Search - Tlc :: On the Tlc Tip

Where it all began

The Fancy One | Westchester County, NY | 06/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Imagine the late '80s - early '90s R&B group Bell Biv Devoe as a girl group - and TLC is what you get. Little did we know we had legends in the making!! They had a unique look and style, and they weren't like ANYONE else out there - and this is why people are STILL talking about this group. We will never forget the almost cartoonish Day-Glo clothes that were baggy as all get out, and condoms worn as the "must-have" fashion accessory.



Although CRAZYSEXYCOOL is probably TLC's best selling and most popular disc, OOOOOOOHHH...ON THE TLC TIP, the Atlanta group's debut, is my favorite by the trio. Primarily produced by Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, L.A. Reid and Babyface, this is one of the few CDs that features samples throughout it that I really love. While all the ladies contribute their now trademark sounds, it is the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes who dominates the material here. I still listen to it at least once everyday. I first purchased it on cassette and wore it out so badly, I had to get another one and the same thing happened. Finally I just got the CD and I still have it today. I can honestly say that this was the CD that changed my life when I first brought it in '92. TLC might have taken a page from Salt 'n Pepa by talking about female empowerment, safe sex, loyalty, black-on-black crime, double standards and true friendship - issues that touched me in a huge way back then (and still do today, to a degree) but they took it to an even higher level. This is GIRL POWER in its finest form. The message on it gave me the confidence and courage to face the dilemmas in my life instead of running away from them, to rely on myself, and I haven't looked back since! This is why these girls mean so much to me, and why I've supported them from day one.



OOOOOOOHHH....ON THE TLC TIP grabs you right from the start - yes, even the intro makes you interested in what you are about to hear. (And yes, the interludes between the songs will crack you up, too.) Exploding with the sounds of New Jack Swing, funk, rap, hip-hop, catchy pop hooks, and crazy, frenetic Public Enemy-like samples all over it, this CD is an instant injection of fun and youthful energy. The material sounds just as good now as it did back in the day. It kicks off with the Grammy-nominated hit "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", goes right into the red-hot "Shock Dat Monkey" and keeps the momentum going with "Hat 2 Da Back". The CD sort of hits a bump with "Das The Way We Like 'Em" - all I can say is I prefer that Left Eye do the rapping, and let T-Boz and Chilli stick to singing. However, it picks right up again with the hit "What About Your Friends" and "His Story", an amazing song that showed that TLC had a serious side to them as well. This tune caused a bit of controversy back then because Left Eye mentioned the name of a prominent rape victim in the intro. (For those who don't know, this was a huge story in the late 1980s in New York and the news spread nationwide. The teenage girl, who was black, accused six white men, some of them police officers in Westchester County, NY of kidnapping and raping her but when it came down to it, she was accused of lying about the attack. She continued to stand by her story. It's been said that the song "His Story" is loosely based on that event.) What I loved so much about this group is they almost always had important messages in their songs, subjects we all need to pay attention to - as we see with their later smashes, "Waterfalls" and "Unpretty".



The CD keeps up the pace with the hyped-up girl-power anthem "Bad By Myself", and segues into the smoother ballads "Something You Wanna Know" and the # 1 R&B hit, "Baby-Baby-Baby". Another misstep here is "This Is How It Should Be Done" - don't really like this much even though it does feature Left Eye. But a perfect closer to this is MY personal anthem - "Depend On Myself", words I truly live by and take to heart. Ladies, if you ever need a dose of confidence and something to lift your spirits, this is the CD to listen to! Energetic, lively and positive, if you are a TLC fan then there is no reason for you NOT to own this. Put it on, dance and have a good time - I know Lisa would want it that way."

Exciting first album but the funkiest girl group on the plan

Prof SR Shabalala | South Africa | 04/09/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album introduces us to the varous characters that is TLC, absolutely love it, the album promotes, safe sex, talks about woman abuse, jealousy in relationships, but on the other hand it is fun, fun, fun. TLC made up of Tboz, the husky voiced, laid back serious don't mess with me beauty, Left eye the in your face hip hop rap star who speaks her mind sexy yet gansta, with a unique voice that is only hers, Chilli the sweet, dark chocolate beauty with the soulful voice and the sexy moves. These ladies are so different, yet click perfectly, it just cannot work without them all being part of the package. Even the incredible Destinys Child can't compare to this cohesion, no one really cared much that the group dropped and replaced chicks, lets face it Destiny's Child was basically Beyonce (Diana Ross) and her backing vocals (Supremes).



TLC is a group both with individual equal importance. I love this first album, songs like "Baby, baby, baby", "What about your friends", "His story" and "Ain 2 proud to beg" are great songs, Left Eye has never had a stronger role on a TLC album than this one, who knew that these ladies would end up to be the biggest girl group of their era. I suggest you get yourself a copy."

TLC Tip

G. A. Branch | Phila, PA USA | 04/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When this group first started to sing I knew they were special. Enjoy all the songs and the upbeat music. Great to walk to. GAB"