From the 2013 Summer MixTape Festival to the debut trailer for the VH1 original film, CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, the group is back in a big way. TLC blew us away in the ’90s with their cool music, even more sexy music videos and those crazy antics. We thought it was time to look back on all the best (and worst) moments in the group’s ongoing career. It’s time to get crazy… sexy… cool.
The Craziest Moments
5. TLC filed for bankruptcy. Poor record deals, insurance payments and medical expenses led $3.5 million in debt for the group, forcing them to file for Chapter 11 at the height of their musical career.
4. T-Boz and Chilli pitched a reality show to find a new member. The two singers were judges on R U The Girl, a show that was initially promoted as a contest to find a replacement for Left Eye, who was already deceased. The group ultimately walked back the grand prize and said the winner would just get to collaborate with them.
3. Left Eye challenged T-Boz and Chilli to record and release solo albums to determine who was the most talented. The letter, which ran in Entertainment Weekly, came out after the release of FanMail:
“I challenge Tionne ’Player’ Watkins (T-boz) and Rozonda ’Hater’ Thomas (Chilli) to an album entitled The Challenge… a 3-CD set that contains three solo albums. Each (album)… will be due to the record label by October 1, 2000… I also challenge producer Dallas ’The Manipulator’ Austin to produce all of the material and do it at a fraction of his normal rate. As I think about it, I’m sure LaFace would not mind throwing in a $1.5 million dollar prize for the winner.”
2. T-Boz and Chilli re-recorded “Waterfalls” and replaced Left Eye’s vocals. The group re-released a new version of the track that featured Japanese artist Namie Amuro rapping Left Eye’s verse. Only released in Japan, fans were dismayed when they learned news in the U.S.
1. Left Eye burned down former NFL player Andre Rison’s house. After a heated argument the rapper sought revenge by burning a bunch of Rison’s shoes in his bathtub. The fire quickly spread, destroying the mansion.
Up next: The Sexiest Moments
The Sexiest Moments
5. Chilli made Usher her boo. Not quite a group moment but when Chilli locked up one of the hottest R&B singers, who happened to be eight years her junior, we were reminded just how hot the girls were.
4. TLC kicked the boys to the curb in the “No Scrubs” music video. The girls made their comeback official with the Hype Williams-directed video that had Chilli perched on a swing and T-Boz and Left Eye making space look sexy.
3. The group’s look on at the 1995 MTV Movie Awards. Despite always wearing matching outfits on the red carpet, the girls looked sexy and cool at the award show.
2. TLC bared all for Vibe. TLC earned a lot of media attention following the success of CrazySexyCool. The group appeared in Vibe topless, furthering their sexier image.
1. TLC debuted their sexy side with the “Creep” music video. The video for the first single of their sophomore album showcased a sexier side of the group not previously seen before.
Up next: The Coolest Moments
The Coolest Moments
5. Left Eye made condoms the coolest fashion accessory. In the group’s first music video (for “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”), TLC promoted safe sex by turning condoms into a fashion accessory. It was a playful approach to a thoughtful message and gave us the Left Eye’s iconic condom eye patch.
4. The girls made self-esteem cool. Way before Katy Perry Lady Gaga, TLC was leading the charge of promoting a positive self-image with the “Unpretty,” the second official single from FanMail.
3. The group’s final performance together at MTV 20. Little did anyone know this would be the final time the group would ever perform live together. Regardless of that, the performance was one of the highlights of the night.