The only thing more rare in hip hop than the “career resurrection” (click here for the best example) is the “career reinvention”. TLC broke into the mainstream rap scene just as the pop-rap groups of the early ’90s, like Kid n Play, were on their way out. They sported outrageously colorful attire and dropped infectious dance cuts like What About Your Friends. TLC was marketed almost exclusively to the pre-teen market back then.
In late 1994, the group completely changed their image for the release of CrazySexyCool. The bright colors, baggy jeans and condom eye-patches were replaced with sexy underwear and a lot more skin. The album was powered by one of the best jams of the decade, Creep and spawned a handful of other singles that remained in rotation for months.
Since then, it’s been nothing but drama for Tionne, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Chilli. Lopes was convicted of arson in the burning down of her boyfriend’s mansion. The group sued their manager complaining of unrealized profits from their 1994 album. All three members ran afoul of the IRS. Just catch their entry on VH1’s “Behind the Music” for more details.
None of the above, of course, compares to the tragic automobile accident that claimed the life of Left Eye last year. She passed away just as the finishing touches were being made to the group’s fourth LP, 3D. There’s probably no nice way to say this without sounding disrespectful towards what the group’s gone through lately, but this is not a good album.
In 1998, the trio released a huge single entitled No Scrubs. It was a pro-women track that put TLC back on the hip hop landscape. Admittedly, it was a pretty infectious jam that was fairly harmless in its man-bashing due to its tongue-in-cheek charm. On 3D, TLC goes back to that well one too many times.
Girl Talk picks up where No Scrubs left off. It’s kind of like a hip hop version of the hit HBO show, Sex in the City. While it’s a little edgy for a TLC track (“…if you ain’t swingin/just put your tongue in it…”), it’s almost impossible to buy into the dirtier lyrics or the fact that this is ground that they’ve already covered.
Unfortunately, this theme is beaten into the ground on tracks such as Hands Up and Hey Hey Hey Hey that offer nothing redeemable for the listener looking for something new. One notable exception is on Over Me. Just when you’re ready to roll your eyes and fast-forward through another man-hating joint, there’s a surprising twist in the final verse. I won’t ruin the surprise other than to say they are talking about someone very specific from the group’s past.
There are a few other tracks worth a listen. So So Dumb is mostly hook-driven, but there are some good points made about what you lose when you’re unfaithful. Turntable features the sounds of guitars, pianos and drums, while serving has an uplifting tribute to overcoming adversity. The album’s last track Give It To Me… is actually a hot little dance jam.
TLC hurt themselves more often than not, however. Lyrically, the ladies have always been lacking, but there are some really bad lines sprinkled throughout 3D. Most notably, the late Lisa Lopes shows why her long-delayed solo album was never released. She’s the designated “rapper”, but she can’t rap. To wit, from Quickie: “You need some ginseng/For your ping ping”. Even the requisite high-profile cameos don’t help much. Missy Elliott, The Neptunes, Raphel Saddiq and Babyface all garner some form of writing or production credit, yet add nothing to the album.
