, open to all of her fans that were able to attend and witness the creation with her family.

The all-new headstone features some one-of-a-kind designs and modern features to complement the stunning colors and smooth finish. Explaining some of the headstones finer details, Tim said, “This is a bronze marker, it’s mounted to the full ledger which is granite. It has brilliant impressions”.

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Wanda and Reigndrop feel the 3D image of Lisa

Tim goes on to explain how he has included the lyrics to her original “Waterfalls” rap, just as it was present on her original headstone, as well as a preserved copy of her autograph, her foundation official logo, special words and photos of the family with Lisa and it even features a QR code, which fans can scan and find out more information about the Lisa Lopes Foundation.

The main photo of Lisa in the center of the headstone, which was photographed by director Hype Williams in Honduras, is in fact 3D. “It’s three dimensional, so you can actually feel Left Eye”, Tim explains. “You can feel her hands, her body and her lips. It’s definitely one-of-a-kind”.

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Reigndrop kisses her sister’s newly-created headstone

Tim met Lisa’s family through an email earlier this year, he told Yakima Herald. “They wanted to see some of my work and I sent them some drawings of projects that I was working on. They liked what they saw and asked me to create a one-of-a-kind [headstone] for Lisa”, he said.

We know Lisa is up there smiling right now.

Watch the highlights from the unveiling below!