The Tragic Story of Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes

Within the Nineties, R&B trio TLC was one of many largest acts within the music trade. The group created music that not solely made folks dance but in addition made them suppose, with messages of social accountability, physique positivity, and protected intercourse. The group’s members, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas have been the right mixture of loopy, horny and funky, mixing their distinctive voices and personalities to type a hit-making, GRAMMY-winning trio.

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, who was finest recognized for the memorable verses she rapped on virtually each TLC observe, was each proficient and troubled. She made simply as a lot information along with her turbulent on-again-off-again relationship with NFL vast receiver Andre Rison as she did along with her music. However the singer-rapper’s life was tragically minimize brief when she died in a automotive accident whereas on a retreat in Honduras simply earlier than her thirty first birthday.

That is the story of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

Born in Philly

Lisa Lopes was born on Could 27, 1971, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The oldest of three kids, her father, Ronald Lopes Sr., was a US Military workers sergeant and her mom, Wanda, was a seamstress. She grew up with a love for music, taking part in the keyboard and singing along with her siblings in church and round their group. When she was 19 years previous, Lopes left residence for Atlanta, and her life would by no means be the identical once more.

Making the Band

After making the transfer to Atlanta, Lopes was found by singer Perri “Pebbles” Reid, who labored for LaFace Information and managed R&B teams. Trying to put collectively an all-female group, Reid joined Lopes with Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and in 1991, TLC was signed to LaFace. The band’s identify was taken from the primary letters of the group member’s names.

In some ways, Lopes was a driving artistic pressure behind TLC. She obtained songwriting credit for a number of of their largest hits, together with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “No Scrubs.” She additionally helped outline the group’s type, designing most of the outfits the women wore for public appearances and video shoots.

Oooooooh…On The TLC Tip

In 1992, TLC launched their first album on LaFace Information, “Oooooooh…On The TLC Tip.” The group rapidly captured the trade’s consideration with their colourful saggy clothes and their willingness to speak overtly about sexuality of their music.

The album had three tracks that cracked the Billboard Scorching 100’s prime 10, “Child-Child-Child,” “What About Your Buddies” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” TLC gained over followers who cherished the way in which they saved it actual.

“I don’t suppose we have been essentially attempting so onerous — we have been actually being ourselves, and we fought onerous to be that. Particularly being younger girls, and never eager to put on the standard outfits that ladies would put on, like tight attire. There’s nothing incorrect with that look, but it surely wasn’t what we felt comfy in,” Chilli informed Billboard in a 2017 interview.

CrazySexyCool

In 1994, TLC launched their second album, “CrazySexyCool.” The album had a number of hits, together with “Creep,” and “Waterfalls,” which hit primary on the Billboard Scorching 100. Promoting 11 million copies in the USA, “CrazySexyCool” made TLC the best-selling all-girl group in American historical past and earned the group two GRAMMY awards.

Falling in Love

Whereas TLC’s reputation was rising, Lopes had a brand new love in her life, Atlanta Falcons vast receiver Andre Rison. The 2 met in 1993 at Atlanta’s famed Membership 112 and their connection was on the spot.

“She got here by the home and actually by no means left,” Rison informed Lifetime in an interview.

A Rocky Relationship

Though Lisa Lopes and Andre Rison would inform anybody who would hear how a lot they cherished one another, their relationship was rocky. The pair was recognized to have public disputes that always obtained bodily, together with a 1993 incident in a Kroger car parking zone after the pair left an Atlanta nightclub. Based on the Greensboro Information & Document, Rison was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for hitting Lopes after which capturing at males who tried to step in and diffuse the scenario. Rison’s household was rising bored with Lopes and the entire negativity surrounding their high-profile relationship.

“I used to be not joyful. I actually didn’t suppose the connection ought to proceed,” Rison’s mom informed Lifetime. “There was a variety of aggression, a variety of anger. I used to be afraid of issues taking place.”

Burning Down the Home

Rison and Lopes made headlines once more in June 1994, when the singer set hearth to Rison’s Georgia mansion after the 2 had a disagreement. The fireplace began when Lopes burned pairs of Rison’s sneakers within the bathtub and the flames unfold to the remainder of the house.

Lopes was charged with first-degree arson and prison harm to property. She was sentenced to 5 years probation, court-mandated remedy at a midway home and ordered to pay a $10,000 superb.

An Unspeakable Connection

Andre Rison could have been Lisa Lopes’ boyfriend, however there was one other one that had her coronary heart – rapper Tupac. Though these near Lopes say the 2 saved their relationship platonic, it was well-known that the 2 have been very shut.

“I feel she was in love with the religious aspect of him, that connection that was unspeakable,” Lopes’ sister Reigndrop informed Lifetime in an interview.

Onerous Occasions

Regardless of promoting thousands and thousands of information, TLC hit monetary onerous instances. Lower than a yr after the discharge of “CrazySexyCool.” the group filed Chapter 11 chapter in July 1995. Most of their debt was the results of having to reimburse the report label for upfront prices of video shoots and recording classes.

In an interview, Lopes broke down how most of their cash went out the door as quickly as they earned it.

“Within the report enterprise, we pay all prices again to the report firm,” she mentioned. “You are left with $300,000. I should purchase a pleasant home with that, and what am I going to pay my payments with?”

Breaking Up

TLC launched their third album, “FanMail” in 1999, which included their hits “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty.” However whereas the group gained a Greatest R&B Album GRAMMY for the mission, they discovered themselves having artistic variations, which led them to take a break to pursue different tasks.

A Solo Mission

In January 2002, Lopes signed a solo cope with Loss of life Row Information and was ready to report an album underneath the identify, “N.I.N.A.” (New Identification Not Relevant) working with legendary artists, together with David Bowie and Missy Elliot. Her time away from TLC did not final lengthy. Lopes was additionally engaged on a fourth album with TLC.

The Final Days of Left Eye

For Lopes, Honduras was the place she usually sought refuge from the pressures of the leisure trade. She was additionally filming a documentary in regards to the Garifuna, folks with African roots who reside alongside the Caribbean coast of Central America.

However her final journey to the nation had a tragic ending. On April 25, 2002, Lopes died when the automotive she was driving plunged right into a ravine as she was pressured to swerve to keep away from oncoming site visitors, based on The New York Occasions. Though there have been seven different passengers within the automotive along with her on the time, together with her brother and sister, Lopes was the one particular person to undergo deadly accidents. She was 30 years previous.

A Lasting Legacy

Since Lopes’s passing, her family members have completed every little thing they’ll to maintain her reminiscence alive. The 2007 documentary “The Final Days of Left Eye” lets followers see and listen to Lopes over the past days of her life. Her surviving members of the family additionally began the Lisa Lopes Basis, and group devoted to serving to households in want.

As for TLC, surviving members Chilli and T-Boz have by no means changed Left-Eye and proceed to carry out as a duo. They by no means launched the album the trio was engaged on earlier than Lopes’ passing, as a substitute Chilli and T-Boz recorded and launched their fifth and remaining album, “TLC,” in 2017.