They
stand alone, a trio of female pioneers who have demonstrated an uncanny
ability to bridge the gap between rap, hip-hop, pop and soul. No followers
of fashion, but leaders of their generation who push the envelope in music,
image and style. Out front, no strangers to controversy, the three young
women who compose the best-selling female group in music history are always
looking ahead, creating a new level of growth and accomplishment. With
the release of their third album FanMail, T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli use
the cutting edge approach that has taken TLC to international recognition.
Filled with tough grooves and melodic jams, FanMail is the most personal
album the trio has made, reflecting experiences and emotions T-Boz, Left
Eye and Chilli have faced in the last few years since TLC became a household
name on the music scene worldwide.
Cut
by cut, TLC delivers on this power-packed, hit-filled album, which was
executive produced by co-founders Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Kenneth “Babyface”
Edmonds, and super hitmaker Dallas Austin. Fearlessly, they lay it
on the line with “Come On Down” which is a provocative ballad penned by
award-winning songwriter Diane Warren especially for the group. The slammin’
smash single, “Silly Ho,” is about a certain type of female who hasn’t
gotten her game together. Their first single, “No Scrubs,” which was produced
by newcomer Shekspere and written by Columbia recording artists Tiny and
Candy from Xscape is set to put men with no cars, no jobs, no lives and
no love in their proper places. While the no-nonsense rap, “My Life” deals
with challenges of being a public personality, and the hard-edged “If They
Knew” centers around keeping an illicit love affair under wraps. “We’re
taking it to the next place in terms of production, artwork, concept and
image,” says Left Eye referring to the group’s 1999 release.
“We
want to be universal with this record. It’s for our fans - which is why
we called it
“FanMail,”
but we also want to get it to the people who have never even heard of us,”
says Chilli. With production by Dallas Austin (who worked with TLC on their
two previous best-selling albums), Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis,
Jermaine Dupri and Shekspere - FanMail has all the makings of becoming
TLC’s most successful project to date. “We all had a lot of input for this
album,” says T-Boz. “We sat down with Dallas (Austin) and worked on some
of the concepts behind the material. For example, “UnPretty” was based
on a poem I wrote that he converted into a song. It’s a girl’s anthem because
I know a lot of women who feel insecure. Society can make them feel unpretty
and I know it all starts within.”
The
groove-flavored title track addresses some of the trials and tribulations
as well as the group’s way of saying ‘thank you’ for the support that has
kept them at the top of their game for the past seven years. The melodic
slow jam “Don’t You Pull Out On Me Yet” has a distinctive ‘70s old school
flavor and feel; while the hypnotic “Shout” is all about self-expression,
“about letting it all out,” as Left Eye explains. Track for track, FanMail
is an ambitious musical set that closes the five-year gap since the 1994
release of the 10 million-selling, Grammy-award album CrazySexyCool. “You’ll
never see us copy anyone else,” says T-Boz. “We’re always a little scared
when we put out a new record, but we stand firm in what we believe in and
we have our own thoughts which come through our music.”
Production
for FanMail began in early 1998, and in the years since the release of
CrazySexyCool, all three women have been busy working on different projects.
“Since the last record I’ve become a mother,” says Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas.
“And since I don’t believe in the ‘nanny’ thing, I’ve been spending all
my time with my new son. I did some acting on the side. I was in the film
“Hav Plenty” and I’ve been working with an acting coach. I turned down
quite a few major movie roles, because I want it to be right.” Tionne “T-Boz”
Watkins has also had an opportunity to hit the silver screen through the
1998 film “Belly” and she’s also been spending time developing business
interests. “I started my own companies, Shee Entertainment, Shee Inc. and
Grung Girl Music. I’ve been doing some writing and I plan on doing some
production on new and established artists. I’ve written an inspirational
book of poetry and I have a cartoon in development, Oh, and I started
a clothes line with Dallas Austin called Grungy Glamorous.
So,
I’ve been pretty busy!” Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes has also been maintaining
her visibility as the host for MTV’s daily show, “The Cut” while developing
her Left Eye production company, working on projects for Sony Music.
The
release of FanMail has been much-anticipated by the group’s countless admirers
the world over. TLC literally burst on the music scene in 1992 with two
consecutive Top 3 platinum singles, “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” and “Baby,
Baby, Baby” and the gold single “What About Your Friends.” All three tracks
helped propel their LaFace debut Oooooooohhh! On The TLC Tip to the top
of the charts, selling three million in the process. However, it
with the 1994 follow-up, CrazySexyCool that broke wide open. Working with
producers such as Austin, Dupri, Sean “Puffy” Combs and Organized Noize,
TLC delivered a record that set them apart from all other female groups
of the day. The first single, “Creep” was another platinum smash, staying
at the top of the pop and R&B charts for weeks to end. The second single,
Babyface’s “Red Light Special” was another major hit while the hypnotic
“Waterfalls” was platinum-plus release that also topped Billboard’s pop
and R&B charts. The million-dollar high-tech video for the song (which
dealt with how a mother copes with her son’s drug dealing and how AIDS
has become a part of the daily lives of countless people everywhere) garnered
no less than four MTV Music Video Awards. The success of CrazySexyCool
(which also featured guest appearances by Busta Rhymes and Phife of A Tribe
Called Quest) led to a total of six Grammy nominations and TLC walked away
with two Grammy Awards for “Best R&B Performance by a Duo/Group” for
“Creep” and “Best R&B Album” for their sophomore set. Countless other
accolades followed including two Lady of Soul awards, two Billboard Music
Awards, three Soul Train Music Awards and a Blockbuster Entertainment Award.
In 1995, TLC completed a successful nationwide tour with Boyz II Men. Their
many media appearances included the film “House Party 3,” and the popular
sitcom “Living Single” and “Out All Night.” Musically, the group contributed
the theme to Nickelodeon show “All That,” covered The Time’s “Get It Up”
for the “Poetic Justice” soundtrack. Their charitable work has included
launching the 1995 “Believe In Yourself” campaign and working with the
“Make-a-Wish” Foundation.
Known
for their unique ‘look,’ TLC has earned a reputation for a down-to-earth
attitude and straight ahead approach to a career that has given the group
global recognition. “Some groups have tried to take off from where we left
off in 1994,” says Left Eye. “We’ve heard about record companies who have
tried to put together groups like us, but no one can do it. It’s
the combination of our personalities and the chemistry between us that
makes TLC what it is.” Adds T-Boz, “We know that some people think we’re
the big ‘cahunas’ because of the success of our records. Sure, there’s
room for everyone and we’re not worried about competition, because we’ve
tried to be trendsetters. But, honestly, with this new album, I would worry
if I was one of those other groups out there! We’re back to reclaim what’s
ours!”
United,
according to Chilli, in their goal “to be the biggest female group of all
time, to sell so many albums that it will be a few years before any other
group can catch up!” The members of TLC are ready to hit the road in ‘99
and make FanMail another milestone in a career already filled with accomplishment.
As Left Eye states with characteristic frankness, “Look, our best challenges
are ahead of us. Whatever we’ve been through personally and professionally
has made us stronger, and has prepared us for what we’re doing now.” And
what TLC is doing now is reaching new heights with FanMail, an album that
reinforces their status as unquestionably the world’s top female trio.
