MovieChat Forums > CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story (2013) Discussion > I never agreed with Lisa's attitude towa...

I never agreed with Lisa's attitude towards the group, but...

posted 11 years ago by steelo86
15 replies | jump to latest

..her displeasure with her membership in TLC was made perfectly clear to me when I saw this movie.

Don't get me wrong, I've purchased all of their albums and loved their songs, but it wasn't until I saw the creation of so many of their hit singles represented by this film, that I understood why Lisa eventually grew disenchanted with being a member: there really wasn't much for her to do!

Think about it. After "Oooooh on the TLC Tip," which ultimately proved their best album in terms of group representation (affording Lisa visibility on at least half the tracks), TLC segued into a sexier and more adult sound, which was made evident by the videos for "Creep" and "Red Light Special." Aside from the rap on "Waterfalls," (the only CSC single featuring Left Eye vocals), Lisa had bars on "Kick Your Game," "Sumthin Wicked This Way Comes" and "Switch." What does that add up to? Lisa on 4/11 songs for CSC.

IMO this trend continued with FanMail; the initial version of the album didn't even feature Lisa's rap on "No Scrubs," and even in 1999 I felt as though the addition of her vocals to the radio/video versions seemed to be an afterthought, as though the producers and TLC had listened to the entire album and realized there really wasn't much Left Eye on it.

What else on FanMail did she get? Bars on "I'm Good at Being Bad," "If They Knew," "My Life" and "Shout", which totals 5/14 songs with Left Eye verses, if you count the single edit of "No Scrubs."

So there you have it, and like I said, I didn't get it myself until I saw the "recording footage" clips in the movie when the girls were making the albums. She probably felt like she was being under-utilized, so it's no wonder she wanted to break out and do her own thing. I don't think she handled it the best way by acting up when they had promotional duties, but I didn't ever really think her desire for solo stardom was valid until seeing how many of the group's hit singles don't feature her on them (at least in terms of lead vocals).

[–] novastar_6 11 years ago

Lisa was always an ambitious person and able to do more than most and it just came naturally to her. It seems to me that Chilli and T-Boz were content to just stay where they were in the group and never branch out to do their own things, they didn't have the drive that Lisa did to actually do things and achieve accomplishments in a solo career. As she said on her solo album, 'I'm Diana Ross, and not a Supreme' sounds egotistic, but what did the other Supremes do without Diana? She went solo and made a name for herself apart from her group.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Robb_Banks 11 years ago

Blame tionne and chilli or the record label?

[–] steelo86 11 years ago

Blame tionne and chilli or the record label?

That's a great question. I suppose it really comes down to whomever produces the vocals or arrangements for the tracks they put on the final cut of the albums. If TLC really was as involved as they said they were, then it would seem to me the former would be the case, but if Clive Davis/Dallas Austin/LA Reid demanded more R&B cuts and less raps, then yeah, the latter.

[–] Robb_Banks 11 years ago

Record labels/execs have the final say over direction of the albums and what songs make the final cuts. Left-eye could have complained to Chilli and T-boz about not being featured enough,but it wasn't much they could do. The label was probably removing her vocals off the final cuts.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] javirielife 11 years ago

I didn't realize that aswell until the part where she put the tape over her mouth during the "Creep" video shoot... with that one scene it clicked... "she doesn't have any verses... she's basically a featured back up dancer now"

and then with the prison therapy scene where she gave her speech about wanting to be seen because she was still there (it was so much more than the BBall player dude) - it was no wonder she was manipulated by a guy telling her how much of a goddess she was. Nobody else was recognizing it... I think they told her story really well

On a side note, I wish they would've went a bit deeper with Chili as well. I didn't realize Pebbles made her go to therapy for being so "loose" and she had some daddy issues... Keke would've done well with more dramatic material (she killed the abortion scene)

http://jpdeviantartist.deviantart.com/gallery/#_featured

[–] blaque108 11 years ago

I had a feeling Lisa would go solo eventually just like in any other girl group. I'm glad Lisa put out a solo rap album it didn't do well, to me its a nice album. Lisa was a creative person and if she was alive no telling what her creative ideas would have taken her.

[–] wisdombody7 11 years ago

I feel the same way. I didn't like some of Lisa's antics back in the day but I understand a lot more now.

And I don't think she's necessarily more ambitious than the others. It was the nature of her role as the rapper and the direction the group went. Chilli and T-Boz had what they wanted; to showcase their singing and dancing so in that respect, of course they're gonna be more content than Lisa.

[–] steelo86 11 years ago

^^ good point. T-Boz and Chilli basically played off of each other when it came to the vocals (T-Boz on the verses, Chilli on the ad-libs, bridges and the pre-chorus hooks/refrains), but after "Oooh" the group steered in a less hip-hop direction and Left Eye's visibility got reduced in the process.

I think it just would've been better for her to make as much money as possible (including taking that $25 million offer to extend the FanMail tour), THEN use that capital to support the projects she was passionate about. Just because she didn't want to do TLC all the time doesn't give her an excuse to back out of agreements.

[–] ladyjay0786 11 years ago

I agree. After seeing the movie I really did understand why Left Eye wanted to do her own thing. After their first album, she really was under utilized because most of the songs after "Oooooh on the TLC Tip" were R&B or hip hop without the rap. I think Lisa herself even said she felt she couldn't express herself and her raps were reduced, plus another woman, Debra Killings took her spot singing background vocals for the group. So I get where she was coming from. She could have handled it better, but I get why she was dissatisfied. Technically it wasn't really TLC because you can't have TLC without L(Left Eye) just like you can't have DC without Beyonce.

I think eventually(even if Lisa was alive) TLC would have disbanded or just change the name to Tionne and Chilli. Because Left Eye agreed to do the last album(3D) with them and after that I think she was going to leave, which technically she already left when she signed with Suge.

[–] steelo86 11 years ago

Much of that makes sense, but I don't think anyone can compare Destiny's Child to TLC.

TLC was very much a group, and this is why Tionne and Chilli haven't really had any success with the material released after Left Eye's death. I don't even think of 3D as an official TLC album, because we'll never know if Lisa would've approved the final edits. Plus it's the weakest TLC record in and of itself.

Destiny's Child, on the other hand, was pretty much a launching pad for Beyonce's solo career. This is why you could replace/switch out/lose background members and the "group" still had the same success, with so much focus on B.

[–] jmb83 11 years ago

I liked 3D more (as an album) than FanMail. Minus the singles, FanMail is pretty weak. Comes off as a Janet reject.

[–] ladyjay0786 11 years ago

I'm not trying to compare TLC to DC. There is no comparison. TLC is it hands down. I'm just saying that without Left Eye there really isn't a TLC. It's just TC. Just like with out Beyonce there is no DC or without Diana there is no Supremes.

I do agree with that T-Boz and Chilli haven't had success after Lisa's death. I didn't really listen to 3D. The only song I heard from that album was "Girl Talk" and I really liked it. But I understand that you don't consider that a TLC album. From what I understand, Left Eye was only on 5 out of 13/14 songs.

[–] MariMcCabe 11 years ago

Much of that makes sense, but I don't think anyone can compare Destiny's Child to TLC.

TLC was very much a group, and this is why Tionne and Chilli haven't really had any success with the material released after Left Eye's death. I don't even think of 3D as an official TLC album, because we'll never know if Lisa would've approved the final edits. Plus it's the weakest TLC record in and of itself.

Destiny's Child, on the other hand, was pretty much a launching pad for Beyonce's solo career. This is why you could replace/switch out/lose background members and the "group" still had the same success, with so much focus on B.

DC3 had more commercial/mainstream success than DC4. Some people prefer the music and style of the original 4 (more classic R&B) and some people like DC3 better (more pop friendly).