Lil Mama Shines as Left-Eye On #CrazySexyCool + 5 Unanswered Questions About TLC Movie

The TLC biopic “Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story” which aired on Vh1 last night was nothing less than superb.  If you missed the premiere, check the VH1 website for a listing of air times/dates.  The journey of three Black girls becoming one of the largest girl groups in the world was a historical moment we all could finally see unfold.

The 2 1/2 hour movie was worth every minute that I watched. The life story of how the three women (Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas) all became known as the group “TLC” was one that had to be told as some point. With the live wire of the group, Left Eye, no longer living it was only right that T-Boz and Chili tell their stories while still alive and well. In my opinion, the depiction of each member was damn near worthy of an Academy award. KeKe Palmer (“Chilli”), Drew Sidora (“T-Boz”), and Lil Mama (as Left Eye) all three performed their butts off in this movie. From the mannerisms to the diction, these ladies really engulfed the each group members spirit.

Pebbles and L.A. Reid‘s characters played by Rochelle Aytes and Carl Payne, too played their parts well. The real Pebble Reid, however, was highly disturbed by her portrayal in the film. She’s noted to have went on Twitter insisting that she plans to sue T-Boz, Chilli, and the movie producers for tarnishing her name. But, the girls insists that the stories told are truthful. It has been mentioned as well that the movie actually did Pebbles some justice. Word is that she was a lot more sinister acting than that. Regardless, the business dealings of Pebbles were skeptical. Yes, TLC was created by Pebbles. Yes, Pebbles gave them their first shot at a music career. But, to knowingly take advantage of young women was disgusting. Just as a woman, Pebbles should have been a bit more empathetic. Unfortunately, her character was just plain ole ruthless.

Last night, millions of fans on were raving about how good the movie was.  One thing that stood out was the lessons taught in the movie.  The musical journey of TLC is one that all up-n-coming artists can learn from. The girls experienced financial issues which cast a dark cloud over the group for many years. It was good to see how the group dealt with it though. The viewers got the chance to finally see what caused it, and what they had to do to get out of those bad contracts and regain their financial stability. If any lesson was learned from “Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story”, it was that before signing ANY contract, educate yourself and hire a reputable lawyer to help you understand what percentages and stipulations are contained within.  As with many other artists in the music industry, TLC learned the hard way. But, their ordeal doesn’t mean it will or can happen to you. So, please learn the business first before signing your life away.

Throughout the movie, however, there were a couple questions that wasn’t quite answered.

1. Where actually was their parents when they decided to sign Pebble’s contract?  We know they were over 18 and legally able to sign off themselves. But, you would think that anything concerning money would still be overlooked by their parents. The minute she told me I was only making $25 a week, I would have push the brakes right there. It’s funny how Left Eye was always questioning why they were not being paid. Sometimes the “crazy” one actually be the “smart” one.

2.  What was Pebbles underlying issue with Chilli?  Was she jealous of Chilli for being beautiful? Did Chilli really sleep with L.A. Reid to get in the group (as rumors speculate)? Hmmm. There had to be a good reason why Pebbles always hated on Chilli. I mean, she kept getting pregnant “allegedly”. But, is that really a reason to kick someone out the group.

3. How did T-Boz and Mack 10 relationship play out?  The movie stayed away from revealing their relationship. I wonder why. That would have been a good piece of knowledge to share. But oh well…

4. Why did they refer to Suge Knight as “Master P”?  During those times, Left Eye was connected to Suge Knight as a lover (or maybe as a potential manager). Knight’s people must’ve put a gag order on the film, thus producers decided to use Master P’s name (since he was another big time CEO during those years).

5. Who was the mystery woman in the green dress (and curly hair) on the red carpet?  T-Boz and Chilli was about to tear a hole in ole girl for calling their sister Left Eye crazy. All of #BlackTwitter were wondering who was the chick.  That particular awards show was the VMA’s…maybe 2002 or 2003. The only female artist who wore green dresses (or green hues) was Jennifer Lopez, Kelis, and Beyonce.  #BlackTwitter speculated that the girl was Blu Cantrell or Lil Kim. She could have been just a random lady on the red carpet. Who knows.  But ifI had to take a wild guess…maybe it was Kelis. She’s the only singer I can think of who wore big curly blonde hair back then. See the pic below and tell me what ya’ll think.

Anyway, the movie overall was fantastic. Everyone did a good job playing their roles. Many people hated on Lil Mama assuming that she wouldn’t being able to pull it off. Instead, she went over and beyond as Left Eye. She truly embodied the rapper dialect, feisty behavior, and raw talent. Lil Mama was definitely the break out star on this project.

TLC still remains to be America’s #1 Top Selling Female Group of all time (and #2 Top Selling in the world). Their music is timeless and their story is rich in love and lessons. Kudos to the cast and T-Boz and Chilli on a job well done!