TLC Forever (2023) Movie Script
1
The hardest part for me
was the four days
That I didn't know
exactly what was in my head.
I didn't know
if it was cancerous.
I didn't know
if I was going to die.
It's called
an acoustic neuroma
And it went through
my ear
And it was deep
in my right cerebellum,
Sitting on my facial nerve,
my balance nerve
And my hearing nerve,
but that's everything I do.
That's my face, my singing,
my hearing, my dancing.
I was like, "man."
I don't want to cry, but my
first thought was my daughter.
I wanted to make it back
just to be a mom.
So I didn't care about
the business,
Honestly, 'cause
that don't matter anyway
If I ain't here
to do it.
We've lost one sister.
I just -- no,
I cannot lose another.
We have to grow old together
and be real old...
Mm-hmm.
...Biblical-times old, like,
gray hair and everything.
You hear what I'm saying?
Yes.
oh, my god.
I cannot believe this.
I used to live in this plaza,
eat in this plaza.
They had a good
barbecue-chicken spot there.
Where's your house?
It's going to be
down here on the right,
Uh, um, right across
from the school.
So this is the school.
Okay,
so this is the school.
So -- oh, my god.
Wait.
Oh, my goodness.
This was the house.
It looks so little.
And I used to
drop you off...
Used to drop me off...
...And pick you up...
...Pick me up.
...Being the tlc chauffeur.
Yep.
Y'all should've paid me.
Y'all didn't even offer
gas money.
Oh, my god. We didn't have any,
or I would have.
I remember
the first time
We ever heard ourselves
on the radio.
Yeah.
So it was right here.
It must've --
it had to have been this.
It had to be here.
It was right here.
And then you got out,
and you started dancing.
Yep, and we was dancing
all over here.
check one, two, one, two
yo, if I need it
in the morning
or the middle
of the night
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
if the lovin' is strong,
and he got it goin' on and
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
two inches or a yard
rock hard or if it's saggin'
I ain't too proud
to beg
Get up on your feet.
Tlc!
Man: The biggest-selling
female group of all time.
I would like to think two very
important people in my life.
Elliott: They are legends.
They are icons.
They will go down
in the history books of music.
hold it, hold it.
Questlove: You instantly knew
these were nobody's
Puppets on a string.
My favorite group,
ladies and gentlemen, tlc.
a scrub is a guy
that thinks he's fly
and is also known
as a busta
Whether it's destiny's child
or even
With cardi b's
"invasion of privacy,"
I see their influence
in so many artists today.
Grohl: That's cultural longevity
that connects
No matter when or where
or who.
Their name will still be around
for the generations after us.
hangin' out the passenger side
of his best friend's ride
trying to holla at me
'cause I don't want
no scrubs.
Man: And the winner is...
Man #2: "crazysexycool,"
the new album by tlc...
Valds: They weren't just
pop princesses.
The image and what they stood
for was very real.
It was catchy.
It was visual.
They had all the elements.
We are one short.
We're missing the "l" in tlc.
T-boz and chilli
were at odds with left eye.
Austin:
Lisa was still like, "I'm in the
group," "I'm out the group."
We just didn't know
what was gonna happen, period.
Woman: Many controversies,
financial and legal problems,
And infighting within the group.
When you start
being successful
In the music industry,
just starts magically
being paid for.
one, two, three, four, yo
here we go again
Man: With 33 million albums
sold worldwide...
Woman: Tlc has ruled
the music charts.
Three of the hottest women
in hip-hop.
here we go, here we go,
here we go again
Make some noise!
Watkins: Tlc is forever.
Jordan: In the late '80s,
The atlanta music scene
was just about ready to explode.
It had all of
the right pieces in place,
And somebody just needed
to take that
And, like,
put it all together.
Laface records became a mega hub
for all of
The local talent there,
like the motown of the south.
L.A. Reid and babyface always
had their finger on the pulse
Of what the next thing was
and had their ear to the ground.
By 1991, hip-hop was sort of
entering this new phase
Where it was discovering
its own powers.
The sound of the bomb squad
throwing all these samples in,
Throwing everything in
but the kitchen sink,
And creating a new soundscape.
girl, I must
warn you
Bell biv devoe touched on it
with the "poison" album.
that girl is
poison
And it took a second
for people
Even to get to the "poison"
level,
But when they did, they were,
like, obsessed with it.
Ian had a vision.
He called it a female bbd.
He said, "I want to put together
a female bbd.
Do you know anybody?
I immediately of tionne.
She run with us.
She's so cool.
Watkins: I worked with rico
with my first job
At a hair salon
called lamonte's beauty supply.
Wade:
She was new to the neighborhood.
She had just moved to delowe.
So, really, she was
the new girl, and she was edgy.
But he couldn't bring tionne
to the audition.
She had to work.
Yeah.
So what he did do
was he brought lisa.
Hi, everybody.
Hello, philadelphia.
How are you doing?
One thing I'd like to start off
by saying is hold fast,
Hold on to your dreams.
A friend of mine,
he asked me to come to atlanta
Because he had a singing group,
And he would like for me
to be in the group.
When I got there,
the group thing didn't work out,
So I asked around if anyone knew
if there were any auditions
Or anyone who wanted
to start a group.
Was there anything
that I could do?
And rico wade,
he was a dancer
For the guy
that I went to atlanta with.
He said, "yeah, I know someone
who's having auditions."
Her name was crystal.
So crystal came back
and said,
"yo, you have to see
this girl rap."
And she blew me away.
They already knew her,
but she blew me away.
glad to claim my name,
and who's to blame for success
and if you're
mentally correct
you get respect
from the left
so I expect some more respect
from every ho in return
even if you used a condom,
it's still got burns
Dupri: Lisa wrote her own raps
and what she was writing
Was what she was feeling,
Whatever she was doing, she was
doing it at --
At a level where you was going
to pay attention to her.
and since you know
so much about me
won't you tell me
what's next?
I hear my name comes out
your mouth so much
it's better than sex
At that point, I actually had
three girls in the group,
But he was so...
Adamant about tionne.
He was adamant
about meeting tionne.
So crystal and enrico
came over, and I sang,
And then I danced.
I saw immediately
a star quality in her.
Kept lisa, kept tionne,
and crystal.
We came up with the name
2nd nature.
Jordan: L.A. Reid and pebbles
were married.
She was an artist
and an executive
And was out searching
for her own artists.
So she took
my basic mold,
She put money on it,
made them look like stars.
She became our manager,
and she said
That the group
should be called something else.
All you guys' initials
are perfect.
Tionne, lisa, crystal -- tlc.
see somebody standing
in your own backyard
The first time we actually saw
tionne and lisa, for that fact,
Was in the "backyard" video,
But they had put crystal
out of the group.
Lopes:
Me, tionne, and crystal.
It was interesting.
Me and tionne, we wanted it.
We were hungry.
We just didn't get that energy
from crystal.
Watkins:
So pebbles said to me and lisa,
"one person in the group could
'f' it up for the next one."
So we had to go and kick
this girl out her own group.
Lopes:
So the word was on the street.
Everyone knew
that pebbles had a group.
There was two members,
and she needed one more.
L.A. Reid called pebbles
and said,
"I think you need
to take a look at this girl."
She had on her sweats.
She had on a baggy t-shirt
'cause she was just leaving
rehearsal.
Right off the bat,
we were feeling her vibe.
I remember lisa
being very friendly.
She was so sweet,
and tionne was not.
You know what I'm saying?
Watkins:
I was like, I don't know her.
She was all jolly and stuff,
and I was like,
"girl, I don't know.
You cute and all,
But I don't know you
like that."
Thomas:
She wasn't mean.
She just wasn't friendly at all.
But I hugged her anyway.
I didn't care.
Lopes: So when we met rozonda
and we loved her,
We picked her that night,
we named her that night.
Watkins:
We were just, like, ecstatic.
Our dream is finally
starting to come true.
Thomas: From the beginning,
I knew that it was
something special
Between the three of us.
That's just what I truly felt
in my heart.
Man: Yeah, there you go.
Ready?
Two, three.
Holmes:
...With top-10 hits.
They've sold 85 million records
worldwide.
They are one of the best-selling
american groups of all time.
Whoo. And guess what.
They're joining us here
To talk all about
their national tour.
Please welcome
the iconic members of tlc,
Rozonda "chilli" thomas
and tionne "t-boz" watkins.
T-boz, tell me
what it's been like.
It's been amazing.
I'm not gonna lie.
It's been
a lot of hard work.
This is the first time
in our whole career
Where our rehearsals
have been cut in half
Because of the pandemic.
Man: Let's go!
Man #2: Boom, boom.
Diggins: We're on the last day
of rehearsal today.
Left, right, left.
Where are we
on running time?
I'm never nervous,
but there's been
An enormous amount of stress
putting this tour together.
These girls --
taking a lot of risk.
Tionne, with an autoimmune
disease -- her life.
Let's throw our masks on
if we're not dancing, alright?
Thomas: But what breakdown
am I doing?
you're going to stress me.
Every time we go out,
You have to prove yourself
to an audience.
You have to be innovative.
You have to be dynamic.
The level of intensity
between tionne, chilli,
And myself gets very high
because you can't disappoint.
Watkins: We're not
rehearsing tomorrow?
I ain't never, never not known
this much stuff.
I know. Yeah.
I've been with tlc
for 25 years,
And every tour I've ever done
Is more important
than the last one.
Now we're being considered
for glastonbury.
It's the most difficult festival
in the world
To get accepted, playing
in front of millions of people.
This would be the biggest
performance of their career.
Thank you.
Ladies.
Thank you.
What's playing here?
Are there new movies here
or old ones?
I feel like I'm going
to a high-school reunion.
Ooh.
Ah,
look at those beauties.
Take me back.
Classic tionne -- never smiled.
And lisa and I,
we were always cheesing,
Grilled cheesing.
Why am I standing alone?
Do I look mean, though?
I'm pretty sure because you had
a very intimidating look.
Oh, my god.
You didn't intimidate me.
Yes, I did.
No, you didn't.
If you had intimidated me,
I would not have hugged you
the way that I did all the time.
So you just got used to it.
Did I hug you back?
It didn't matter.
She was like...
It was so weak,
but I didn't care.
Oh, my gosh.
I was like,
"I'll break her."
Lopes: Yo. What's happening?
Hey, hey.
We in the house.
Oh, I remember this.
Oh, man.
"I'm the tiggity tiggity."
Now, are we looking at you?
Woman:
You can look right at me.
So if you could first,
actually,
Introduce yourselves
on camera.
I'm the t, tiggity, tiggity,
t-boz.
I'm the liggy, liggy,
left eye.
I'm the "c," chilli.
Both: And it be the chills.
All: And that is, oh,
on the tlc tip.
yeah.
Woman: Thank you.
You're welcome.
So how did you
get your nicknames?
Well, t-boz stands for
my first name, tionne,
And boz is slang for boss.
It means "tionne is
the boss" -- t-boz.
And my name's left eye
'cause I is right.
it's a tlc thing.
And my name is chilli because
I have all the mucho sauce.
Austin: When we started work
on the group,
Everybody was different.
Chilli was a girly girl
at that point.
She wasn't trying to wear
baggy clothes or none of that.
Tionne was like the guy
of the girls.
And then left eye, you just got
where all the quirkiness
Was going to come from.
But when they spent enough time
around each other,
Then it started to rub off
where everything was okay.
Nine hours?
Nine hours?
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine?
Nine hours?
Watkins: Yeah, girl.
It's going to be
kind of impatienized.
Oh, that's what we used to --
yeah, we used to make up words.
Impatienize.
Immobilize.
Yeah. Yeah.
When I wake back up,
I'm going to be
very immobilized.
Watkins: Uh-huh.
When we get there...
Yeah?
I'm going to be very
Ready-to-go-
back-home-itized.
That's when I used to carry
a camcorder
And a camera
on my neck daily
When we were touring.
Here we are,
chilling in the hallway,
Waiting to do this thing.
Chilli, how do you feel
about the first day of tour?
We're at the venue.
Girl, I'm ready to get
the first two days over.
After that, it's going to be on.
You know what I'm saying?
I was born in columbus, georgia.
I grew up there with my mom
and my great-grandmother.
We called her big mama.
My mom moved to atlanta
after she had me
To finish school
and get a job.
So I was in columbus
with big mama.
She planted
some good seeds in me,
And I grew up
seventh-day adventist
Because she was
a seventh-day adventist.
A lot of my friends had mom
and dad in the house,
And I had my mom
and there was big mama.
And I didn't feel like
I was missing anything.
When I was a kid, I used to
love music.
Singing and dancing,
I did that all of the time
In the neighborhood
with my cousins.
We used to make up routines.
So I always imagined myself
on stage.
Lopes:
Watkins: You don't know nothing
about this.
Move over here 'cause of
the light of the window.
Alright,
check this out.
Now, we phat,
we phat, we phat.
Right?
Look in the mirror.
Look at me.
I'm chilling. Right.
Check this out.
We about to rock
this
We about to rock it?
You know what I'm saying?
Damn.
We about to...
When I was growing up
in philadelphia,
My mother was
a very, very strong person.
And my father was very strict.
There were a lot of rules.
My father was in the military.
He was very dominant.
"what I say goes."
Don't even question him.
Don't say "why, daddy?"
"because I said so."
So nothing really
out of the ordinary happened.
But him and my mother
Didn't get into their little
arguments and stuff,
And he'd get
a little bit physical.
Everyone in my father's side
of the family
Is musically inclined.
My mother's side of the family
is more artistically inclined.
Those were some of the gifts
that I received from my parents.
No. White music?
You crazy?
Me, my sister,
and my brother
Used to put together shows
for my mother
While she was away at work.
And we'd say, "mom, mom,
we got a show for you."
like that.
We did everything --
from acting to a dance step.
I don't know what was on our
minds, but we liked to perform.
Yep.
You know, out here.
I was born at mercy hospital
in des moines, iowa.
My mom was like the big kahuna
in church.
She was in a singing group
called the viguelles.
Being that I was
under my mother,
Everybody expected me to sing,
But I would never practice
in front of anyone.
And so when it came time
for me to sing,
They were sitting there like,
"oh, god, what is tionne
going to do?" and I was like,
oh, sin now,
you're gonna be sorry
you're gonna be so sorry
I spent the first seven years
of my life in the hospitals.
The doctor diagnosed me
with sickle cell disease.
He basically told me I would not
live past 30 years old,
I would never have children,
And I would be disabled
my whole entire life.
I would always say, like,
"mom, they're going to know me
on billboards,
Magazines across the world."
And she was like, "okay, honey.
There's a couple of things
that you may not be able to do
Like everyone else,
But if you take care of yourself
and do the right things,
You can do anything
that you put your mind to."
Okay, so this is me
in the hospital,
And this is an ekg.
It keeps monitoring my heart
on that monitor.
And that's my I.V. Fluids.
That's what's going on now.
Diggins: Hello?
Thomas: Billy d.
Good morning. Have you talked
to tionne this morning?
She called me yesterday, and she
was like, "I'm just so sorry."
I said, "why are you sorry?
You couldn't help this."
And she's all like, you know,
"but I just -- you know,"
And I got her out of that
real quick.
You know, she's going to be
good, have a speedy recovery.
We've been dealing with this
for 20 years.
Yep.
Poor girl just has moments,
And then, you know,
next week,
She'll be in rehearsal,
dancing.
She's more than likely going
to get out today or tomorrow
And be ready to go.
We have recordings and radio
pick-up stuff, rehearsals,
And then these shows.
Ugh, man.
I'm going to be
so stressed out.
We've got plenty of time
to get this show together.
I'm confident with that.
Thomas: Man,
this used to be my spot.
Watkins: Okay, so let me
tell you something.
Okay.
When I saw you,
I came through that door
And you were standing
over there.
'cause I used to float.
I used to --
All of this used to be,
like, perfume and makeup.
So I went to college at 18.
So I would come home
on, like, you know,
Christmas break and stuff
and would work here.
"hi, ma'am. How are you?"
these were the days.
"what would you like
today?"
And then that's when
I figured out
That you could steal clothes
and take them back for $50
And under and get cash.
When I got in trouble,
we were downstairs.
They said I had too many
returns, and I said, "you --"
I said, "I like to buy
things and return.
You can't fault me
for that."
I want to see if the office
where they took me is there
'cause I would
never forget.
I was scared as hell,
girl.
I was like, "oh, god."
Isn't that crazy
that you were --
How old were you
when this happened?
I was, like,
about 16 or 17.
So I was working here.
That's when I saw you.
I told you.
That's so crazy.
I wasn't lying. I'm telling you,
I can't make that up.
My group member, future
group member, was stealing.
Let's see if it was over here.
I sure was.
I sure was.
While I was earning
a living.
I earned money, too.
Don't leave me out
in that area.
I was working, saving --
I was working, too.
Saving my little coins.
I was working.
This might've been the way.
Yes.
What in the world?
This looks like a chicken coop.
What is this?
Did they put you in here, ti-ti?
"I swear I won't
steal it no more."
"ma'am,
what is your mother's name..."
"let me out."
"...And what's her number?
No."
"I won't tell.
I'll never tell."
"you're going to juvie."
"for what?
I bought those clothes"
"1,000 times. 1,000 times."
"I bought those clothes.
It doesn't matter.
And 1,000 times,
I didn't want it."
"we don't show a record
that you bought them.
We have record
that you returned."
"it don't matter
where my receipt is."
"just let her stay
in here."
"I bought it.
I bought it somewhere else."
"let her stay in here.
Let her stay in here."
"none of your business
where I bought it."
thomas:
"and I'm leaving.
I'm going home."
Lock her up.
Ahhh.
Oh, my god.
Man: Dancers, are you good?
Are you ready?
Alright, here we go.
Jump, jump, jump.
Loosen it up, ladies.
Man #2:
One, two, three, four.
yo, mic check, one, two,
one, two
"ain't 2 proud."
alright, here we go.
we in the house
yeah, come on
1992, tlc kickin' off
in you mother
so you best be
duckin' fast
yo, t-boz,
is ya bein' a boss?
chilli, what's up
with that sauce?
Diggins: The first time
I ever saw tlc on tv,
They just jumped off the screen,
And I said, "wow.
Who are these girls?"
better get it
while it's hot
ain't no better love
than your own
Valds: Tlc really helped
put atlanta on the map.
They just came out
and exploded in such a way
That everyone had to pay
attention.
"what's happening?
What is this music?"
yo, if I need it
in the morning
or the middle
of the night
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
Questlove:
It's like throwing my dad's
entire record collection
In a blender,
Just put on nine random songs
at the same time,
And that was the feeling.
I think I had twentysomething
samples in that song.
join the paddy wagon
'cause I ain't too proud
And it worked
like gangbusters.
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
Austin:
The first album, me and lisa
would start off the project.
It was, like, me and her
in the studio.
All of us was always
feeding off each other's energy.
We have our different sound.
Everyone has their
own department.
She's the funk, okay?
That's her department.
She goes straight-up funk.
Miss funkiness.
I'm the rapper, you know,
and chilli is straight r&b.
I grew up rapping...
She's a true rapper.
...She grew up singing,
and she grew up singing.
I grew up singing.
So what does that say, america?
This is a singing group,
Not a rap group.
Yeah, not a rap group.
Austin: That was our process.
Chilli's going to sing high,
left eye's going to rap,
T-boz is going to sing low.
screamin' loud
and holdin' sheets
scared that you'll be
called a freak
gotta let it go
while you can
Valds: Those lyrics,
it was female empowerment.
Yeah, that's what all girls
Might have been thinking
at the time,
But who was actually
saying that out loud?
two inches or a yard
rock hard or if it's saggin'
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
Campaign '92 has been called
the year of the woman.
Jordan: It was supposed
to be celebrated.
It was the year of the woman,
but tlc got backlash
For the message
that they were conveying.
Man: "ain't 2 proud 2 beg"
Is the first mega hit
off the album,
But it caused
a bit of controversy
For these lady rappers.
They wear condoms on their
brightly colored baggy clothes,
And they look too young
to be singing about sex.
Do they try to censor
you sometimes
Because you don't
look like
You should be singing
the songs you sing?
There's a lot
of double standards
In our lyrical content.
yo, left eye, kick that
Back then,
things were a shock,
Like, especially for women
to speak like that.
Guys would always talk
like that,
But women?
Oh, no.
yeah, I like it when you
both sets of lips,
ooh, on the tlc tip
Man:
What's with the condoms?
This condom?
People look at a condom
and say, "ew,"
And this little, bitty thing
right here could save your life.
You had 30,000 people
die of aids, that year,
Mostly black
and latino people.
I mean, if you really
think about it,
Aids and all that stuff, nobody
really wants to hear about it,
Nobody wants to talk about it.
And it shouldn't
be like that.
They'd rather
just keep quiet.
Now, I read that you all
said something about how,
You know,
this is the way you all feel,
How you want to dress,
and you're really not into
That little, tight, short,
kind of sexy thing...
Watkins: Right.
Because women don't have to
dress like that.
They really don't.
We have a song called
"hat 2 da back"...
Uh-huh.
...And it describes
our clothes, our style,
And, you know,
just the way we are.
hat to the back
I gotta kick my pants down
real low
that's the kinda girl I am
Valds:
They came out during a time
That women
were such fans of hip-hop,
But we didn't necessarily
see ourselves
Completely reflected
in the music.
It wasn't the typical r&b,
tight dresses, high heels.
It was none of that.
bein' that I am
the kinda girl that I am
tight jeans don't hit the same
with one like me
Bellamy: I mean, they were
wearing clothes
That was three times bigger
than their size.
Three little 5'2" girls.
I'm chilling here
with tlc, yo.
What I thought was
really unique about them
Was the color schemes.
Thomas: That's when lisa
was spray-painting
All of our overalls
and things like that.
She was definitely
One of the most creative people
I've ever met.
Even the sound of her voice,
how loud it was...
Yeah.
...The tone of it,
her rap style.
every day, last week,
and not a place to go
this nut still had me dressin'
like a fashion show
But I think because
she's like that
And is, like,
way over the top,
Her being with us, it's like
we all balanced that together.
That is what made it
so beautiful
With the three of us
being together.
here we go, here we go,
here we go, here we go
-They have everything.
They had the look
and they had the sound
And they had the group
and they had the songs.
Man: Their debut album
has gone double platinum.
Woman: Are you guys going
to go on tour soon?
Yeah, pebbles is
working on that.
Yeah, this summer,
most likely.
I have my first group out now
on laface records, tlc,
And I'm going
to live through them.
Man: So they're, like,
your children.
Yes.
Oh
I would say...
Not children, for sure.
More like
maybe you look at us
Like we're your little sisters
or something.
I don't know.
I mean, if we're
talking about back then,
That was in
the beginning.
We felt everything was cool
in the beginning.
One thing I remember
about this room
That just came back to me,
This was the room
I had to talk to pebbles in
To tell her that me and chilli
was really dating.
And so, in this room,
this is where she brought me in
And interrogated me at.
I was terrified.
Thomas: So pebbles found out
about dallas and I,
And she was acting like
I was being promiscuous.
I'm like, "I'm seeing dallas.
That's it."
Alright, cool.
How did you get
the name chilli?
But that's when...
Mm.
Alright, so, yeah.
So I got pregnant
when I was 20.
I didn't get much support
at all from dallas,
And there was no way
I was going to tell pebbles.
I'm like, "oh, my gosh,
what am I going to do?"
Growing up, all I could think
about is I want to sing
And I want to be a mom,
And I did not want to have
an abortion at all.
Like, I'm like,
"how can I figure out
How to keep the baby
and still do this?"
I wanted both.
And we wear baggy clothes
anyway, you know,
So I could just hide it,
but it was tough.
I made the appointment
to have that done.
So that was a horrible,
horrible experience.
I'm crying.
I'm not a mom.
I could've been a mom.
You know what I mean?
And, oh, man, it was
just really hard for me.
After that,
I probably experienced
Some kind of breakdown.
I couldn't forgive myself.
I just felt this tremendous
guilt from what I had done.
And that guilt not being
properly dealt with
Is what made me latch on more
to dallas.
On our first show ever
in an arena,
They were going to "tlc! T--"
I said,
"are they chanting our name?
Yo, they really rock with us."
The first two, three shows,
it was like,
"what is this?"
It was scary.
Lopes: Even if I was scared,
I'd psych myself out to the
point where it didn't matter.
'sup?
'sup?
Hello, d.C.
Whoo!
Ooh, that was an experience
Because tlc was not used
to performing as a group.
We had known tionne
for a while,
And she hadn't
gotten sick around us.
It didn't seem that serious
in the beginning.
It wasn't till maybe
after the third or fourth time
That she got sick
when me and chilli realized,
"wow, is she going
to be okay?"
Man: Feeling good?
Watkins:
I'm getting there.
Getting there?
Okay. Good. Good.
Yeah.
Almost back to 100.
Ooh. Almost.
almost, anyway.
You're walking
pretty damn good
Compared to what you said
you were doing.
No, I wasn't at first.
It's just swollen here.
I think it's because I did
that stem-cell thing.
It's supposed to help
your torn meniscus,
But it aggravated it
more.
We want to
keep your leg straight.
Straight.
baby, baby, baby
I got so much love in me
baby, baby, baby
I got so much love in me
Wait, no.
She messed it up.
Right. Goes left.
Look.
Oh, lordy.
'cause if you're gonna
get me off
you got to love me deep
that's actual and factual
you're the one
I seem to run back to
just to get me off
you got to love me deep
You're moving your knees
too much.
You're moving your knees
too much.
I ain't even do nothing.
Hey, look,
you got a torn meniscus.
I want this knee
to just stay this way.
You were doing like this
and like that.
Oh, my god.
Now you got to
change legs.
Woman:
One, two, three, four.
Watkins:
Dr. Braunstein -- he ended up
being my everything, child,
The person that saved my life.
He diagnosed me correctly.
Her problems, unlike a
routine sickle cell patient,
Primarily involved
her hips, her joints, her eyes.
Watkins:
Sickle cell's very painful.
It feels like someone's
stabbing you over and over again
In your joints
with a butcher knife.
Sometimes you're in
so much pain
You don't know who people are.
You're delirious.
Soren: We spoke to t-boz,
and she told us,
"when I'm touring,
I get sick a lot
And have to go
to the hospital."
"t-boz became a spokesperson
For the sickle cell disease
association of america."
Watkins: I had mixed emotions
about coming out with the truth
Because I never want nobody
to pity me.
I wanted to just
be treated normal
Like my mom
always treated me.
When I told people what I wanted
to be or do,
They thought
I was absolute crazy.
"you're going to do
the very thing
That can hurt you
or make you sick?"
I want you to sing
along with me.
You're supposed to get rest.
You get no rest.
You're supposed to eat right.
You eat when you can.
now you want my love
The different climates --
that can cause a crisis.
I don't know how I do.
Half of the things I do
Except for god
has to be leading my life.
I don't think
people understand
What you go through
in the hospital
Because a lot of times
people will be like,
"oh, you look tired."
well, I am.
When I get sick,
my face gets pale,
My lips get pink,
and my circles get dark.
Yeah.
But also in the hospital,
They give you a lot
of I.V. Fluids with medication
That blow your veins
and bloat you up a lot.
So sometimes, like,
when people see me,
Yeah, I gained some weight,
but sometimes, like, that puffy,
Sick look, feeling,
like --
from the fluids.
Yeah, from fluids.
And so I'm sure
you'll see
Some of that
in this documentary.
But people don't know
that part.
When you hit the stage,
you know,
They just see t-boz singing
and dancing her butt off.
You know,
they don't know --
we did the prep
ahead of time.
Exactly.
And what has to --
and the vitamins.
Right. What has to happen
after the show.
Yeah.
Certain foods -- that helps
with inflammation.
Mm-hmm.
Having a masseuse.
Lots of fluids. Your oxygen.
All that kind of stuff
we didn't do back in the day.
So they'd be like,
"t-boz ruined another tour,"
But we didn't know
any better.
You know better,
you do better.
Yeah. Right.
Thomas:
Once we were off tour,
We would each go back
to our personal lives.
That's when lisa,
she and andre were together.
Look.
Jordan: Andre rison was
the wide receiver
For the atlanta falcons,
And he was also mvp
for numerous years.
He was quite the man
around town.
Andre and left eye
were atlanta royalty.
When I met andre,
I was in the club.
Andre followed me around that
club for the rest of the night.
It wasn't until maybe
three or four times
That I had run into him
that we just clicked.
He had this big, beautiful
house, and it was empty.
And I was like, "why don't you
have any furniture?"
"because I'm waiting for you
to furnish it."
Andre used to tell me,
"I love you," so much
That I never had a chance
to say it first.
This is how I ended up
living there,
Staying there,
never leaving.
Woman:
Show it to the camera.
But when I caught him
messing around with this girl,
I was shaking.
And for the next two weeks,
he was sending me messages,
Calling me every five minutes.
"I'm sorry."
So we went on a date.
By the end of the date,
we were arguing.
Got out of his car,
slammed the door,
Walked down the street
to the supermarket.
Somebody sees us.
Man: Police say
the star wide receiver
Got into a fight
with his girlfriend,
Tlc performer lisa lopes,
When someone came to her aid
inside a buckhead kroger store
Early this morning,
rison went to his car,
Grabbed a 9mm gun,
and fired one time in the air.
It was a misunderstanding.
Something happened
between me and my companion,
And two people tried
to get into it.
It was a matter of a situation
where I thought
I might be hindered or might be
harmed, and I protected myself.
Man: What prompted
the fight?
What prompted the fight?
None of your business.
Thomas: They had
a toxic relationship.
It was always
something going on.
Lopes: I went out.
I just wanted him to know
what it felt like
To get home late.
You know, he's looking at me,
He walks by,
he says a smart comment,
And I got real smart
with him immediately.
Next thing you know,
he pulled me in the bedroom,
And we were fighting.
When I looked in the mirror,
hey, I was bruised up.
I might've got slapped
a couple of times,
And I know my dress
got ripped off of me.
My nails had been ripped
from the sockets.
Fingers bleeding.
Rison:
I didn't do anything wrong,
and god is my witness.
The only thing I did that
he might say that I did wrong --
And that was I slapped her
after I had been hit
About 50 times
to try to calm her down.
Man: Flames erupted yesterday
morning at the $800,000 mansion
In the exclusive country club
of the south in alpharetta.
They say lopes started the fire
in an upstairs tub.
when I first saw those
images of the fire on the news,
It almost felt like a scene
out of an action movie.
It looked insane.
Watkins:
I felt so bad for her
'cause when I walked
in the room,
I just remember
the look on her face.
And she was -- her nails
were popped off.
She was scratched up,
bruised up, and bleeding.
And the whole world was looking
at her like, "what did you do?"
You know what I mean?
And everybody
didn't respond...
Yeah.
...Like they should've
when they came to see her.
Yeah.
Man: Andre rison's dream home
Has turned into
a living nightmare.
Man #2: Lopes slapped
and cursed rison.
She made several
expletives,
Indicated that she couldn't
take it anymore.
Man: This is not the first time
lisa lopes has been in trouble
With the law
over her boyfriend.
Valds: News reports at the time
were very much blaming lisa
As the crazy rapper
who lit the house on fire.
None of those news reports
took into consideration
That perhaps something else
had happened before
To even be in this type
of situation
Where something like
that could happen.
Man: Lisa lopes was indicted
by a federal grand jury
On October 26th.
She's free on bond
as she awaits trial.
I'm over it to the point
where, you know, I can function
And be happy every day
and, you know,
Not let it get to me
and bother me.
So, I mean, things happen,
But, you know, I got to put it
behind me and keep on moving.
Thomas: The only advice that
I could give is, "leave him."
I'm pretty sure
I told her that.
"you can't ever talk to him
again."
But she did.
Oh, my old boyfriend?
Ha!
We never actually broke up.
Things happened,
and things blew up,
But, you know, it's not
what everybody thinks it is.
Thomas:
When the heart is involved,
You can tell them
until they're blue in the face.
They have to have
the aha moment themselves.
Watkins: The thing that was
so crazy about it was,
If one did something,
all of us did something.
If she burnt the house,
we all burnt the house.
And it's scary because
there were people that said,
"your career is over."
Lines didn't want us
to wear their clothes.
They turned on us
like we all were the arsonists.
And we supported lisa
and wasn't mad at her,
And we took the hit
along with her.
Yep.
Tlc cover photo on the November
issue of vibe magazine.
Seems the members
had happily donned
Firemen's suits
for the shoot
And then announced
themselves surprised
When the accompanying headline
Alluded to burning
down the house.
When the pictures
from the photo shoot
Came into the office
for that cover,
I remember being
completely shocked.
I did not understand how anybody
got them to wear those outfits.
No comment on all that
from vibe,
Which reportedly had
the best-selling issue
Of its brief life
with the tlc cover.
We're at the photo shoot,
And you guys were getting
your makeup done,
Something was going on.
And I went to look at the,
You know, clothes
or whatever, yeah.
Outfits. "oh."
And, look,
they had police uniforms,
Like, the whole thing,
and the fire ones,
And I remember I grabbed --
I was like, "yo, look."
Remember that? I was like,
"we got to wear these."
And maybe at the time
I was kind of thinking,
But I really was not
thinking-thinking,
right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That was my fault.
I mean, what I'm saying is --
You were too young to know this,
but they set you up
By even having them
in the room.
Of course they did.
Of course they did.
Yeah, they did.
Yeah, no, they threw out the
bait, and we definitely took it.
But I have to say
it's one of my favorite covers.
I mean, it's an amazing cover.
It's an amazing cover.
"burning up the charts
and burning down the house."
Valds: The November '94 issue
of tlc
Was the biggest-selling issue
that year.
It blew everything
out the water.
The best art is truthful art,
And it wasn't
just lisa's truth.
It was tlc's truth.
It was this sort of cloud
hanging over them,
And they were getting ready
to release an album
That was either going to be
a sophomore jinx
Or it was going to
change the world.
The thing that was
challenging about going in
After "ooooooohhh...
On the tlc tip"
To "crazysexycool" was
you have to figure out
Why they liked you
in the first place.
How do I do that again as well
as evolve and show growth?
Austin:
Let's be taken more serious,
And part of that would be like
to take some of the gimmick out,
Take some of the samples out.
So the song itself has to stand
out and knock people's head off.
And I think "creep"
just set the standard
For what the project
should be like.
The last thing I did
was put the horn sound in.
Yes.
wah, wah-wah
It's me again.
Thomas: It was just like,
"oh, wait, what is this?"
And then when the beat drops.
creep
oh, I, oh, I,
oh, I, baby
Austin: Okay,
this is the next record.
This is what's going
to grow them up.
But I think the first video
was a little dark
And still kind of gimmicky.
Thomas: Yeah, it was
a little rough patch there,
And then we shot it again.
Yes.
It's me again.
And I'm back.
Aha, whoo.
Austin: Oh, wow.
We didn't see them
in that light.
Now they turned into sexy
instead of fun.
so I creep
yeah, just keep it
on the down low
said nobody is
supposed to know
The only thing now is we
got to get a place for lisa.
Lisa came to the studio.
I ain't think of nothing.
She's like,
"because it's called 'creep,'
If I write this rap, andre going
to think that's what I'm doing."
Thomas: She was not feeling
the lyrics
Because she and andre
were together.
Woman: Tlc member lisa lopes
voluntarily entered
An alcohol
rehabilitation program.
I didn't consider
myself an alcoholic.
The reason why I went through it
is because my lawyer said,
"you're thinking is what got you
into this mess,
And our thinking is what's going
to get you out of it."
I stayed in there for 30 days.
Maybe around the third week,
they let me out on a pass,
And it was because I had to
record for the tlc album.
I missed
the whole middle section.
So on the way,
I was admiring the streets,
The buildings, the trees,
the sky, and I looked up.
There was this rainbow.
come on
I seen a rainbow yesterday
but too many storms
have come and gone
leaving a trace
of not one god-given ray
is it because my life
is 10 shades of gray?
I pray all 10 fade away
seldom praise him
for the sunny days
I just started reflecting
on my life
As if it was a storm.
the many chances I blew
to bring my life to anew
Too many storms
have come and gone,
And they don't even leave
a trace of sunlight.
I wrote that song
from my heart.
Y'all can, like,
spread it out, you know,
And make it sound, like, fly
and stuff like that.
Austin:
And by the time we got to
"waterfalls," forget about it.
We knew that now we proved
the sophomore jinx --
We did even better
than the first time by far.
Now the girls are considered
real pop stars.
don't go chasing
waterfalls
please stick to
the rivers
and the lakes
that you're used to
You know you have
something special in the studio.
So when we finish waterfalls,
we felt it was special.
but I think
you're moving too fast
But radio wasn't playing it.
They didn't understand it.
"don't go chasing waterfalls?
What's this mean?"
So lisa, when she was doing
Some of her community service
at laface records,
She asked about the budget
for a "waterfalls" video.
Gray: You got to give me
all of Thursday.
That's the day we're going
to get our close-ups,
Our beauty shots.
Watkins: We actually pitched it
to f. Gary gray...
But you are confined
a little bit.
...And we told him
exactly our vision.
See where the scuba guy
is standing?
Yes.
That's where you guys
will be standing.
Man: Roll sound. Roll camera.
Here we go.
Watkins: Lisa came up
with traveling through time.
Thomas: Tionne came up
with the story lines.
I came up with
the water images.
The video really brought
the words to life
And it was almost like
an aha moment.
Tlc also used
that video session
To make public service
announcements
That are aimed
at promoting safe sex,
According to a new survey,
Aids is now the leading
cause of death
Among young people
in this country.
Watkins:
We would hear from people
who actually had hiv and aids,
How we've made a difference
in their lives,
How we spoke up for them.
Together: We need action!
Bellamy: Tlc was always pushing
a message under their music,
And you're like, "damn."
And you didn't feel like
they was preaching.
You just learned it.
And the winner is...
don't go chasing
waterfalls
Tlc, y'all.
"waterfalls!"
Falls, falls, falls, falls,
falls, falls, falls, falls!
don't go chasing
waterfalls
please stick to
the rivers
Lopes: So here's our list.
Thank you, laface, arista.
All:
All of our fans.
Mtv.
And to the person
who thinks
She deserves the most
thanks anyway, pebbles.
Thank you.
I wonder if l.A. Was like,
"what the...?"
that's hilarious.
Was she gone by then?
Yes.
That's what I thought.
Yes, she was.
But she thanked her
anyway.
But we were obviously
being
right.
Like, we were like...
We fired pebbles
after our first album.
And when she was gone,
that's when we had
Our greatest successes.
But we had not renegotiated
the contracts.
The deal that we signed
with pebbles,
It was the type of deal
that new artists get.
When you're young
and you're hungry,
You want to get
in this industry,
You sign immediately.
Woman: Everybody,
look straight ahead.
Straight ahead, ladies.
Man: Just won two grammys.
What's up?
Thomas: We were frustrated.
Here's all this success.
We know the album
is doing phenomenal.
And what do we have
to show for it? Nothing.
Woman:
Career is not exactly what you
would have wanted it to be.
What's not on it?
Step on up.
I'll tell it.
We're not going to sugarcoat
anything anymore.
We've been quiet
long enough.
Uh-oh.
We are the biggest-selling
female group ever.
10 million albums worldwide.
We have worked very hard.
Very hard.
We have been this business
for five years...
Five years.
...And we are broke
as broke can be.
And you don't understand
the stress that we're under.
Man: Hello? Lisa, can you
come on up to the mic?
10 million albums.
How can you be broke?
Lopes: Everyone,
get ready to do your math.
Every time an album gets sold,
tlc gets $0.56.
So 10 million records,
$5.6 million.
So laface record had spent
about $3 million
On the second album.
Now we have $2.6 million left
To split between
the three of us.
You're in about
the 47%, 48% tax bracket,
So that immediately
gets deducted to $1.3 million.
Watkins: But when you factor
in all the things
That we have to pay for,
before you know it,
You're down to 50,000 a piece.
Bye, y'all.
woman: Congratulations.
At that time, we had nothing
to lose, you know,
And so --
and we were sick of it
'cause everybody was
just pointing the finger.
Thomas: We took control
of our lives. Period.
We didn't have a manager,
but we did not care.
Now we can really
move forward.
We never had good business,
unfortunately,
And that is one of
the main things
That bill
brought to the table.
Diggins:
Hi. I have a quick question.
I'm just going through
a timeline of everything.
I knew about
their financial coming in.
I understood how much money
the record company had made,
How much money the record
company was charging them
For things that they probably
shouldn't have charged them for,
And what their gross
potential was.
I also knew that their structure
was really bad
And that if they didn't have
somebody that came in
And could build not
only a financial structure
But operational structure,
They probably wouldn't
get to this next level.
And I also knew, personally,
that it would change my life.
Watkins: Bill. Bill. William.
Billy diggins.
Billy d.
Yep.
We got a billy d.
We do have a billy d.
Our very own billy d.
Suave. Yeah.
I remember when
I was in the hotel room
And I first met him,
'cause he met us individually.
Yep.
And I was like, "you sure
you want to work with us?
'cause we're going to
drive you crazy."
and she was serious.
And then I, of course,
fell in love.
And he was like, "yeah."
I'm like, "boy."
she wasn't lying.
I felt something
that I had never felt,
With any other artist
that this was going to be
An incredible turning point
in our lives.
When I signed them,
l.A. Reid said to me,
"they're the closest
that you'll ever get
To rock 'n' roll from hip-hop
because they are rock 'n' roll."
And that created
a lot of conflict.
Oh, my god,
that looks so good.
Smell it.
Come on over here.
Do a little sniffy-sniff.
I don't put too much into,
like, the future stuff
Because they said
we were supposed to already
Have flying cars and stuff
by now. Like...
Thomas: I don't want
no flying car.
I'mma tell you that right now.
I beg to differ.
I don't know.
Can you imagine?
Yes.
I don't know.
That's all I can do
is imagine.
Well, your name is tron,
so...
Exactly.
I want this back.
You want that back?
Bring it back home.
You heard it here.
I'm not playing.
You heard it here.
It's going to come.
Thomas: I got pregnant again
with dallas
When we went back into
the studio to record "fanmail."
This time I'm like,
"mnh-mnh. Having it."
And when I held him in my arms,
It was just, like,
the most beautiful feeling.
Once I became a mother,
that was first.
And I'll be back,
I was telling you, on the 30th,
For like two days
and then --
August?
Yes.
Okay.
And then I'm gone
until it's -- the tour is over.
Over. Will you come back
for, obviously, kiara's wedding?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Go to that.
The one thing that was important
to me was, when tron grows up,
He will not be able to say
to me or say to anyone,
"my mom wasn't there."
I always say this.
I was like,
"I was meant to be in tlc
and a mom."
How are you?
Once I had tron,
it really put
The relationship I had
with dallas in perspective.
Man:
You want to do it later?
Chill, do you want to
do it later?
It was clear
that wasn't a functioning,
Healthy, loving relationship.
We weren't together anymore,
But we went on
working with dallas.
That was -- that was tough.
But one of the hardest things
during that time
Was what was happening
in the group.
What's up?
What's happening, going on
With you and tlc and the whole
little nine, huh?
There's a lot of things
happening.
I have left out productions,
which is my own thing,
Which I have groups
that are signed to sony...
Ooh, word.
...Which will be
coming out this year.
Tlc is in the studio.
Will be out very soon.
Let me see. T-boz is acting.
Chilli just had a baby.
So very, very busy.
Busy women.
Everybody's busy,
huh?
So -- but you're doing
your thing, though.
That's what's
most important.
Always.
When I came into
their life,
Left eye was
much more difficult.
She didn't feel her voice
was being heard
And wanted to express it.
Now, I heard that dallas austin,
your producer,
You guys may not be working
with him this time.
Is that still up in the air,
or what's going on with that?
That is true. That is still
up in the air, you know?
Thomas: Lisa and dallas
really weren't getting along.
She got mad. "y'all don't
respect my creative opinion."
And she came in
and did a couple of songs,
But he didn't see her
through the whole record.
Wherever she was creatively
with her raps,
The things she wanted
to talk about...
It just didn't match
with what he was producing.
Thomas: Ultimately,
it's our decision as a group.
Okay.
This is
the b-roll people.
oh, yeah. Okay.
There was internal conflict
with left eye at that point.
I would describe lisa as
an incredibly creative person.
What made tlc so great
is you have three forces
That are equally talented,
each in their own right.
Man: Who came up with the title
"fanmail" for your new album?
Bam! Left eye.
She comes up with all the titles
for the albums.
Lopes: Usually I'm riding down
the street,
Not even thinking
about tlc...
Man: And just boom.
And something just goes
"fanmail," you know?
Thomas: Hello? Hey.
I just heard the new intro
for the first time.
I mean, it's got, like,
the entire verse.
It doesn't need to be
the whole rap.
It's just bits and pieces of it.
You see what I'm saying?
To accent what's going on
with the beat.
It's about the beat.
Okay.
Okay.
Tell him he needs
to step up his game.
Like,
keep it like it was.
Come on.
He's going downhill.
Unh-unh. Yeah.
Unh, unh, unh.
Unh-unh.
Y'all are doing it all wrong.
We need it immediately.
Call me back.
I'll have my phone
right next to me.
We'll just
get this groove.
I'm taking a deep breath
and I'm coming down,
So I'm gonna...
She's rolling her chest
that way.
Yeah, that's it.
Now y'all got it.
-Come on, y'all.
-Right.
Quickly. So, basically,
this song is for the ladies.
Just an extra reminder
to stay away from a what?
All: Scrubs!
Watkins: And then
that'll be your cue.
Uh-huh.
Thomas: C'mon.
and is also known as a busta
always talkin' about
what he wants
and just sits
on his broke...
so, no, I don't
want your number
no, I don't wanna
give you mine
and, no, I don't wanna
meet you nowhere
no, I don't want
none of your time
and, no,
I don't want no scrub
a scrub is a guy that
can't get no love from me
Hey! Lights in.
Lights out. Lights out.
Thomas: "scrubs" was
an automatic go with radio.
And then, when the video
came out, it took off.
hangin' out the passenger side
of his best friend's ride
tryin' to holla at me
Valds: Me, as a woman,
I had my life together.
I had a job.
I'm going places.
And if you are gonna step to me,
Just make sure
that you are on the same level.
There were some dudes who didn't
even know they was a scrub,
Be like, "damn,
I think I'm a scrub."
of his best friend's ride
"I might be scrubbing."
if you don't have a car
and you're walkin'
oh, yes, son
I'm talkin' to you
if you live at home
with your mama
We started some junk.
I'm telling you,
we have --
We want guys --
almost like a-a war.
I don't want no pigeons
them be them girls
who gets no dubs from me
Only the scrubs are upset.
I don't want no
no scrub
Richards:
And the winner is tlc.
yeah.
a scrub is a guy that can't
get no love from me
Once again, we want to thank
the fans for embracing us.
We've been gone
for such a long time.
We thank you.
We appreciate this.
doctor: Alright.
And so,
we're looking at your hip,
Your knee, and your foot today,
all on the right side.
Mm-hmm. I have
a torn meniscus, I know.
But two-and-a-half
years ago or so,
I did the cortisone shots.
Uh-huh.
That lasted me until now.
But when I had a crisis
about a week and a half ago,
It just won't
totally go away.
A sickle cell crisis?
Yeah.
Yeah. Okay.
If the shot worked that well
for you last time,
I would say
we do that again.
And I have to dance
in a show Saturday,
So can I get it
once I'm done with this show?
Yeah.
So, look at your schedule
And let us know
when would be a good time,
And we can schedule you
to come back and do the shot.
Okay.
Scoot to the right
just a bit more.
Whose house?
All: Gab's house.
Whose house?
Gab's house.
Eat gab's.
Watkins:
Can I have that one fry?
I'm a person who has a lot
of dreams and aspirations.
Gab's, better known
as good as burger.
We are a vegan burger joint.
ay! Ay! Ay!
We are a black-owned
family business.
I've always wanted a restaurant.
And we are very successful.
Come at it, girl.
Oh, na, na.
I like diy projects.
It's stress-relieving
for me, too.
And, you know,
with my sickle cell,
The number-one thing you're not
supposed to be is stressed.
I need a pen.
hm.
So, everyone has
a different way of working.
Like, sometimes I'll come up
with a subject matter
Or song that I know
I want to write about.
I'm good at telling stories,
And these songs are kind of like
a soundtrack to my life.
I wish I could
tie you up in my shoes
make you feel unpretty, too
Reporter: We're on the set
of the tlc video,
And with me
are the girls.
Hello!
Hello.
Hi.
Now, how did "unpretty"
come to light?
Tionne gave birth to it.
"unpretty" was
my first song to write on.
I had just got out the hospital.
I was poked and prodded on
From the iv,
then the blood draws.
My boyfriend at the time,
he didn't get it.
be in the position to make me
feel so
damn unpretty
"unpretty" up for
song of the year.
This song really spoke
to teenage girls
Who just try so hard
to fit in and don't.
Woman: Magazines are now
replacing healthier models
With waifs, women with
apparently no body fat.
And how is the skinny look
affecting young girls?
Watkins: Society has a way
of making people
Feel like they're
not good enough to fit in.
Everyone, from women to men,
at some point in time
In their life,
has felt unpretty.
I'll make you feel unpretty,
too
Valds: For black and brown
women to discuss these things
And feeling the pressure
to look a certain way,
I think that song
helped a lot of women
Recognize that their beauty
really is about individuality,
And that's the power of music.
oh, oh
Man: The 1999 recipients
Of the aretha franklin award --
Tlc.
Lopes: Before we leave
this podium,
I would like to take
the opportunity
To thank two very important
people in my life.
And that is
tionne and chilli.
Oh, this is
the infamous hug.
Uh-huh.
Oh, my god.
I love this.
I started crying.
Aah!
You were a little softy.
Announcer:
...Sultry lady of soul...
I'm about to cry now!
...Sisq and natalie cole.
To see us together
like that...
Like that.
...Happy and loving each other,
nobody's fussing or mad...
It symbolizes the good times,
our fun times...
When you get to see it,
it's like, " whoo."
...Our happy times.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Gonna mess up my lashes.
Because neither one of us knew
what she was gonna say.
Mnh-mnh.
It was like,
"so, like, what is --
okay, who are
These two people
she's about to say?"
yeah.
And, like,
"oh, my god!"
So, that was --
that was so special.
Woman: How does it feel to have
made such an awesome comeback?
It feels great.
Feels good.
Feels right.
Thomas: It was like
a roller coaster,
Because "scrubs" was great,
"unpretty" was great.
It was so much fun,
and "here we go."
Lopes: I can't stand 100% behind
this tlc project
And the music that's supposed
to represent me --
And the group.
Well, actually,
I didn't express interest
In cutting out on the group.
I just said that I couldn't
100% stand behind this project.
And I still stand behind
that statement.
This is my favorite album.
My favorite album, too.
Yeah, by far.
My favorite album
was "crazysexycool."
Daly: October 27th,
Tlc will kick off their
first us headline tour.
Diggins: They had never toured
on their own in an arena tour.
It was very tough,
because the headlines weren't
Tlc going out on
their first tour
As tlc splitting up.
We are one short.
We're missing the "l" in tlc,
Left eye.
She okay?
All I have to say is
imodium a-d. Put it together.
Okay.
I cannot believe
you just said that.
By that time, things had
really started to deteriorate
Between the girls
and the relationships.
And I think some of the magic
started to dissipate.
Man: Three, two, one.
Thank you.
Whoo!
Watkins and thomas:
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you!
Thank you so much
for watching.
Hope you enjoyed it,
and see you next time.
Come back again.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And we'll be back.
Right, right, right, right.
Don't be wack.
That was wack.
Austin: She started feeling
a little bit weighed down
By the niceness of tlc.
Some of the other stuff
rappers were doing in general,
It started to make
her feel like, "okay,
I'm not just a pop-y rapper.
I'm supposed to be a rapper."
Watkins: She was acting like
she didn't know us.
How are we supposed
to fight against the world
If we're fighting internally?
That didn't make sense to us.
Now, I feel like there's a lot
of love in this house tonight.
And I want y'all to know
that it ain't nothing
But positive energy
on this stage here tonight.
Hope y'all enjoyed the show,
And I need y'all to know
that tlc is forever...
Baby, baby, baby.
Reporter: What did it take
to get you guys happy
With each other again?
We are sisters,
you know,
And I don't care
what happens between us.
We've been through
too much stuff.
Thomas: It never changed
our love for her,
Because you can
never change that.
No matter what we went through,
we never questioned the love.
Reporter:
You came out last night
and you said, "tlc forever."
Is that what you said
when you hit the stage?
Mm-hmm.
What did that mean to you?
Well, you know what?
I have never,
ever said
That I was leaving
this group, you know?
So I just like to
reiterate that sometimes
And let everyone know that,
even if we do fight,
You know, even if we can't
stand each other,
It's a good business move
just to stay
In a group of anything,
you know?
But, yeah,
tlc forever.
Woman: I love you!
Diggins: Eventually,
left eye turned around
On the January tour.
She really understood it,
And it was sold out everywhere.
It's a letter.
Looky, looky here.
The fan mail, y'all.
We have
a bag of fan mail
That just showed up
on the stage.
T-shirts!
Diggins: It was great.
It was
a really successful project.
And then it ended.
In January of 2000,
that was the last tour
That the three of them
did together.
Tlc, one of the most successful
pop acts
To ever file for bankruptcy,
Have been taking some time
out of the limelight.
T-boz has gotten hitched
and is having a baby girl.
Chilli told mtv news recently
That she's putting her
solo plans on hold for a while
So she can concentrate
on the next tlc project.
Lopes has almost completed
her first solo album,
Which will dance its way
into stores on August 16th.
cherry, cherry
sing it, girl.
girl, you know you're fine
"supernova,"
That is my debut album
as a solo artist.
A supernova is a rare star
That increases up to a billion
times its normal shine.
And it's pretty much saying that
there's no such thing as death.
We can call it transforming,
for better lack of words.
So, I'm on a 40-day fast.
I feel like I'm
on a journey sometimes.
Don't really know
quite where I'm headed.
I hope that, you know,
in a month,
We see some major changes,
Because that's what this trip
is all about,
Coming here and
getting this stuff on tape
So you can see what
30 days in the bush
Can do for you.
We begin tonight with
tragic news of a life cut short.
Tlc band member
lisa "left eye" lopes
Was killed last night in
a car crash in central america.
It happened in honduras.
Authorities say she lost control
of a rented suv she was driving.
They also say seven other people
in the car were injured.
The women who considered lisa,
quite simply, their sister,
T-boz and chilli from tlc,
And they join us
on the phone right now.
Ladies...
...Please -- please accept
our condolences.
And thank you for joining us.
Thomas: But, yeah,
it's our sister.
We are sisters.
We've been together
for over 10 years.
I can't imagine
how hard it is for you guys
To not only be
dealing with this,
But to call in
and talk to us about it.
And we certainly appreciate it,
and best of luck in the future,
Whatever happens, okay?
At first, it didn't hit me
because lisa,
She was always,
you know, doing stuff --
Pranking or whatever.
You know, she's got...
She had just did a prank.
Yeah, she was missing
for however long,
But she really --
you know, she was okay.
And so I was hoping that
that was one of those times.
One of her jokes.
You know, and when
bill was very serious
And I could hear his voice
cracking and everything,
That's when I knew.
And, I mean, I just --
I just lost it.
I don't even...
Man, that hit
like a brick.
Yeah.
Like,
when she called me...
Yeah, 'cause I called you.
I was hysterical.
...And I couldn't make out
anything she was saying,
But I heard "lisa,"
and my heart fell to my toes.
Right before lisa passed,
I was in the hospital
for four months,
Fighting for my life.
I almost passed away.
My organs were failing.
So I had a crazy time.
And that's the last time
I saw lisa,
'cause she came to see me
the day before
She went to honduras.
He won't even leave me.
That's my little friend.
Valds: Left eye's passing
was a shock,
Especially for me personally,
Because I had spent time there
And I knew
what this place meant to her.
So, everybody
already knows what these are.
These are your living quarters.
We call them huts.
Valds: When we heard
that left eye was working
On a solo album, "supernova,"
I wanted to interview her
And had learned about
this healing center
That she had been going to.
It was really interesting
seeing lisa in that environment.
I remember getting
a peek at the room
That she was staying in.
She had decorated it.
There were, like,
drawings on the walls.
I think the quiet
helped her create
In a different kind of way.
Left eye felt like a supernova.
She felt like a bright star.
Just was really the perfect name
for what she was creating.
It was about death,
and she didn't believe in it.
She believed death
was transformation.
That gave me some peace,
In knowing that
she died in her happy place.
Reporter: Thousands of mourners
are gathering
For the funeral of singer
lisa "left eye" lopes.
Fans and friends
and loved ones
Bid a final farewell
to a pop princess.
Reporter #2: She would have
turned 31 next month.
Wow.
I remember sitting
on the end seat,
And you were sitting
next to me on the right.
Mm.
And all the fans,
I remember, were up there.
Yeah.
When her mom first saw us,
remember, she almost fainted
'cause she was so used
to seeing us all three together.
Without lisa sitting
in between us,
She kind of
fell back, almost.
Thomas: Okay, I remember
when we went to the wake,
'cause I didn't want to go.
Me neither.
And lisa's mom was like,
"you know, it's okay.
It's okay.
Look at her."
And I was like,
"oh, my gosh."
And, you know, I mean,
it didn't look like her.
I mean, how could it?
You know?
It didn't.
There's no life.
'cause, to me,
when I think of,
You know,
last memories or whatever,
That's not what I want
in my head.
Yeah.
You know?
'cause, to me, I'm like,
"that's not
my sister anymore."
yeah, definitely.
One of the worst days
of my life ever.
Mm-hmm.
Obviously, that passing
of our sister
Brought us
closer together.
I know she understands
what I'm feeling.
I understand
what she's feeling.
After she was gone, I felt
that void, and my heart hurt.
We had connected and bonded
so much on creativity.
It was just hard.
It took me years to...
Stop speaking her name
in...
The present.
Yeah.
I would always
talk about her
As if she was
still with us.
I just couldn't --
I couldn't accept that yet.
I wasn't ready.
And it was --
Those were
dark times for us.
Really dark.
I didn't speak about her
in past tense.
I can't say I loved her.
I still love her.
T-boz and chilli,
they are the remaining members
Of the grammy award-winning
group tlc,
And they're
preparing for a future
Without lisa "left eye" lopes.
She was killed in a car accident
on April 25th in honduras.
Now, the group
has been recording
And say that the new album
will be released on time.
feel so damn unpretty
In the first part,
the first line was good,
But "far" was flat
in the second line.
Alright.
Man: One more time.
One more time, baby.
She's still getting
the vibe of it.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying?
Sound good, though.
Sound good.
It was just the second half?
You're keeping
the whole first half?
Yeah, the whole first half
was cool.
Okay. That's good.
I'm ready.
Watkins: After lisa passed,
the record company said
They were going to put out
a greatest hits
If we didn't finish.
So we kind of felt forced
to go back into the studio.
Yeah, it's best to get
the whole line.
Man: That's what
I'm talking about,
We were given
an ultimatum.
Yeah, it was,
"either finish the album,
Or we're putting out
a greatest hits."
And it wasn't time
for a greatest hits.
No.
But what do you say?
Like,
"if you don't come out,
We're just gonna do whatever
we want with your career."
That couldn't happen.
Then we made a decision
to do the album,
And then I had to go right back
into creating budgets
And, "what songs do we
already have in the can?"
And, "how do we use
left eye's vocals that we have?"
Lopes: what up, papi?
You think you got game?
Man:
well, holla at me
I know you're feelin' like
Thomas:
The producers went back
And listened to
raps that she had,
And they chose the ones
that would fit the record.
fits and kicks, and you be
hurtin' my ears
Austin: After her passing,
It just kind of took
a certain part of me out of it.
As much as we used to complain
or bitch about
Her actions
and not being there,
It was only because
we wanted her to be there.
Watkins: She died
the day before my birthday.
When you go
to the grocery store,
You just see rows of magazines
with your sister's face on it
With a birth
and a death number.
Then, if you stand
in the line
At, like, wendy's,
mcdonalds, anywhere,
People were having
conversations.
"did you hear that girl,
left eye, died?
She got in a car crash."
I went to the movies.
Another conversation
was happening.
So I was just like,
"you know what?
I'm not gonna go out
anymore."
I can tell you this -- there's
no rule book on how to mourn.
Thomas: We had tunnel vision.
"let's just finish it."
Following that was promotion,
marketing, sales.
You know, where do
we first announce,
And we decided
that it would be mtv,
Where the girls would have
their first public outing.
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is my honor to bring you tlc.
Lopes:
the many chances I blew
to bring my life to anew
clear blue
and unconditional skies
have dried the tears
from my eyes
no more lonely cries
Diggins: It was tough.
They didn't want to do it.
Watching them walk out alone
was heartbreaking.
It was really sad to --
To just see that stage
with the two of them.
Watkins: Thank you.
I want to start off
by saying god is good.
that's the only reason
We're able to stand here
tonight.
this is so hard
Because it's such
a reality check,
Because it's only
two of us up here.
And she's so missed.
But we want to thank everybody
for your support
And being there for us.
We really thank you.
We love you guys.
And we know that lisa's smiling,
And we just hope that
she's proud of us right now.
Thank you.
I probably pushed them a
little more than I should have,
But I just felt
they had to go out there
And show people
"we're here, we're alive.
Don't forget us."
It's time for the first
tlc video in three years.
Right now, it's the world
premiere of tlc "girl talk."
uh-oh.
Check it out.
the girls are talkin',
the girls are talkin'
got y'all caught out there
why you thinkin'
that it's all about ya?
forget she told me
everything about ya
but the girls are talkin',
the girls are talkin'
Thomas: "3d" sold
in the millions, I think,
But it was considered
a failure for us.
If you even
look at the cover,
To me, it just looks dark.
Yeah, it is dark.
Like, and if we were
in our right mind,
I don't think we even
would have picked that picture.
But that picture even speaks
to how we felt emotionally,
Because it felt normal.
But when you're
in a dark place,
You look and think dark.
Right.
For me,
I didn't even really think
about it like
It was success
or not a success.
Just mourning still.
But you would never know
that we were struggling.
Tonight,
we're very fortunate
To have our next performers
share with us
Their very last performance.
Come on, y'all!
Man: I want y'all --
I want y'all to put an "l"
up in the air for left eye.
Let's talk about
no scrubs!
Put an "l" up in the air
for left eye.
Okay.
Thomas:
Our big performance,
First time without lisa,
was z100.
also known as a busta
And it was like
60,000-plus people there.
So, yeah, I was a wreck.
if you can't spacially expand
my horizons
then that leaves you
in the class with scrubs
never risin'
Tionne and I said that
We weren't gonna look
at the screens,
Because anytime
lisa's parts came up,
We had the video going
of her performing.
to turn you out
And the fans, they loved it.
But in order for us to get
through the show without crying,
When I say we did not
look up one time,
Not even like a...
no.
ask chilli
could I? What? Not really
t-boz and all my seoritas
are steppin' on your filas
but you don't hear me,
though
We see you're honoring
a friend tonight, huh?
Oh, yeah.
Sister, family.
Watkins: I'm not really
an emotional person, honestly.
But with
that kind of stuff,
You're kind of forced
to deal with your emotions.
Losing a group member,
that's family.
We could relate
because we had lost aaliyah.
Aaliyah was family to me.
And I've known tlc
for a very, very long time.
So we're able to sit and just
be there for each other.
It's like, what do we do next?
Being at an event like this
without lisa,
Does it take
getting used to?
Every day.
Yeah. It's still...
Every single solitary day.
...Hard to believe,
I would think.
Oh, yeah.
Thomas: I didn't want
to deal with
Anybody asking me
any questions.
I didn't want to hear,
you know, "sorry."
You know,
"my condolences."
I don't want to hear
any of that stuff.
Grohl: When you go through
tragedy,
Especially with someone
you're in a band with,
Your first instinct
is usually to back away,
Out of some sort
of self defense.
You're kind of stuck
at this crossroads.
What do you do?
How do you continue
And pay tribute
to the person you've lost?
How do you make decisions
that you used to make
As three people,
now as two?
Diggins: We need to start
thinking,
What is the new reality for us?
It was clear that
the music industry
Had deemed tlc to be over.
Everybody was
going their own directions
And taking a little break,
And we didn't know
what was going to happen.
The difference
between bc and ac --
Watkins: Bc is
before chase and chance,
And ac is
after chase and chance.
Aww
get 'em, chase, get 'em
get 'em, chase, get 'em
get 'em, chase, get 'em
I was told that
I would never have kids.
So, chase, she was my angel,
like my miracle baby.
And then, chance is, like,
a beautiful soul.
He just is.
Kids are so pure.
The first time you see
your child's face,
I don't know, it's like
the world becomes different.
I have somebody to go home for
or live for,
To teach, somebody to guide,
someone that looks up to me,
And I take care of.
My kids come first
before this job,
Before anything.
I'm not one of those moms
that's willing to miss
Anything in my kids' life.
I won't, 'cause I can't
get that time back,
And I won't do that
to my children.
All: Aww!
Watkins: You got a ball.
Whoa. Whoa.
Thomas: Chase did
some things to you.
She made you more sensitive
and all that.
And I really appreciate that,
you know?
And so...
'cause all of
our little hard work...
Yeah, yeah.
...Prior to...
I-I cracked her
a little bit, you know,
But I just could
only get so far.
But chase, like,
you know, did it.
And chance
brought it home.
I was really ready to retire
and go act or do something else
Or just write songs
for other artists.
But I wasn't --
I said, "lord, jesus, no."
I'll --
and she was praying.
Diggins: At that point,
chilli was very clear,
But tionne didn't even know
If she wanted
to continue on with tlc.
Watkins:
The year was 2007.
I kept having severe migraines,
and I get a call from my doctor.
I said,
"you're gonna tell me
I have a brain tumor
or something."
And then he said, "yes."
Like, what?
First, lisa dies,
I'm going through a divorce,
and I have a brain tumor.
The hardest part for me
was the four days
That I didn't know
exactly what was in my head.
I didn't know
if it was cancerous,
I didn't know
if I was going to die.
That was
a hard four days.
So I just sat there
staring into space.
I don't want to cry, but my
first thought was my daughter.
Right now.
I wanted to
make it back just to be a mom.
So I didn't care about
the business, honestly,
'cause that don't matter anyway
if I ain't here to do it.
So my prayer was that
I wouldn't be afraid,
And that I would
get through it
To be there for my kid.
My doctor said I have
an acoustic neuroma.
It went through my ear canal and
sat down in my right cerebellum,
Sitting on top
of my facial nerve,
My hearing nerve,
and my balance nerve.
He said, "in case
something goes wrong
And I can't save
either your hearing,
Your face,
or your balance,
Give me the order that
you want to save yourself."
This industry is about your
face, your voice, your dancing.
That's my whole job.
So they took my balance.
I saved my face,
for the most part,
And my hearing.
I only lost 3% at the time.
That was one of the hardest
things I've ever been through.
I just remember being depressed
for some years.
I was just going
through the motions.
And I felt like
I was hideous-looking.
My face is partially paralyzed.
I smile from this side,
if people notice,
Or I always cover my face
sometimes.
That's because
I still have paralysis.
Woman: That was silly.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you.
You're welcome.
I remember looking
in the mirror one day,
And I started crying,
and my mom said, "no."
She said, "look, this is just
your journey back to normal.
This is not
how you're going to stay.
This is not
how you're going to be.
This is only your journey back
to where you started from."
And I said, "yeah, okay."
So I look at it that way,
Then all I got to do is survive
this and get through it,
And I could be cool.
Woman: Over here.
And then the fight kicks in
that I'm living,
I'm going to survive this,
I'm going to beat this,
I am going to pray.
So what you got?
How we going to do this?
It took me three-and-a-half
to four years to heal
From the brain tumor
completely.
I feel like I had to heal
and I had to come back
And I had to be okay,
Because I had so many people
to be okay for.
So me and chance
are gonna fly,
See you not this week,
but the next week.
Is that cool?
Rolison: I'm cool
with you guys coming.
I miss you guys. I haven't
seen you guys in a minute.
Yeah, I miss you, too.
Alright. I love you.
Love you, too.
Thomas: While tionne was
going through physical therapy,
I was talking to bill
all the time,
Just, you know, wondering,
what are we going to do?
Even though our career
was stagnant at the time,
I just never had that feeling
that it was over.
Tionne probably didn't know
what she wanted to do.
Her main focus
was getting better.
So, do we still do this
and pursue the dream
Or do we get out?
When you don't have
the number-one record
in the world anymore,
I don't care who you are,
Everybody kind of
goes to sleep on you.
But bill never went
to sleep on us, ever.
Come on!
She's looking.
Come here, chasey.
I can get it.
Hold on, I got her.
Watkins: Our relationship
evolved...
Give me
my camcorder.
I know, I know.
...To family.
Chase?
Chasey.
Chasey.
See uncle billy?
Hey!
Look at the little face.
We arguably have
the best manager in the world.
He believed in me
When I was like,
"oh, no," you know?
And that's cool to have
somebody in your corner
Who can see things in you
when you can't.
Kind of helps you
believe in yourself again.
That's how I knew
that this wasn't over for me.
The super bowl blitz,
this was the pivotal moment
Because they hadn't performed
in front of a live audience
In almost 10 years.
But I hear me
out here.
I had to say
to tionne and chilli,
"in everybody's eyes,
your career is over."
Thomas: I was definitely
wondering,
"is this gonna come together?"
It was really,
really stressful,
Down to hours before the show.
Man: Are you ready for tlc?
Everybody make some noise.
for tlc.
Everybody scream!
Thomas: It all came together.
It was great.
Watkins: It was
an amazing feeling,
Because the business side
of the industry,
They pretty much
didn't believe in us anymore.
And I think that's where
you have to remember
That you believe in
yourself.
We knew we still had
staying power.
We also knew that we could
still sing and dance.
But you just have to find
your new normal.
I always kept saying it only
takes one person to say yes.
And that was
the super bowl blitz for us.
Thomas: Yeah.
That was when
we showed the world
That we were ready
and we could still do this.
That's when all the promoters
started calling again,
Like, "ohhh,
so now you want us, huh?"
right.
I'm bringing to the stage
some of my favorite girl groups.
The best that's ever done it.
the 23rd of loneliness
and we don't talk
like we used to do
One of the greatest groups
of all time
That I grew up listening to.
it seems pretty strange
but I ain't buggin'
'cause I still feel the same
Make some noise
for the legendary tlc.
I'll keep lovin' till the day
he pushes me away
never go astray
Thomas: I love everything
about performing.
I come to life in a different
kind of way when we're on stage.
Especially next to her.
We've done so much together.
We've played shows
all over the world --
South africa,
paris, and sydney --
In front of 45,000 people.
Your key fans --
those real die-hard fans
That are super loyal --
They're with you.
Goodbye!
And...
When we heard
Glastonbury wanted us
to perform, man...
It was over.
...I wanted to run up the street
butt naked, child...
...Screaming
in the streets.
I'mma shake it, girl! No,
I'm just playing. I'm joking.
Thomas: Glastonbury is the
biggest festival in the world.
It is huge, and it would be
our biggest show yet.
Reporter:
Welcome to glastonbury.
The sun is shining.
200,000 people are coming here.
Man: Yes, sir!
-What up?
-Yeah!
Hi. How are you?
Nice to see you.
Man: Alright, guys.
Father god,
we'd like to thank you for life,
For our health, for strength.
We pray that you allow us to
go out there and do what we do,
Father god, use the gifts
that you have give us.
In jesus' name, we pray.
Amen.
All: Amen!
Tlc! Mtv!
We tune in!
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo,
whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo!
t, l, c
come on, t
let me hear you say
come on, make some noise
for my ladies
give it up for chilli
and t-boz
some t, some t
come on
Make some noise!
Alright, y'all.
We in the house.
Yeah! Come on!
1992, tlc kickin' off
in your motha...
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
Valds: I wish people today
could understand what it meant
To see a group like tlc.
They helped usher in
This sort of genre
of female empowerment music.
'cause, glastonbury,
we don't want no what?
Watkins: What?
Crowd: Scrubs!
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
mm-hmm
Giving us permission
to speak our mind
Actually changed the world.
Watkins: Left eye's favorite
song, so let's do this for lisa.
Thomas: I feel like
the greatest reward,
It's when you don't have
the number-one song anymore
And you're able to
sell out your tours.
That means you have
a great body of work
That can stand the test of time.
a lonely mother gazing out
of her window
And time has told us
that we did good.
We did alright.
Man:
Turning it up again for lisa!
Left eye!
Come on, y'all!
-Okay!
-Okay!
There's two more!
Ay!
Lopes:
I seen a rainbow yesterday
but too many storms
have come and gone
Oh, we've been through
bankruptcy.
We've been through
houses burning down.
We've been through sickle cell.
We've been through settlements.
Thomas: Babies...
We've been through babies,
birthdays, holidays.
...If I think about the rest.
Watkins: One, two, three, four.
One more time, y'all.
don't go chasing waterfalls
come on, y'all!
please stick to the rivers and
the lakes that you're used to
Iknow that you're gonna have
it your way or nothing at all
but I think you're
moving too fast
Watkins: Three little
black girls from the hood
To become the biggest
and the best-selling girl group
Of all time in america
and still hold that title?
We did that, and we still
are holding the torch.
Man: Glastonbury,
make some noise for tlc!
Y'all make some noise
for chilli!
Y'all make some noise for t-boz!
Make some noise
for lisa "left eye" lopes!
Whoo!
Woman: Whoo!
Here we go!
Whoo!
Whoo!
I'm so proud of you guys!
-Thank you.
-Oh, my god!
you killed it.
There were like 40,000,
50,000 people trying
To rip walls down to get in
'cause they couldn't get in.
It was the most-viewed show ever
in the history of this stage.
Wow.
Yeah.
Congratulations.
Congratulations!
Man: Y'all give it up
for tlc!
Oh, yeah!
Now, honey, if lisa was
still alive today...
If lisa was still alive...
She would be the female kanye.
That, I know.
Yes, she would.
She didn't care
what nobody thinks.
Nothing.
Like, that has to be
a great feeling.
What's left?
What you talking about?
After 30 years...
30 years!
...Of being together.
We still got a lot to do.
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg, y'all,
no, I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I said I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
y'all, I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
-I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
-I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2, I ain't 2,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
tlc isn't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg, no
The hardest part for me
was the four days
That I didn't know
exactly what was in my head.
I didn't know
if it was cancerous.
I didn't know
if I was going to die.
It's called
an acoustic neuroma
And it went through
my ear
And it was deep
in my right cerebellum,
Sitting on my facial nerve,
my balance nerve
And my hearing nerve,
but that's everything I do.
That's my face, my singing,
my hearing, my dancing.
I was like, "man."
I don't want to cry, but my
first thought was my daughter.
I wanted to make it back
just to be a mom.
So I didn't care about
the business,
Honestly, 'cause
that don't matter anyway
If I ain't here
to do it.
We've lost one sister.
I just -- no,
I cannot lose another.
We have to grow old together
and be real old...
Mm-hmm.
...Biblical-times old, like,
gray hair and everything.
You hear what I'm saying?
Yes.
oh, my god.
I cannot believe this.
I used to live in this plaza,
eat in this plaza.
They had a good
barbecue-chicken spot there.
Where's your house?
It's going to be
down here on the right,
Uh, um, right across
from the school.
So this is the school.
Okay,
so this is the school.
So -- oh, my god.
Wait.
Oh, my goodness.
This was the house.
It looks so little.
And I used to
drop you off...
Used to drop me off...
...And pick you up...
...Pick me up.
...Being the tlc chauffeur.
Yep.
Y'all should've paid me.
Y'all didn't even offer
gas money.
Oh, my god. We didn't have any,
or I would have.
I remember
the first time
We ever heard ourselves
on the radio.
Yeah.
So it was right here.
It must've --
it had to have been this.
It had to be here.
It was right here.
And then you got out,
and you started dancing.
Yep, and we was dancing
all over here.
check one, two, one, two
yo, if I need it
in the morning
or the middle
of the night
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
if the lovin' is strong,
and he got it goin' on and
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
two inches or a yard
rock hard or if it's saggin'
I ain't too proud
to beg
Get up on your feet.
Tlc!
Man: The biggest-selling
female group of all time.
I would like to think two very
important people in my life.
Elliott: They are legends.
They are icons.
They will go down
in the history books of music.
hold it, hold it.
Questlove: You instantly knew
these were nobody's
Puppets on a string.
My favorite group,
ladies and gentlemen, tlc.
a scrub is a guy
that thinks he's fly
and is also known
as a busta
Whether it's destiny's child
or even
With cardi b's
"invasion of privacy,"
I see their influence
in so many artists today.
Grohl: That's cultural longevity
that connects
No matter when or where
or who.
Their name will still be around
for the generations after us.
hangin' out the passenger side
of his best friend's ride
trying to holla at me
'cause I don't want
no scrubs.
Man: And the winner is...
Man #2: "crazysexycool,"
the new album by tlc...
Valds: They weren't just
pop princesses.
The image and what they stood
for was very real.
It was catchy.
It was visual.
They had all the elements.
We are one short.
We're missing the "l" in tlc.
T-boz and chilli
were at odds with left eye.
Austin:
Lisa was still like, "I'm in the
group," "I'm out the group."
We just didn't know
what was gonna happen, period.
Woman: Many controversies,
financial and legal problems,
And infighting within the group.
When you start
being successful
In the music industry,
just starts magically
being paid for.
one, two, three, four, yo
here we go again
Man: With 33 million albums
sold worldwide...
Woman: Tlc has ruled
the music charts.
Three of the hottest women
in hip-hop.
here we go, here we go,
here we go again
Make some noise!
Watkins: Tlc is forever.
Jordan: In the late '80s,
The atlanta music scene
was just about ready to explode.
It had all of
the right pieces in place,
And somebody just needed
to take that
And, like,
put it all together.
Laface records became a mega hub
for all of
The local talent there,
like the motown of the south.
L.A. Reid and babyface always
had their finger on the pulse
Of what the next thing was
and had their ear to the ground.
By 1991, hip-hop was sort of
entering this new phase
Where it was discovering
its own powers.
The sound of the bomb squad
throwing all these samples in,
Throwing everything in
but the kitchen sink,
And creating a new soundscape.
girl, I must
warn you
Bell biv devoe touched on it
with the "poison" album.
that girl is
poison
And it took a second
for people
Even to get to the "poison"
level,
But when they did, they were,
like, obsessed with it.
Ian had a vision.
He called it a female bbd.
He said, "I want to put together
a female bbd.
Do you know anybody?
I immediately of tionne.
She run with us.
She's so cool.
Watkins: I worked with rico
with my first job
At a hair salon
called lamonte's beauty supply.
Wade:
She was new to the neighborhood.
She had just moved to delowe.
So, really, she was
the new girl, and she was edgy.
But he couldn't bring tionne
to the audition.
She had to work.
Yeah.
So what he did do
was he brought lisa.
Hi, everybody.
Hello, philadelphia.
How are you doing?
One thing I'd like to start off
by saying is hold fast,
Hold on to your dreams.
A friend of mine,
he asked me to come to atlanta
Because he had a singing group,
And he would like for me
to be in the group.
When I got there,
the group thing didn't work out,
So I asked around if anyone knew
if there were any auditions
Or anyone who wanted
to start a group.
Was there anything
that I could do?
And rico wade,
he was a dancer
For the guy
that I went to atlanta with.
He said, "yeah, I know someone
who's having auditions."
Her name was crystal.
So crystal came back
and said,
"yo, you have to see
this girl rap."
And she blew me away.
They already knew her,
but she blew me away.
glad to claim my name,
and who's to blame for success
and if you're
mentally correct
you get respect
from the left
so I expect some more respect
from every ho in return
even if you used a condom,
it's still got burns
Dupri: Lisa wrote her own raps
and what she was writing
Was what she was feeling,
Whatever she was doing, she was
doing it at --
At a level where you was going
to pay attention to her.
and since you know
so much about me
won't you tell me
what's next?
I hear my name comes out
your mouth so much
it's better than sex
At that point, I actually had
three girls in the group,
But he was so...
Adamant about tionne.
He was adamant
about meeting tionne.
So crystal and enrico
came over, and I sang,
And then I danced.
I saw immediately
a star quality in her.
Kept lisa, kept tionne,
and crystal.
We came up with the name
2nd nature.
Jordan: L.A. Reid and pebbles
were married.
She was an artist
and an executive
And was out searching
for her own artists.
So she took
my basic mold,
She put money on it,
made them look like stars.
She became our manager,
and she said
That the group
should be called something else.
All you guys' initials
are perfect.
Tionne, lisa, crystal -- tlc.
see somebody standing
in your own backyard
The first time we actually saw
tionne and lisa, for that fact,
Was in the "backyard" video,
But they had put crystal
out of the group.
Lopes:
Me, tionne, and crystal.
It was interesting.
Me and tionne, we wanted it.
We were hungry.
We just didn't get that energy
from crystal.
Watkins:
So pebbles said to me and lisa,
"one person in the group could
'f' it up for the next one."
So we had to go and kick
this girl out her own group.
Lopes:
So the word was on the street.
Everyone knew
that pebbles had a group.
There was two members,
and she needed one more.
L.A. Reid called pebbles
and said,
"I think you need
to take a look at this girl."
She had on her sweats.
She had on a baggy t-shirt
'cause she was just leaving
rehearsal.
Right off the bat,
we were feeling her vibe.
I remember lisa
being very friendly.
She was so sweet,
and tionne was not.
You know what I'm saying?
Watkins:
I was like, I don't know her.
She was all jolly and stuff,
and I was like,
"girl, I don't know.
You cute and all,
But I don't know you
like that."
Thomas:
She wasn't mean.
She just wasn't friendly at all.
But I hugged her anyway.
I didn't care.
Lopes: So when we met rozonda
and we loved her,
We picked her that night,
we named her that night.
Watkins:
We were just, like, ecstatic.
Our dream is finally
starting to come true.
Thomas: From the beginning,
I knew that it was
something special
Between the three of us.
That's just what I truly felt
in my heart.
Man: Yeah, there you go.
Ready?
Two, three.
Holmes:
...With top-10 hits.
They've sold 85 million records
worldwide.
They are one of the best-selling
american groups of all time.
Whoo. And guess what.
They're joining us here
To talk all about
their national tour.
Please welcome
the iconic members of tlc,
Rozonda "chilli" thomas
and tionne "t-boz" watkins.
T-boz, tell me
what it's been like.
It's been amazing.
I'm not gonna lie.
It's been
a lot of hard work.
This is the first time
in our whole career
Where our rehearsals
have been cut in half
Because of the pandemic.
Man: Let's go!
Man #2: Boom, boom.
Diggins: We're on the last day
of rehearsal today.
Left, right, left.
Where are we
on running time?
I'm never nervous,
but there's been
An enormous amount of stress
putting this tour together.
These girls --
taking a lot of risk.
Tionne, with an autoimmune
disease -- her life.
Let's throw our masks on
if we're not dancing, alright?
Thomas: But what breakdown
am I doing?
you're going to stress me.
Every time we go out,
You have to prove yourself
to an audience.
You have to be innovative.
You have to be dynamic.
The level of intensity
between tionne, chilli,
And myself gets very high
because you can't disappoint.
Watkins: We're not
rehearsing tomorrow?
I ain't never, never not known
this much stuff.
I know. Yeah.
I've been with tlc
for 25 years,
And every tour I've ever done
Is more important
than the last one.
Now we're being considered
for glastonbury.
It's the most difficult festival
in the world
To get accepted, playing
in front of millions of people.
This would be the biggest
performance of their career.
Thank you.
Ladies.
Thank you.
What's playing here?
Are there new movies here
or old ones?
I feel like I'm going
to a high-school reunion.
Ooh.
Ah,
look at those beauties.
Take me back.
Classic tionne -- never smiled.
And lisa and I,
we were always cheesing,
Grilled cheesing.
Why am I standing alone?
Do I look mean, though?
I'm pretty sure because you had
a very intimidating look.
Oh, my god.
You didn't intimidate me.
Yes, I did.
No, you didn't.
If you had intimidated me,
I would not have hugged you
the way that I did all the time.
So you just got used to it.
Did I hug you back?
It didn't matter.
She was like...
It was so weak,
but I didn't care.
Oh, my gosh.
I was like,
"I'll break her."
Lopes: Yo. What's happening?
Hey, hey.
We in the house.
Oh, I remember this.
Oh, man.
"I'm the tiggity tiggity."
Now, are we looking at you?
Woman:
You can look right at me.
So if you could first,
actually,
Introduce yourselves
on camera.
I'm the t, tiggity, tiggity,
t-boz.
I'm the liggy, liggy,
left eye.
I'm the "c," chilli.
Both: And it be the chills.
All: And that is, oh,
on the tlc tip.
yeah.
Woman: Thank you.
You're welcome.
So how did you
get your nicknames?
Well, t-boz stands for
my first name, tionne,
And boz is slang for boss.
It means "tionne is
the boss" -- t-boz.
And my name's left eye
'cause I is right.
it's a tlc thing.
And my name is chilli because
I have all the mucho sauce.
Austin: When we started work
on the group,
Everybody was different.
Chilli was a girly girl
at that point.
She wasn't trying to wear
baggy clothes or none of that.
Tionne was like the guy
of the girls.
And then left eye, you just got
where all the quirkiness
Was going to come from.
But when they spent enough time
around each other,
Then it started to rub off
where everything was okay.
Nine hours?
Nine hours?
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine?
Nine hours?
Watkins: Yeah, girl.
It's going to be
kind of impatienized.
Oh, that's what we used to --
yeah, we used to make up words.
Impatienize.
Immobilize.
Yeah. Yeah.
When I wake back up,
I'm going to be
very immobilized.
Watkins: Uh-huh.
When we get there...
Yeah?
I'm going to be very
Ready-to-go-
back-home-itized.
That's when I used to carry
a camcorder
And a camera
on my neck daily
When we were touring.
Here we are,
chilling in the hallway,
Waiting to do this thing.
Chilli, how do you feel
about the first day of tour?
We're at the venue.
Girl, I'm ready to get
the first two days over.
After that, it's going to be on.
You know what I'm saying?
I was born in columbus, georgia.
I grew up there with my mom
and my great-grandmother.
We called her big mama.
My mom moved to atlanta
after she had me
To finish school
and get a job.
So I was in columbus
with big mama.
She planted
some good seeds in me,
And I grew up
seventh-day adventist
Because she was
a seventh-day adventist.
A lot of my friends had mom
and dad in the house,
And I had my mom
and there was big mama.
And I didn't feel like
I was missing anything.
When I was a kid, I used to
love music.
Singing and dancing,
I did that all of the time
In the neighborhood
with my cousins.
We used to make up routines.
So I always imagined myself
on stage.
Lopes:
Watkins: You don't know nothing
about this.
Move over here 'cause of
the light of the window.
Alright,
check this out.
Now, we phat,
we phat, we phat.
Right?
Look in the mirror.
Look at me.
I'm chilling. Right.
Check this out.
We about to rock
this
We about to rock it?
You know what I'm saying?
Damn.
We about to...
When I was growing up
in philadelphia,
My mother was
a very, very strong person.
And my father was very strict.
There were a lot of rules.
My father was in the military.
He was very dominant.
"what I say goes."
Don't even question him.
Don't say "why, daddy?"
"because I said so."
So nothing really
out of the ordinary happened.
But him and my mother
Didn't get into their little
arguments and stuff,
And he'd get
a little bit physical.
Everyone in my father's side
of the family
Is musically inclined.
My mother's side of the family
is more artistically inclined.
Those were some of the gifts
that I received from my parents.
No. White music?
You crazy?
Me, my sister,
and my brother
Used to put together shows
for my mother
While she was away at work.
And we'd say, "mom, mom,
we got a show for you."
like that.
We did everything --
from acting to a dance step.
I don't know what was on our
minds, but we liked to perform.
Yep.
You know, out here.
I was born at mercy hospital
in des moines, iowa.
My mom was like the big kahuna
in church.
She was in a singing group
called the viguelles.
Being that I was
under my mother,
Everybody expected me to sing,
But I would never practice
in front of anyone.
And so when it came time
for me to sing,
They were sitting there like,
"oh, god, what is tionne
going to do?" and I was like,
oh, sin now,
you're gonna be sorry
you're gonna be so sorry
I spent the first seven years
of my life in the hospitals.
The doctor diagnosed me
with sickle cell disease.
He basically told me I would not
live past 30 years old,
I would never have children,
And I would be disabled
my whole entire life.
I would always say, like,
"mom, they're going to know me
on billboards,
Magazines across the world."
And she was like, "okay, honey.
There's a couple of things
that you may not be able to do
Like everyone else,
But if you take care of yourself
and do the right things,
You can do anything
that you put your mind to."
Okay, so this is me
in the hospital,
And this is an ekg.
It keeps monitoring my heart
on that monitor.
And that's my I.V. Fluids.
That's what's going on now.
Diggins: Hello?
Thomas: Billy d.
Good morning. Have you talked
to tionne this morning?
She called me yesterday, and she
was like, "I'm just so sorry."
I said, "why are you sorry?
You couldn't help this."
And she's all like, you know,
"but I just -- you know,"
And I got her out of that
real quick.
You know, she's going to be
good, have a speedy recovery.
We've been dealing with this
for 20 years.
Yep.
Poor girl just has moments,
And then, you know,
next week,
She'll be in rehearsal,
dancing.
She's more than likely going
to get out today or tomorrow
And be ready to go.
We have recordings and radio
pick-up stuff, rehearsals,
And then these shows.
Ugh, man.
I'm going to be
so stressed out.
We've got plenty of time
to get this show together.
I'm confident with that.
Thomas: Man,
this used to be my spot.
Watkins: Okay, so let me
tell you something.
Okay.
When I saw you,
I came through that door
And you were standing
over there.
'cause I used to float.
I used to --
All of this used to be,
like, perfume and makeup.
So I went to college at 18.
So I would come home
on, like, you know,
Christmas break and stuff
and would work here.
"hi, ma'am. How are you?"
these were the days.
"what would you like
today?"
And then that's when
I figured out
That you could steal clothes
and take them back for $50
And under and get cash.
When I got in trouble,
we were downstairs.
They said I had too many
returns, and I said, "you --"
I said, "I like to buy
things and return.
You can't fault me
for that."
I want to see if the office
where they took me is there
'cause I would
never forget.
I was scared as hell,
girl.
I was like, "oh, god."
Isn't that crazy
that you were --
How old were you
when this happened?
I was, like,
about 16 or 17.
So I was working here.
That's when I saw you.
I told you.
That's so crazy.
I wasn't lying. I'm telling you,
I can't make that up.
My group member, future
group member, was stealing.
Let's see if it was over here.
I sure was.
I sure was.
While I was earning
a living.
I earned money, too.
Don't leave me out
in that area.
I was working, saving --
I was working, too.
Saving my little coins.
I was working.
This might've been the way.
Yes.
What in the world?
This looks like a chicken coop.
What is this?
Did they put you in here, ti-ti?
"I swear I won't
steal it no more."
"ma'am,
what is your mother's name..."
"let me out."
"...And what's her number?
No."
"I won't tell.
I'll never tell."
"you're going to juvie."
"for what?
I bought those clothes"
"1,000 times. 1,000 times."
"I bought those clothes.
It doesn't matter.
And 1,000 times,
I didn't want it."
"we don't show a record
that you bought them.
We have record
that you returned."
"it don't matter
where my receipt is."
"just let her stay
in here."
"I bought it.
I bought it somewhere else."
"let her stay in here.
Let her stay in here."
"none of your business
where I bought it."
thomas:
"and I'm leaving.
I'm going home."
Lock her up.
Ahhh.
Oh, my god.
Man: Dancers, are you good?
Are you ready?
Alright, here we go.
Jump, jump, jump.
Loosen it up, ladies.
Man #2:
One, two, three, four.
yo, mic check, one, two,
one, two
"ain't 2 proud."
alright, here we go.
we in the house
yeah, come on
1992, tlc kickin' off
in you mother
so you best be
duckin' fast
yo, t-boz,
is ya bein' a boss?
chilli, what's up
with that sauce?
Diggins: The first time
I ever saw tlc on tv,
They just jumped off the screen,
And I said, "wow.
Who are these girls?"
better get it
while it's hot
ain't no better love
than your own
Valds: Tlc really helped
put atlanta on the map.
They just came out
and exploded in such a way
That everyone had to pay
attention.
"what's happening?
What is this music?"
yo, if I need it
in the morning
or the middle
of the night
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
Questlove:
It's like throwing my dad's
entire record collection
In a blender,
Just put on nine random songs
at the same time,
And that was the feeling.
I think I had twentysomething
samples in that song.
join the paddy wagon
'cause I ain't too proud
And it worked
like gangbusters.
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
Austin:
The first album, me and lisa
would start off the project.
It was, like, me and her
in the studio.
All of us was always
feeding off each other's energy.
We have our different sound.
Everyone has their
own department.
She's the funk, okay?
That's her department.
She goes straight-up funk.
Miss funkiness.
I'm the rapper, you know,
and chilli is straight r&b.
I grew up rapping...
She's a true rapper.
...She grew up singing,
and she grew up singing.
I grew up singing.
So what does that say, america?
This is a singing group,
Not a rap group.
Yeah, not a rap group.
Austin: That was our process.
Chilli's going to sing high,
left eye's going to rap,
T-boz is going to sing low.
screamin' loud
and holdin' sheets
scared that you'll be
called a freak
gotta let it go
while you can
Valds: Those lyrics,
it was female empowerment.
Yeah, that's what all girls
Might have been thinking
at the time,
But who was actually
saying that out loud?
two inches or a yard
rock hard or if it's saggin'
I ain't too proud
to beg, no
Campaign '92 has been called
the year of the woman.
Jordan: It was supposed
to be celebrated.
It was the year of the woman,
but tlc got backlash
For the message
that they were conveying.
Man: "ain't 2 proud 2 beg"
Is the first mega hit
off the album,
But it caused
a bit of controversy
For these lady rappers.
They wear condoms on their
brightly colored baggy clothes,
And they look too young
to be singing about sex.
Do they try to censor
you sometimes
Because you don't
look like
You should be singing
the songs you sing?
There's a lot
of double standards
In our lyrical content.
yo, left eye, kick that
Back then,
things were a shock,
Like, especially for women
to speak like that.
Guys would always talk
like that,
But women?
Oh, no.
yeah, I like it when you
both sets of lips,
ooh, on the tlc tip
Man:
What's with the condoms?
This condom?
People look at a condom
and say, "ew,"
And this little, bitty thing
right here could save your life.
You had 30,000 people
die of aids, that year,
Mostly black
and latino people.
I mean, if you really
think about it,
Aids and all that stuff, nobody
really wants to hear about it,
Nobody wants to talk about it.
And it shouldn't
be like that.
They'd rather
just keep quiet.
Now, I read that you all
said something about how,
You know,
this is the way you all feel,
How you want to dress,
and you're really not into
That little, tight, short,
kind of sexy thing...
Watkins: Right.
Because women don't have to
dress like that.
They really don't.
We have a song called
"hat 2 da back"...
Uh-huh.
...And it describes
our clothes, our style,
And, you know,
just the way we are.
hat to the back
I gotta kick my pants down
real low
that's the kinda girl I am
Valds:
They came out during a time
That women
were such fans of hip-hop,
But we didn't necessarily
see ourselves
Completely reflected
in the music.
It wasn't the typical r&b,
tight dresses, high heels.
It was none of that.
bein' that I am
the kinda girl that I am
tight jeans don't hit the same
with one like me
Bellamy: I mean, they were
wearing clothes
That was three times bigger
than their size.
Three little 5'2" girls.
I'm chilling here
with tlc, yo.
What I thought was
really unique about them
Was the color schemes.
Thomas: That's when lisa
was spray-painting
All of our overalls
and things like that.
She was definitely
One of the most creative people
I've ever met.
Even the sound of her voice,
how loud it was...
Yeah.
...The tone of it,
her rap style.
every day, last week,
and not a place to go
this nut still had me dressin'
like a fashion show
But I think because
she's like that
And is, like,
way over the top,
Her being with us, it's like
we all balanced that together.
That is what made it
so beautiful
With the three of us
being together.
here we go, here we go,
here we go, here we go
-They have everything.
They had the look
and they had the sound
And they had the group
and they had the songs.
Man: Their debut album
has gone double platinum.
Woman: Are you guys going
to go on tour soon?
Yeah, pebbles is
working on that.
Yeah, this summer,
most likely.
I have my first group out now
on laface records, tlc,
And I'm going
to live through them.
Man: So they're, like,
your children.
Yes.
Oh
I would say...
Not children, for sure.
More like
maybe you look at us
Like we're your little sisters
or something.
I don't know.
I mean, if we're
talking about back then,
That was in
the beginning.
We felt everything was cool
in the beginning.
One thing I remember
about this room
That just came back to me,
This was the room
I had to talk to pebbles in
To tell her that me and chilli
was really dating.
And so, in this room,
this is where she brought me in
And interrogated me at.
I was terrified.
Thomas: So pebbles found out
about dallas and I,
And she was acting like
I was being promiscuous.
I'm like, "I'm seeing dallas.
That's it."
Alright, cool.
How did you get
the name chilli?
But that's when...
Mm.
Alright, so, yeah.
So I got pregnant
when I was 20.
I didn't get much support
at all from dallas,
And there was no way
I was going to tell pebbles.
I'm like, "oh, my gosh,
what am I going to do?"
Growing up, all I could think
about is I want to sing
And I want to be a mom,
And I did not want to have
an abortion at all.
Like, I'm like,
"how can I figure out
How to keep the baby
and still do this?"
I wanted both.
And we wear baggy clothes
anyway, you know,
So I could just hide it,
but it was tough.
I made the appointment
to have that done.
So that was a horrible,
horrible experience.
I'm crying.
I'm not a mom.
I could've been a mom.
You know what I mean?
And, oh, man, it was
just really hard for me.
After that,
I probably experienced
Some kind of breakdown.
I couldn't forgive myself.
I just felt this tremendous
guilt from what I had done.
And that guilt not being
properly dealt with
Is what made me latch on more
to dallas.
On our first show ever
in an arena,
They were going to "tlc! T--"
I said,
"are they chanting our name?
Yo, they really rock with us."
The first two, three shows,
it was like,
"what is this?"
It was scary.
Lopes: Even if I was scared,
I'd psych myself out to the
point where it didn't matter.
'sup?
'sup?
Hello, d.C.
Whoo!
Ooh, that was an experience
Because tlc was not used
to performing as a group.
We had known tionne
for a while,
And she hadn't
gotten sick around us.
It didn't seem that serious
in the beginning.
It wasn't till maybe
after the third or fourth time
That she got sick
when me and chilli realized,
"wow, is she going
to be okay?"
Man: Feeling good?
Watkins:
I'm getting there.
Getting there?
Okay. Good. Good.
Yeah.
Almost back to 100.
Ooh. Almost.
almost, anyway.
You're walking
pretty damn good
Compared to what you said
you were doing.
No, I wasn't at first.
It's just swollen here.
I think it's because I did
that stem-cell thing.
It's supposed to help
your torn meniscus,
But it aggravated it
more.
We want to
keep your leg straight.
Straight.
baby, baby, baby
I got so much love in me
baby, baby, baby
I got so much love in me
Wait, no.
She messed it up.
Right. Goes left.
Look.
Oh, lordy.
'cause if you're gonna
get me off
you got to love me deep
that's actual and factual
you're the one
I seem to run back to
just to get me off
you got to love me deep
You're moving your knees
too much.
You're moving your knees
too much.
I ain't even do nothing.
Hey, look,
you got a torn meniscus.
I want this knee
to just stay this way.
You were doing like this
and like that.
Oh, my god.
Now you got to
change legs.
Woman:
One, two, three, four.
Watkins:
Dr. Braunstein -- he ended up
being my everything, child,
The person that saved my life.
He diagnosed me correctly.
Her problems, unlike a
routine sickle cell patient,
Primarily involved
her hips, her joints, her eyes.
Watkins:
Sickle cell's very painful.
It feels like someone's
stabbing you over and over again
In your joints
with a butcher knife.
Sometimes you're in
so much pain
You don't know who people are.
You're delirious.
Soren: We spoke to t-boz,
and she told us,
"when I'm touring,
I get sick a lot
And have to go
to the hospital."
"t-boz became a spokesperson
For the sickle cell disease
association of america."
Watkins: I had mixed emotions
about coming out with the truth
Because I never want nobody
to pity me.
I wanted to just
be treated normal
Like my mom
always treated me.
When I told people what I wanted
to be or do,
They thought
I was absolute crazy.
"you're going to do
the very thing
That can hurt you
or make you sick?"
I want you to sing
along with me.
You're supposed to get rest.
You get no rest.
You're supposed to eat right.
You eat when you can.
now you want my love
The different climates --
that can cause a crisis.
I don't know how I do.
Half of the things I do
Except for god
has to be leading my life.
I don't think
people understand
What you go through
in the hospital
Because a lot of times
people will be like,
"oh, you look tired."
well, I am.
When I get sick,
my face gets pale,
My lips get pink,
and my circles get dark.
Yeah.
But also in the hospital,
They give you a lot
of I.V. Fluids with medication
That blow your veins
and bloat you up a lot.
So sometimes, like,
when people see me,
Yeah, I gained some weight,
but sometimes, like, that puffy,
Sick look, feeling,
like --
from the fluids.
Yeah, from fluids.
And so I'm sure
you'll see
Some of that
in this documentary.
But people don't know
that part.
When you hit the stage,
you know,
They just see t-boz singing
and dancing her butt off.
You know,
they don't know --
we did the prep
ahead of time.
Exactly.
And what has to --
and the vitamins.
Right. What has to happen
after the show.
Yeah.
Certain foods -- that helps
with inflammation.
Mm-hmm.
Having a masseuse.
Lots of fluids. Your oxygen.
All that kind of stuff
we didn't do back in the day.
So they'd be like,
"t-boz ruined another tour,"
But we didn't know
any better.
You know better,
you do better.
Yeah. Right.
Thomas:
Once we were off tour,
We would each go back
to our personal lives.
That's when lisa,
she and andre were together.
Look.
Jordan: Andre rison was
the wide receiver
For the atlanta falcons,
And he was also mvp
for numerous years.
He was quite the man
around town.
Andre and left eye
were atlanta royalty.
When I met andre,
I was in the club.
Andre followed me around that
club for the rest of the night.
It wasn't until maybe
three or four times
That I had run into him
that we just clicked.
He had this big, beautiful
house, and it was empty.
And I was like, "why don't you
have any furniture?"
"because I'm waiting for you
to furnish it."
Andre used to tell me,
"I love you," so much
That I never had a chance
to say it first.
This is how I ended up
living there,
Staying there,
never leaving.
Woman:
Show it to the camera.
But when I caught him
messing around with this girl,
I was shaking.
And for the next two weeks,
he was sending me messages,
Calling me every five minutes.
"I'm sorry."
So we went on a date.
By the end of the date,
we were arguing.
Got out of his car,
slammed the door,
Walked down the street
to the supermarket.
Somebody sees us.
Man: Police say
the star wide receiver
Got into a fight
with his girlfriend,
Tlc performer lisa lopes,
When someone came to her aid
inside a buckhead kroger store
Early this morning,
rison went to his car,
Grabbed a 9mm gun,
and fired one time in the air.
It was a misunderstanding.
Something happened
between me and my companion,
And two people tried
to get into it.
It was a matter of a situation
where I thought
I might be hindered or might be
harmed, and I protected myself.
Man: What prompted
the fight?
What prompted the fight?
None of your business.
Thomas: They had
a toxic relationship.
It was always
something going on.
Lopes: I went out.
I just wanted him to know
what it felt like
To get home late.
You know, he's looking at me,
He walks by,
he says a smart comment,
And I got real smart
with him immediately.
Next thing you know,
he pulled me in the bedroom,
And we were fighting.
When I looked in the mirror,
hey, I was bruised up.
I might've got slapped
a couple of times,
And I know my dress
got ripped off of me.
My nails had been ripped
from the sockets.
Fingers bleeding.
Rison:
I didn't do anything wrong,
and god is my witness.
The only thing I did that
he might say that I did wrong --
And that was I slapped her
after I had been hit
About 50 times
to try to calm her down.
Man: Flames erupted yesterday
morning at the $800,000 mansion
In the exclusive country club
of the south in alpharetta.
They say lopes started the fire
in an upstairs tub.
when I first saw those
images of the fire on the news,
It almost felt like a scene
out of an action movie.
It looked insane.
Watkins:
I felt so bad for her
'cause when I walked
in the room,
I just remember
the look on her face.
And she was -- her nails
were popped off.
She was scratched up,
bruised up, and bleeding.
And the whole world was looking
at her like, "what did you do?"
You know what I mean?
And everybody
didn't respond...
Yeah.
...Like they should've
when they came to see her.
Yeah.
Man: Andre rison's dream home
Has turned into
a living nightmare.
Man #2: Lopes slapped
and cursed rison.
She made several
expletives,
Indicated that she couldn't
take it anymore.
Man: This is not the first time
lisa lopes has been in trouble
With the law
over her boyfriend.
Valds: News reports at the time
were very much blaming lisa
As the crazy rapper
who lit the house on fire.
None of those news reports
took into consideration
That perhaps something else
had happened before
To even be in this type
of situation
Where something like
that could happen.
Man: Lisa lopes was indicted
by a federal grand jury
On October 26th.
She's free on bond
as she awaits trial.
I'm over it to the point
where, you know, I can function
And be happy every day
and, you know,
Not let it get to me
and bother me.
So, I mean, things happen,
But, you know, I got to put it
behind me and keep on moving.
Thomas: The only advice that
I could give is, "leave him."
I'm pretty sure
I told her that.
"you can't ever talk to him
again."
But she did.
Oh, my old boyfriend?
Ha!
We never actually broke up.
Things happened,
and things blew up,
But, you know, it's not
what everybody thinks it is.
Thomas:
When the heart is involved,
You can tell them
until they're blue in the face.
They have to have
the aha moment themselves.
Watkins: The thing that was
so crazy about it was,
If one did something,
all of us did something.
If she burnt the house,
we all burnt the house.
And it's scary because
there were people that said,
"your career is over."
Lines didn't want us
to wear their clothes.
They turned on us
like we all were the arsonists.
And we supported lisa
and wasn't mad at her,
And we took the hit
along with her.
Yep.
Tlc cover photo on the November
issue of vibe magazine.
Seems the members
had happily donned
Firemen's suits
for the shoot
And then announced
themselves surprised
When the accompanying headline
Alluded to burning
down the house.
When the pictures
from the photo shoot
Came into the office
for that cover,
I remember being
completely shocked.
I did not understand how anybody
got them to wear those outfits.
No comment on all that
from vibe,
Which reportedly had
the best-selling issue
Of its brief life
with the tlc cover.
We're at the photo shoot,
And you guys were getting
your makeup done,
Something was going on.
And I went to look at the,
You know, clothes
or whatever, yeah.
Outfits. "oh."
And, look,
they had police uniforms,
Like, the whole thing,
and the fire ones,
And I remember I grabbed --
I was like, "yo, look."
Remember that? I was like,
"we got to wear these."
And maybe at the time
I was kind of thinking,
But I really was not
thinking-thinking,
right, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That was my fault.
I mean, what I'm saying is --
You were too young to know this,
but they set you up
By even having them
in the room.
Of course they did.
Of course they did.
Yeah, they did.
Yeah, no, they threw out the
bait, and we definitely took it.
But I have to say
it's one of my favorite covers.
I mean, it's an amazing cover.
It's an amazing cover.
"burning up the charts
and burning down the house."
Valds: The November '94 issue
of tlc
Was the biggest-selling issue
that year.
It blew everything
out the water.
The best art is truthful art,
And it wasn't
just lisa's truth.
It was tlc's truth.
It was this sort of cloud
hanging over them,
And they were getting ready
to release an album
That was either going to be
a sophomore jinx
Or it was going to
change the world.
The thing that was
challenging about going in
After "ooooooohhh...
On the tlc tip"
To "crazysexycool" was
you have to figure out
Why they liked you
in the first place.
How do I do that again as well
as evolve and show growth?
Austin:
Let's be taken more serious,
And part of that would be like
to take some of the gimmick out,
Take some of the samples out.
So the song itself has to stand
out and knock people's head off.
And I think "creep"
just set the standard
For what the project
should be like.
The last thing I did
was put the horn sound in.
Yes.
wah, wah-wah
It's me again.
Thomas: It was just like,
"oh, wait, what is this?"
And then when the beat drops.
creep
oh, I, oh, I,
oh, I, baby
Austin: Okay,
this is the next record.
This is what's going
to grow them up.
But I think the first video
was a little dark
And still kind of gimmicky.
Thomas: Yeah, it was
a little rough patch there,
And then we shot it again.
Yes.
It's me again.
And I'm back.
Aha, whoo.
Austin: Oh, wow.
We didn't see them
in that light.
Now they turned into sexy
instead of fun.
so I creep
yeah, just keep it
on the down low
said nobody is
supposed to know
The only thing now is we
got to get a place for lisa.
Lisa came to the studio.
I ain't think of nothing.
She's like,
"because it's called 'creep,'
If I write this rap, andre going
to think that's what I'm doing."
Thomas: She was not feeling
the lyrics
Because she and andre
were together.
Woman: Tlc member lisa lopes
voluntarily entered
An alcohol
rehabilitation program.
I didn't consider
myself an alcoholic.
The reason why I went through it
is because my lawyer said,
"you're thinking is what got you
into this mess,
And our thinking is what's going
to get you out of it."
I stayed in there for 30 days.
Maybe around the third week,
they let me out on a pass,
And it was because I had to
record for the tlc album.
I missed
the whole middle section.
So on the way,
I was admiring the streets,
The buildings, the trees,
the sky, and I looked up.
There was this rainbow.
come on
I seen a rainbow yesterday
but too many storms
have come and gone
leaving a trace
of not one god-given ray
is it because my life
is 10 shades of gray?
I pray all 10 fade away
seldom praise him
for the sunny days
I just started reflecting
on my life
As if it was a storm.
the many chances I blew
to bring my life to anew
Too many storms
have come and gone,
And they don't even leave
a trace of sunlight.
I wrote that song
from my heart.
Y'all can, like,
spread it out, you know,
And make it sound, like, fly
and stuff like that.
Austin:
And by the time we got to
"waterfalls," forget about it.
We knew that now we proved
the sophomore jinx --
We did even better
than the first time by far.
Now the girls are considered
real pop stars.
don't go chasing
waterfalls
please stick to
the rivers
and the lakes
that you're used to
You know you have
something special in the studio.
So when we finish waterfalls,
we felt it was special.
but I think
you're moving too fast
But radio wasn't playing it.
They didn't understand it.
"don't go chasing waterfalls?
What's this mean?"
So lisa, when she was doing
Some of her community service
at laface records,
She asked about the budget
for a "waterfalls" video.
Gray: You got to give me
all of Thursday.
That's the day we're going
to get our close-ups,
Our beauty shots.
Watkins: We actually pitched it
to f. Gary gray...
But you are confined
a little bit.
...And we told him
exactly our vision.
See where the scuba guy
is standing?
Yes.
That's where you guys
will be standing.
Man: Roll sound. Roll camera.
Here we go.
Watkins: Lisa came up
with traveling through time.
Thomas: Tionne came up
with the story lines.
I came up with
the water images.
The video really brought
the words to life
And it was almost like
an aha moment.
Tlc also used
that video session
To make public service
announcements
That are aimed
at promoting safe sex,
According to a new survey,
Aids is now the leading
cause of death
Among young people
in this country.
Watkins:
We would hear from people
who actually had hiv and aids,
How we've made a difference
in their lives,
How we spoke up for them.
Together: We need action!
Bellamy: Tlc was always pushing
a message under their music,
And you're like, "damn."
And you didn't feel like
they was preaching.
You just learned it.
And the winner is...
don't go chasing
waterfalls
Tlc, y'all.
"waterfalls!"
Falls, falls, falls, falls,
falls, falls, falls, falls!
don't go chasing
waterfalls
please stick to
the rivers
Lopes: So here's our list.
Thank you, laface, arista.
All:
All of our fans.
Mtv.
And to the person
who thinks
She deserves the most
thanks anyway, pebbles.
Thank you.
I wonder if l.A. Was like,
"what the...?"
that's hilarious.
Was she gone by then?
Yes.
That's what I thought.
Yes, she was.
But she thanked her
anyway.
But we were obviously
being
right.
Like, we were like...
We fired pebbles
after our first album.
And when she was gone,
that's when we had
Our greatest successes.
But we had not renegotiated
the contracts.
The deal that we signed
with pebbles,
It was the type of deal
that new artists get.
When you're young
and you're hungry,
You want to get
in this industry,
You sign immediately.
Woman: Everybody,
look straight ahead.
Straight ahead, ladies.
Man: Just won two grammys.
What's up?
Thomas: We were frustrated.
Here's all this success.
We know the album
is doing phenomenal.
And what do we have
to show for it? Nothing.
Woman:
Career is not exactly what you
would have wanted it to be.
What's not on it?
Step on up.
I'll tell it.
We're not going to sugarcoat
anything anymore.
We've been quiet
long enough.
Uh-oh.
We are the biggest-selling
female group ever.
10 million albums worldwide.
We have worked very hard.
Very hard.
We have been this business
for five years...
Five years.
...And we are broke
as broke can be.
And you don't understand
the stress that we're under.
Man: Hello? Lisa, can you
come on up to the mic?
10 million albums.
How can you be broke?
Lopes: Everyone,
get ready to do your math.
Every time an album gets sold,
tlc gets $0.56.
So 10 million records,
$5.6 million.
So laface record had spent
about $3 million
On the second album.
Now we have $2.6 million left
To split between
the three of us.
You're in about
the 47%, 48% tax bracket,
So that immediately
gets deducted to $1.3 million.
Watkins: But when you factor
in all the things
That we have to pay for,
before you know it,
You're down to 50,000 a piece.
Bye, y'all.
woman: Congratulations.
At that time, we had nothing
to lose, you know,
And so --
and we were sick of it
'cause everybody was
just pointing the finger.
Thomas: We took control
of our lives. Period.
We didn't have a manager,
but we did not care.
Now we can really
move forward.
We never had good business,
unfortunately,
And that is one of
the main things
That bill
brought to the table.
Diggins:
Hi. I have a quick question.
I'm just going through
a timeline of everything.
I knew about
their financial coming in.
I understood how much money
the record company had made,
How much money the record
company was charging them
For things that they probably
shouldn't have charged them for,
And what their gross
potential was.
I also knew that their structure
was really bad
And that if they didn't have
somebody that came in
And could build not
only a financial structure
But operational structure,
They probably wouldn't
get to this next level.
And I also knew, personally,
that it would change my life.
Watkins: Bill. Bill. William.
Billy diggins.
Billy d.
Yep.
We got a billy d.
We do have a billy d.
Our very own billy d.
Suave. Yeah.
I remember when
I was in the hotel room
And I first met him,
'cause he met us individually.
Yep.
And I was like, "you sure
you want to work with us?
'cause we're going to
drive you crazy."
and she was serious.
And then I, of course,
fell in love.
And he was like, "yeah."
I'm like, "boy."
she wasn't lying.
I felt something
that I had never felt,
With any other artist
that this was going to be
An incredible turning point
in our lives.
When I signed them,
l.A. Reid said to me,
"they're the closest
that you'll ever get
To rock 'n' roll from hip-hop
because they are rock 'n' roll."
And that created
a lot of conflict.
Oh, my god,
that looks so good.
Smell it.
Come on over here.
Do a little sniffy-sniff.
I don't put too much into,
like, the future stuff
Because they said
we were supposed to already
Have flying cars and stuff
by now. Like...
Thomas: I don't want
no flying car.
I'mma tell you that right now.
I beg to differ.
I don't know.
Can you imagine?
Yes.
I don't know.
That's all I can do
is imagine.
Well, your name is tron,
so...
Exactly.
I want this back.
You want that back?
Bring it back home.
You heard it here.
I'm not playing.
You heard it here.
It's going to come.
Thomas: I got pregnant again
with dallas
When we went back into
the studio to record "fanmail."
This time I'm like,
"mnh-mnh. Having it."
And when I held him in my arms,
It was just, like,
the most beautiful feeling.
Once I became a mother,
that was first.
And I'll be back,
I was telling you, on the 30th,
For like two days
and then --
August?
Yes.
Okay.
And then I'm gone
until it's -- the tour is over.
Over. Will you come back
for, obviously, kiara's wedding?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Go to that.
The one thing that was important
to me was, when tron grows up,
He will not be able to say
to me or say to anyone,
"my mom wasn't there."
I always say this.
I was like,
"I was meant to be in tlc
and a mom."
How are you?
Once I had tron,
it really put
The relationship I had
with dallas in perspective.
Man:
You want to do it later?
Chill, do you want to
do it later?
It was clear
that wasn't a functioning,
Healthy, loving relationship.
We weren't together anymore,
But we went on
working with dallas.
That was -- that was tough.
But one of the hardest things
during that time
Was what was happening
in the group.
What's up?
What's happening, going on
With you and tlc and the whole
little nine, huh?
There's a lot of things
happening.
I have left out productions,
which is my own thing,
Which I have groups
that are signed to sony...
Ooh, word.
...Which will be
coming out this year.
Tlc is in the studio.
Will be out very soon.
Let me see. T-boz is acting.
Chilli just had a baby.
So very, very busy.
Busy women.
Everybody's busy,
huh?
So -- but you're doing
your thing, though.
That's what's
most important.
Always.
When I came into
their life,
Left eye was
much more difficult.
She didn't feel her voice
was being heard
And wanted to express it.
Now, I heard that dallas austin,
your producer,
You guys may not be working
with him this time.
Is that still up in the air,
or what's going on with that?
That is true. That is still
up in the air, you know?
Thomas: Lisa and dallas
really weren't getting along.
She got mad. "y'all don't
respect my creative opinion."
And she came in
and did a couple of songs,
But he didn't see her
through the whole record.
Wherever she was creatively
with her raps,
The things she wanted
to talk about...
It just didn't match
with what he was producing.
Thomas: Ultimately,
it's our decision as a group.
Okay.
This is
the b-roll people.
oh, yeah. Okay.
There was internal conflict
with left eye at that point.
I would describe lisa as
an incredibly creative person.
What made tlc so great
is you have three forces
That are equally talented,
each in their own right.
Man: Who came up with the title
"fanmail" for your new album?
Bam! Left eye.
She comes up with all the titles
for the albums.
Lopes: Usually I'm riding down
the street,
Not even thinking
about tlc...
Man: And just boom.
And something just goes
"fanmail," you know?
Thomas: Hello? Hey.
I just heard the new intro
for the first time.
I mean, it's got, like,
the entire verse.
It doesn't need to be
the whole rap.
It's just bits and pieces of it.
You see what I'm saying?
To accent what's going on
with the beat.
It's about the beat.
Okay.
Okay.
Tell him he needs
to step up his game.
Like,
keep it like it was.
Come on.
He's going downhill.
Unh-unh. Yeah.
Unh, unh, unh.
Unh-unh.
Y'all are doing it all wrong.
We need it immediately.
Call me back.
I'll have my phone
right next to me.
We'll just
get this groove.
I'm taking a deep breath
and I'm coming down,
So I'm gonna...
She's rolling her chest
that way.
Yeah, that's it.
Now y'all got it.
-Come on, y'all.
-Right.
Quickly. So, basically,
this song is for the ladies.
Just an extra reminder
to stay away from a what?
All: Scrubs!
Watkins: And then
that'll be your cue.
Uh-huh.
Thomas: C'mon.
and is also known as a busta
always talkin' about
what he wants
and just sits
on his broke...
so, no, I don't
want your number
no, I don't wanna
give you mine
and, no, I don't wanna
meet you nowhere
no, I don't want
none of your time
and, no,
I don't want no scrub
a scrub is a guy that
can't get no love from me
Hey! Lights in.
Lights out. Lights out.
Thomas: "scrubs" was
an automatic go with radio.
And then, when the video
came out, it took off.
hangin' out the passenger side
of his best friend's ride
tryin' to holla at me
Valds: Me, as a woman,
I had my life together.
I had a job.
I'm going places.
And if you are gonna step to me,
Just make sure
that you are on the same level.
There were some dudes who didn't
even know they was a scrub,
Be like, "damn,
I think I'm a scrub."
of his best friend's ride
"I might be scrubbing."
if you don't have a car
and you're walkin'
oh, yes, son
I'm talkin' to you
if you live at home
with your mama
We started some junk.
I'm telling you,
we have --
We want guys --
almost like a-a war.
I don't want no pigeons
them be them girls
who gets no dubs from me
Only the scrubs are upset.
I don't want no
no scrub
Richards:
And the winner is tlc.
yeah.
a scrub is a guy that can't
get no love from me
Once again, we want to thank
the fans for embracing us.
We've been gone
for such a long time.
We thank you.
We appreciate this.
doctor: Alright.
And so,
we're looking at your hip,
Your knee, and your foot today,
all on the right side.
Mm-hmm. I have
a torn meniscus, I know.
But two-and-a-half
years ago or so,
I did the cortisone shots.
Uh-huh.
That lasted me until now.
But when I had a crisis
about a week and a half ago,
It just won't
totally go away.
A sickle cell crisis?
Yeah.
Yeah. Okay.
If the shot worked that well
for you last time,
I would say
we do that again.
And I have to dance
in a show Saturday,
So can I get it
once I'm done with this show?
Yeah.
So, look at your schedule
And let us know
when would be a good time,
And we can schedule you
to come back and do the shot.
Okay.
Scoot to the right
just a bit more.
Whose house?
All: Gab's house.
Whose house?
Gab's house.
Eat gab's.
Watkins:
Can I have that one fry?
I'm a person who has a lot
of dreams and aspirations.
Gab's, better known
as good as burger.
We are a vegan burger joint.
ay! Ay! Ay!
We are a black-owned
family business.
I've always wanted a restaurant.
And we are very successful.
Come at it, girl.
Oh, na, na.
I like diy projects.
It's stress-relieving
for me, too.
And, you know,
with my sickle cell,
The number-one thing you're not
supposed to be is stressed.
I need a pen.
hm.
So, everyone has
a different way of working.
Like, sometimes I'll come up
with a subject matter
Or song that I know
I want to write about.
I'm good at telling stories,
And these songs are kind of like
a soundtrack to my life.
I wish I could
tie you up in my shoes
make you feel unpretty, too
Reporter: We're on the set
of the tlc video,
And with me
are the girls.
Hello!
Hello.
Hi.
Now, how did "unpretty"
come to light?
Tionne gave birth to it.
"unpretty" was
my first song to write on.
I had just got out the hospital.
I was poked and prodded on
From the iv,
then the blood draws.
My boyfriend at the time,
he didn't get it.
be in the position to make me
feel so
damn unpretty
"unpretty" up for
song of the year.
This song really spoke
to teenage girls
Who just try so hard
to fit in and don't.
Woman: Magazines are now
replacing healthier models
With waifs, women with
apparently no body fat.
And how is the skinny look
affecting young girls?
Watkins: Society has a way
of making people
Feel like they're
not good enough to fit in.
Everyone, from women to men,
at some point in time
In their life,
has felt unpretty.
I'll make you feel unpretty,
too
Valds: For black and brown
women to discuss these things
And feeling the pressure
to look a certain way,
I think that song
helped a lot of women
Recognize that their beauty
really is about individuality,
And that's the power of music.
oh, oh
Man: The 1999 recipients
Of the aretha franklin award --
Tlc.
Lopes: Before we leave
this podium,
I would like to take
the opportunity
To thank two very important
people in my life.
And that is
tionne and chilli.
Oh, this is
the infamous hug.
Uh-huh.
Oh, my god.
I love this.
I started crying.
Aah!
You were a little softy.
Announcer:
...Sultry lady of soul...
I'm about to cry now!
...Sisq and natalie cole.
To see us together
like that...
Like that.
...Happy and loving each other,
nobody's fussing or mad...
It symbolizes the good times,
our fun times...
When you get to see it,
it's like, " whoo."
...Our happy times.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Gonna mess up my lashes.
Because neither one of us knew
what she was gonna say.
Mnh-mnh.
It was like,
"so, like, what is --
okay, who are
These two people
she's about to say?"
yeah.
And, like,
"oh, my god!"
So, that was --
that was so special.
Woman: How does it feel to have
made such an awesome comeback?
It feels great.
Feels good.
Feels right.
Thomas: It was like
a roller coaster,
Because "scrubs" was great,
"unpretty" was great.
It was so much fun,
and "here we go."
Lopes: I can't stand 100% behind
this tlc project
And the music that's supposed
to represent me --
And the group.
Well, actually,
I didn't express interest
In cutting out on the group.
I just said that I couldn't
100% stand behind this project.
And I still stand behind
that statement.
This is my favorite album.
My favorite album, too.
Yeah, by far.
My favorite album
was "crazysexycool."
Daly: October 27th,
Tlc will kick off their
first us headline tour.
Diggins: They had never toured
on their own in an arena tour.
It was very tough,
because the headlines weren't
Tlc going out on
their first tour
As tlc splitting up.
We are one short.
We're missing the "l" in tlc,
Left eye.
She okay?
All I have to say is
imodium a-d. Put it together.
Okay.
I cannot believe
you just said that.
By that time, things had
really started to deteriorate
Between the girls
and the relationships.
And I think some of the magic
started to dissipate.
Man: Three, two, one.
Thank you.
Whoo!
Watkins and thomas:
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you!
Thank you so much
for watching.
Hope you enjoyed it,
and see you next time.
Come back again.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And we'll be back.
Right, right, right, right.
Don't be wack.
That was wack.
Austin: She started feeling
a little bit weighed down
By the niceness of tlc.
Some of the other stuff
rappers were doing in general,
It started to make
her feel like, "okay,
I'm not just a pop-y rapper.
I'm supposed to be a rapper."
Watkins: She was acting like
she didn't know us.
How are we supposed
to fight against the world
If we're fighting internally?
That didn't make sense to us.
Now, I feel like there's a lot
of love in this house tonight.
And I want y'all to know
that it ain't nothing
But positive energy
on this stage here tonight.
Hope y'all enjoyed the show,
And I need y'all to know
that tlc is forever...
Baby, baby, baby.
Reporter: What did it take
to get you guys happy
With each other again?
We are sisters,
you know,
And I don't care
what happens between us.
We've been through
too much stuff.
Thomas: It never changed
our love for her,
Because you can
never change that.
No matter what we went through,
we never questioned the love.
Reporter:
You came out last night
and you said, "tlc forever."
Is that what you said
when you hit the stage?
Mm-hmm.
What did that mean to you?
Well, you know what?
I have never,
ever said
That I was leaving
this group, you know?
So I just like to
reiterate that sometimes
And let everyone know that,
even if we do fight,
You know, even if we can't
stand each other,
It's a good business move
just to stay
In a group of anything,
you know?
But, yeah,
tlc forever.
Woman: I love you!
Diggins: Eventually,
left eye turned around
On the January tour.
She really understood it,
And it was sold out everywhere.
It's a letter.
Looky, looky here.
The fan mail, y'all.
We have
a bag of fan mail
That just showed up
on the stage.
T-shirts!
Diggins: It was great.
It was
a really successful project.
And then it ended.
In January of 2000,
that was the last tour
That the three of them
did together.
Tlc, one of the most successful
pop acts
To ever file for bankruptcy,
Have been taking some time
out of the limelight.
T-boz has gotten hitched
and is having a baby girl.
Chilli told mtv news recently
That she's putting her
solo plans on hold for a while
So she can concentrate
on the next tlc project.
Lopes has almost completed
her first solo album,
Which will dance its way
into stores on August 16th.
cherry, cherry
sing it, girl.
girl, you know you're fine
"supernova,"
That is my debut album
as a solo artist.
A supernova is a rare star
That increases up to a billion
times its normal shine.
And it's pretty much saying that
there's no such thing as death.
We can call it transforming,
for better lack of words.
So, I'm on a 40-day fast.
I feel like I'm
on a journey sometimes.
Don't really know
quite where I'm headed.
I hope that, you know,
in a month,
We see some major changes,
Because that's what this trip
is all about,
Coming here and
getting this stuff on tape
So you can see what
30 days in the bush
Can do for you.
We begin tonight with
tragic news of a life cut short.
Tlc band member
lisa "left eye" lopes
Was killed last night in
a car crash in central america.
It happened in honduras.
Authorities say she lost control
of a rented suv she was driving.
They also say seven other people
in the car were injured.
The women who considered lisa,
quite simply, their sister,
T-boz and chilli from tlc,
And they join us
on the phone right now.
Ladies...
...Please -- please accept
our condolences.
And thank you for joining us.
Thomas: But, yeah,
it's our sister.
We are sisters.
We've been together
for over 10 years.
I can't imagine
how hard it is for you guys
To not only be
dealing with this,
But to call in
and talk to us about it.
And we certainly appreciate it,
and best of luck in the future,
Whatever happens, okay?
At first, it didn't hit me
because lisa,
She was always,
you know, doing stuff --
Pranking or whatever.
You know, she's got...
She had just did a prank.
Yeah, she was missing
for however long,
But she really --
you know, she was okay.
And so I was hoping that
that was one of those times.
One of her jokes.
You know, and when
bill was very serious
And I could hear his voice
cracking and everything,
That's when I knew.
And, I mean, I just --
I just lost it.
I don't even...
Man, that hit
like a brick.
Yeah.
Like,
when she called me...
Yeah, 'cause I called you.
I was hysterical.
...And I couldn't make out
anything she was saying,
But I heard "lisa,"
and my heart fell to my toes.
Right before lisa passed,
I was in the hospital
for four months,
Fighting for my life.
I almost passed away.
My organs were failing.
So I had a crazy time.
And that's the last time
I saw lisa,
'cause she came to see me
the day before
She went to honduras.
He won't even leave me.
That's my little friend.
Valds: Left eye's passing
was a shock,
Especially for me personally,
Because I had spent time there
And I knew
what this place meant to her.
So, everybody
already knows what these are.
These are your living quarters.
We call them huts.
Valds: When we heard
that left eye was working
On a solo album, "supernova,"
I wanted to interview her
And had learned about
this healing center
That she had been going to.
It was really interesting
seeing lisa in that environment.
I remember getting
a peek at the room
That she was staying in.
She had decorated it.
There were, like,
drawings on the walls.
I think the quiet
helped her create
In a different kind of way.
Left eye felt like a supernova.
She felt like a bright star.
Just was really the perfect name
for what she was creating.
It was about death,
and she didn't believe in it.
She believed death
was transformation.
That gave me some peace,
In knowing that
she died in her happy place.
Reporter: Thousands of mourners
are gathering
For the funeral of singer
lisa "left eye" lopes.
Fans and friends
and loved ones
Bid a final farewell
to a pop princess.
Reporter #2: She would have
turned 31 next month.
Wow.
I remember sitting
on the end seat,
And you were sitting
next to me on the right.
Mm.
And all the fans,
I remember, were up there.
Yeah.
When her mom first saw us,
remember, she almost fainted
'cause she was so used
to seeing us all three together.
Without lisa sitting
in between us,
She kind of
fell back, almost.
Thomas: Okay, I remember
when we went to the wake,
'cause I didn't want to go.
Me neither.
And lisa's mom was like,
"you know, it's okay.
It's okay.
Look at her."
And I was like,
"oh, my gosh."
And, you know, I mean,
it didn't look like her.
I mean, how could it?
You know?
It didn't.
There's no life.
'cause, to me,
when I think of,
You know,
last memories or whatever,
That's not what I want
in my head.
Yeah.
You know?
'cause, to me, I'm like,
"that's not
my sister anymore."
yeah, definitely.
One of the worst days
of my life ever.
Mm-hmm.
Obviously, that passing
of our sister
Brought us
closer together.
I know she understands
what I'm feeling.
I understand
what she's feeling.
After she was gone, I felt
that void, and my heart hurt.
We had connected and bonded
so much on creativity.
It was just hard.
It took me years to...
Stop speaking her name
in...
The present.
Yeah.
I would always
talk about her
As if she was
still with us.
I just couldn't --
I couldn't accept that yet.
I wasn't ready.
And it was --
Those were
dark times for us.
Really dark.
I didn't speak about her
in past tense.
I can't say I loved her.
I still love her.
T-boz and chilli,
they are the remaining members
Of the grammy award-winning
group tlc,
And they're
preparing for a future
Without lisa "left eye" lopes.
She was killed in a car accident
on April 25th in honduras.
Now, the group
has been recording
And say that the new album
will be released on time.
feel so damn unpretty
In the first part,
the first line was good,
But "far" was flat
in the second line.
Alright.
Man: One more time.
One more time, baby.
She's still getting
the vibe of it.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying?
Sound good, though.
Sound good.
It was just the second half?
You're keeping
the whole first half?
Yeah, the whole first half
was cool.
Okay. That's good.
I'm ready.
Watkins: After lisa passed,
the record company said
They were going to put out
a greatest hits
If we didn't finish.
So we kind of felt forced
to go back into the studio.
Yeah, it's best to get
the whole line.
Man: That's what
I'm talking about,
We were given
an ultimatum.
Yeah, it was,
"either finish the album,
Or we're putting out
a greatest hits."
And it wasn't time
for a greatest hits.
No.
But what do you say?
Like,
"if you don't come out,
We're just gonna do whatever
we want with your career."
That couldn't happen.
Then we made a decision
to do the album,
And then I had to go right back
into creating budgets
And, "what songs do we
already have in the can?"
And, "how do we use
left eye's vocals that we have?"
Lopes: what up, papi?
You think you got game?
Man:
well, holla at me
I know you're feelin' like
Thomas:
The producers went back
And listened to
raps that she had,
And they chose the ones
that would fit the record.
fits and kicks, and you be
hurtin' my ears
Austin: After her passing,
It just kind of took
a certain part of me out of it.
As much as we used to complain
or bitch about
Her actions
and not being there,
It was only because
we wanted her to be there.
Watkins: She died
the day before my birthday.
When you go
to the grocery store,
You just see rows of magazines
with your sister's face on it
With a birth
and a death number.
Then, if you stand
in the line
At, like, wendy's,
mcdonalds, anywhere,
People were having
conversations.
"did you hear that girl,
left eye, died?
She got in a car crash."
I went to the movies.
Another conversation
was happening.
So I was just like,
"you know what?
I'm not gonna go out
anymore."
I can tell you this -- there's
no rule book on how to mourn.
Thomas: We had tunnel vision.
"let's just finish it."
Following that was promotion,
marketing, sales.
You know, where do
we first announce,
And we decided
that it would be mtv,
Where the girls would have
their first public outing.
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is my honor to bring you tlc.
Lopes:
the many chances I blew
to bring my life to anew
clear blue
and unconditional skies
have dried the tears
from my eyes
no more lonely cries
Diggins: It was tough.
They didn't want to do it.
Watching them walk out alone
was heartbreaking.
It was really sad to --
To just see that stage
with the two of them.
Watkins: Thank you.
I want to start off
by saying god is good.
that's the only reason
We're able to stand here
tonight.
this is so hard
Because it's such
a reality check,
Because it's only
two of us up here.
And she's so missed.
But we want to thank everybody
for your support
And being there for us.
We really thank you.
We love you guys.
And we know that lisa's smiling,
And we just hope that
she's proud of us right now.
Thank you.
I probably pushed them a
little more than I should have,
But I just felt
they had to go out there
And show people
"we're here, we're alive.
Don't forget us."
It's time for the first
tlc video in three years.
Right now, it's the world
premiere of tlc "girl talk."
uh-oh.
Check it out.
the girls are talkin',
the girls are talkin'
got y'all caught out there
why you thinkin'
that it's all about ya?
forget she told me
everything about ya
but the girls are talkin',
the girls are talkin'
Thomas: "3d" sold
in the millions, I think,
But it was considered
a failure for us.
If you even
look at the cover,
To me, it just looks dark.
Yeah, it is dark.
Like, and if we were
in our right mind,
I don't think we even
would have picked that picture.
But that picture even speaks
to how we felt emotionally,
Because it felt normal.
But when you're
in a dark place,
You look and think dark.
Right.
For me,
I didn't even really think
about it like
It was success
or not a success.
Just mourning still.
But you would never know
that we were struggling.
Tonight,
we're very fortunate
To have our next performers
share with us
Their very last performance.
Come on, y'all!
Man: I want y'all --
I want y'all to put an "l"
up in the air for left eye.
Let's talk about
no scrubs!
Put an "l" up in the air
for left eye.
Okay.
Thomas:
Our big performance,
First time without lisa,
was z100.
also known as a busta
And it was like
60,000-plus people there.
So, yeah, I was a wreck.
if you can't spacially expand
my horizons
then that leaves you
in the class with scrubs
never risin'
Tionne and I said that
We weren't gonna look
at the screens,
Because anytime
lisa's parts came up,
We had the video going
of her performing.
to turn you out
And the fans, they loved it.
But in order for us to get
through the show without crying,
When I say we did not
look up one time,
Not even like a...
no.
ask chilli
could I? What? Not really
t-boz and all my seoritas
are steppin' on your filas
but you don't hear me,
though
We see you're honoring
a friend tonight, huh?
Oh, yeah.
Sister, family.
Watkins: I'm not really
an emotional person, honestly.
But with
that kind of stuff,
You're kind of forced
to deal with your emotions.
Losing a group member,
that's family.
We could relate
because we had lost aaliyah.
Aaliyah was family to me.
And I've known tlc
for a very, very long time.
So we're able to sit and just
be there for each other.
It's like, what do we do next?
Being at an event like this
without lisa,
Does it take
getting used to?
Every day.
Yeah. It's still...
Every single solitary day.
...Hard to believe,
I would think.
Oh, yeah.
Thomas: I didn't want
to deal with
Anybody asking me
any questions.
I didn't want to hear,
you know, "sorry."
You know,
"my condolences."
I don't want to hear
any of that stuff.
Grohl: When you go through
tragedy,
Especially with someone
you're in a band with,
Your first instinct
is usually to back away,
Out of some sort
of self defense.
You're kind of stuck
at this crossroads.
What do you do?
How do you continue
And pay tribute
to the person you've lost?
How do you make decisions
that you used to make
As three people,
now as two?
Diggins: We need to start
thinking,
What is the new reality for us?
It was clear that
the music industry
Had deemed tlc to be over.
Everybody was
going their own directions
And taking a little break,
And we didn't know
what was going to happen.
The difference
between bc and ac --
Watkins: Bc is
before chase and chance,
And ac is
after chase and chance.
Aww
get 'em, chase, get 'em
get 'em, chase, get 'em
get 'em, chase, get 'em
I was told that
I would never have kids.
So, chase, she was my angel,
like my miracle baby.
And then, chance is, like,
a beautiful soul.
He just is.
Kids are so pure.
The first time you see
your child's face,
I don't know, it's like
the world becomes different.
I have somebody to go home for
or live for,
To teach, somebody to guide,
someone that looks up to me,
And I take care of.
My kids come first
before this job,
Before anything.
I'm not one of those moms
that's willing to miss
Anything in my kids' life.
I won't, 'cause I can't
get that time back,
And I won't do that
to my children.
All: Aww!
Watkins: You got a ball.
Whoa. Whoa.
Thomas: Chase did
some things to you.
She made you more sensitive
and all that.
And I really appreciate that,
you know?
And so...
'cause all of
our little hard work...
Yeah, yeah.
...Prior to...
I-I cracked her
a little bit, you know,
But I just could
only get so far.
But chase, like,
you know, did it.
And chance
brought it home.
I was really ready to retire
and go act or do something else
Or just write songs
for other artists.
But I wasn't --
I said, "lord, jesus, no."
I'll --
and she was praying.
Diggins: At that point,
chilli was very clear,
But tionne didn't even know
If she wanted
to continue on with tlc.
Watkins:
The year was 2007.
I kept having severe migraines,
and I get a call from my doctor.
I said,
"you're gonna tell me
I have a brain tumor
or something."
And then he said, "yes."
Like, what?
First, lisa dies,
I'm going through a divorce,
and I have a brain tumor.
The hardest part for me
was the four days
That I didn't know
exactly what was in my head.
I didn't know
if it was cancerous,
I didn't know
if I was going to die.
That was
a hard four days.
So I just sat there
staring into space.
I don't want to cry, but my
first thought was my daughter.
Right now.
I wanted to
make it back just to be a mom.
So I didn't care about
the business, honestly,
'cause that don't matter anyway
if I ain't here to do it.
So my prayer was that
I wouldn't be afraid,
And that I would
get through it
To be there for my kid.
My doctor said I have
an acoustic neuroma.
It went through my ear canal and
sat down in my right cerebellum,
Sitting on top
of my facial nerve,
My hearing nerve,
and my balance nerve.
He said, "in case
something goes wrong
And I can't save
either your hearing,
Your face,
or your balance,
Give me the order that
you want to save yourself."
This industry is about your
face, your voice, your dancing.
That's my whole job.
So they took my balance.
I saved my face,
for the most part,
And my hearing.
I only lost 3% at the time.
That was one of the hardest
things I've ever been through.
I just remember being depressed
for some years.
I was just going
through the motions.
And I felt like
I was hideous-looking.
My face is partially paralyzed.
I smile from this side,
if people notice,
Or I always cover my face
sometimes.
That's because
I still have paralysis.
Woman: That was silly.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you.
You're welcome.
I remember looking
in the mirror one day,
And I started crying,
and my mom said, "no."
She said, "look, this is just
your journey back to normal.
This is not
how you're going to stay.
This is not
how you're going to be.
This is only your journey back
to where you started from."
And I said, "yeah, okay."
So I look at it that way,
Then all I got to do is survive
this and get through it,
And I could be cool.
Woman: Over here.
And then the fight kicks in
that I'm living,
I'm going to survive this,
I'm going to beat this,
I am going to pray.
So what you got?
How we going to do this?
It took me three-and-a-half
to four years to heal
From the brain tumor
completely.
I feel like I had to heal
and I had to come back
And I had to be okay,
Because I had so many people
to be okay for.
So me and chance
are gonna fly,
See you not this week,
but the next week.
Is that cool?
Rolison: I'm cool
with you guys coming.
I miss you guys. I haven't
seen you guys in a minute.
Yeah, I miss you, too.
Alright. I love you.
Love you, too.
Thomas: While tionne was
going through physical therapy,
I was talking to bill
all the time,
Just, you know, wondering,
what are we going to do?
Even though our career
was stagnant at the time,
I just never had that feeling
that it was over.
Tionne probably didn't know
what she wanted to do.
Her main focus
was getting better.
So, do we still do this
and pursue the dream
Or do we get out?
When you don't have
the number-one record
in the world anymore,
I don't care who you are,
Everybody kind of
goes to sleep on you.
But bill never went
to sleep on us, ever.
Come on!
She's looking.
Come here, chasey.
I can get it.
Hold on, I got her.
Watkins: Our relationship
evolved...
Give me
my camcorder.
I know, I know.
...To family.
Chase?
Chasey.
Chasey.
See uncle billy?
Hey!
Look at the little face.
We arguably have
the best manager in the world.
He believed in me
When I was like,
"oh, no," you know?
And that's cool to have
somebody in your corner
Who can see things in you
when you can't.
Kind of helps you
believe in yourself again.
That's how I knew
that this wasn't over for me.
The super bowl blitz,
this was the pivotal moment
Because they hadn't performed
in front of a live audience
In almost 10 years.
But I hear me
out here.
I had to say
to tionne and chilli,
"in everybody's eyes,
your career is over."
Thomas: I was definitely
wondering,
"is this gonna come together?"
It was really,
really stressful,
Down to hours before the show.
Man: Are you ready for tlc?
Everybody make some noise.
for tlc.
Everybody scream!
Thomas: It all came together.
It was great.
Watkins: It was
an amazing feeling,
Because the business side
of the industry,
They pretty much
didn't believe in us anymore.
And I think that's where
you have to remember
That you believe in
yourself.
We knew we still had
staying power.
We also knew that we could
still sing and dance.
But you just have to find
your new normal.
I always kept saying it only
takes one person to say yes.
And that was
the super bowl blitz for us.
Thomas: Yeah.
That was when
we showed the world
That we were ready
and we could still do this.
That's when all the promoters
started calling again,
Like, "ohhh,
so now you want us, huh?"
right.
I'm bringing to the stage
some of my favorite girl groups.
The best that's ever done it.
the 23rd of loneliness
and we don't talk
like we used to do
One of the greatest groups
of all time
That I grew up listening to.
it seems pretty strange
but I ain't buggin'
'cause I still feel the same
Make some noise
for the legendary tlc.
I'll keep lovin' till the day
he pushes me away
never go astray
Thomas: I love everything
about performing.
I come to life in a different
kind of way when we're on stage.
Especially next to her.
We've done so much together.
We've played shows
all over the world --
South africa,
paris, and sydney --
In front of 45,000 people.
Your key fans --
those real die-hard fans
That are super loyal --
They're with you.
Goodbye!
And...
When we heard
Glastonbury wanted us
to perform, man...
It was over.
...I wanted to run up the street
butt naked, child...
...Screaming
in the streets.
I'mma shake it, girl! No,
I'm just playing. I'm joking.
Thomas: Glastonbury is the
biggest festival in the world.
It is huge, and it would be
our biggest show yet.
Reporter:
Welcome to glastonbury.
The sun is shining.
200,000 people are coming here.
Man: Yes, sir!
-What up?
-Yeah!
Hi. How are you?
Nice to see you.
Man: Alright, guys.
Father god,
we'd like to thank you for life,
For our health, for strength.
We pray that you allow us to
go out there and do what we do,
Father god, use the gifts
that you have give us.
In jesus' name, we pray.
Amen.
All: Amen!
Tlc! Mtv!
We tune in!
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo,
whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo!
t, l, c
come on, t
let me hear you say
come on, make some noise
for my ladies
give it up for chilli
and t-boz
some t, some t
come on
Make some noise!
Alright, y'all.
We in the house.
Yeah! Come on!
1992, tlc kickin' off
in your motha...
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
Valds: I wish people today
could understand what it meant
To see a group like tlc.
They helped usher in
This sort of genre
of female empowerment music.
'cause, glastonbury,
we don't want no what?
Watkins: What?
Crowd: Scrubs!
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
mm-hmm
Giving us permission
to speak our mind
Actually changed the world.
Watkins: Left eye's favorite
song, so let's do this for lisa.
Thomas: I feel like
the greatest reward,
It's when you don't have
the number-one song anymore
And you're able to
sell out your tours.
That means you have
a great body of work
That can stand the test of time.
a lonely mother gazing out
of her window
And time has told us
that we did good.
We did alright.
Man:
Turning it up again for lisa!
Left eye!
Come on, y'all!
-Okay!
-Okay!
There's two more!
Ay!
Lopes:
I seen a rainbow yesterday
but too many storms
have come and gone
Oh, we've been through
bankruptcy.
We've been through
houses burning down.
We've been through sickle cell.
We've been through settlements.
Thomas: Babies...
We've been through babies,
birthdays, holidays.
...If I think about the rest.
Watkins: One, two, three, four.
One more time, y'all.
don't go chasing waterfalls
come on, y'all!
please stick to the rivers and
the lakes that you're used to
Iknow that you're gonna have
it your way or nothing at all
but I think you're
moving too fast
Watkins: Three little
black girls from the hood
To become the biggest
and the best-selling girl group
Of all time in america
and still hold that title?
We did that, and we still
are holding the torch.
Man: Glastonbury,
make some noise for tlc!
Y'all make some noise
for chilli!
Y'all make some noise for t-boz!
Make some noise
for lisa "left eye" lopes!
Whoo!
Woman: Whoo!
Here we go!
Whoo!
Whoo!
I'm so proud of you guys!
-Thank you.
-Oh, my god!
you killed it.
There were like 40,000,
50,000 people trying
To rip walls down to get in
'cause they couldn't get in.
It was the most-viewed show ever
in the history of this stage.
Wow.
Yeah.
Congratulations.
Congratulations!
Man: Y'all give it up
for tlc!
Oh, yeah!
Now, honey, if lisa was
still alive today...
If lisa was still alive...
She would be the female kanye.
That, I know.
Yes, she would.
She didn't care
what nobody thinks.
Nothing.
Like, that has to be
a great feeling.
What's left?
What you talking about?
After 30 years...
30 years!
...Of being together.
We still got a lot to do.
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg, y'all,
no, I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I said I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
y'all, I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
-I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
-I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2, I ain't 2,
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg
tlc isn't 2 proud 2 beg
I ain't 2 proud 2 beg, no