No Jumper - T-Boz from TLC on Left Eye's Passing, Belly with Nas & DMX, Sickle Cell & More

Episode Date: January 29, 2023

Gina and Lush catch up with the legendary T-Boz from TLC, to talk about her career, some viral moments, motherhood, her health, and more! ----- 00:00 Intro 0:05 Lush says he was in love with all 3 TLC and Gina always wanted to be T-Boz's character in Belly 2:04 T-Boz breaks down the origins of TLC and how the group was formed 3:10 T-Boz on how she feels to be part of such a legendary, influential era, and the highest-selling girl group 4:40 T-Boz on why there are not so many R&B girl groups anymore 6:13 T-Boz speaks on how artists' development, from a label perspective, is a lost art 7:10 T-Boz talks TLC's first album and teetering the line between hip-hop and R&B 8:49 Gina says that "No Scrubs" was the first "anti-broke n** song" and T-Boz on if they were actually living those lyrics 10:20 T-Boz reacts to the new era of plastic surgery and BBL culture 13:20 T-Boz speaks on if there is a prerequisite for R&B artists to write their own music and how important it was for her to do so 16:10 T-Boz talks being diagnosed with sickle cell disease at 7 years old, being told she wouldn't live past 30 20:22 T-Boz on if any new information on sickle cell disease has helped her in terms of treatment and her words of advice to anyone who's going through it 22:30 T-Boz says to keep looking for a doctor until you find one that really cares about you as a person and speaks on her daughter having lupus disease 26:25 T-Boz on the inspiration for her to enter the holistic business and start TLC CBD 29:55 T-Boz breaks down the creation of TLC's iconic videos and the huge difference in music video budgets from then to now 35:10 T-Boz reacts to the "No Scrubs" rebuttal "No Pigeons" and if TLC is open to doing a Verzuz battle 37:35 T-Boz talks about producing the movie "ATL", how the movie was loosely based on her life, and if "ATL 2" is on the way 39:00 T-Boz explains how she got her role in the movie "Belly" and what it was like working with Nas and DMX 41:00 T-Boz on her experience starring in "House Party 3" and how a lot of the lines were improv 42:54 T-Boz talks performing on the Nickelodeon show "All That" and creating the theme song for the show 44:01 T-Boz speaks on what it was like being in a super high profile relationship with rapper Mack 10 48:17 T-Boz on wishing she handled her health and took care of her body better in the past 49:40 T-Boz on how the chemistry in TLC came about and how they maintained it throughout their careers 51:20 T-Boz on how she and Chilli kept performing and the creation of music after the loss of Left Eye + Doing the video for "Girl Talk" in the midst of mourning their group member 57:23 T-Boz talks wanting to stay healthy in 2023 and the opening up her new restaurant "Good *ss Burger" 59:44 T-Boz on how her health journey inspired her to lean into a more holistic direction in her life 1:01:50 T-Boz on new music she's releasing in 2023 and releasing a new cookbook 1:05:30 T-Boz speaks on the new TLC Broadway Musical that's coming soon 1:06:05 T-Boz on how she feels about the TLC biopic and if anything was left out 1:08:10 T-Boz on if the music in Atlanta has influenced the streets and reacts to the passing of Takeoff 1:11:51 T-Boz speaks on the lack of conscious music in today's era Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is going on? What's happening? You play upon the lush one. Gina views. Live and direct on the coolest podcast in the world. No jumper. And, you know, we don't usually do Zoom interviews. But we make exceptions for certain esteemed individuals and legends in the game of a very high caliber.

So let's give a warm welcome to Tiaon, T-Baz, Watkins, come on. Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much. The T and TLC. Yes. The highest selling girl group of all time. Absolutely.

Thank you. So just a little bit of history. Who on the TLC tip came out, I think I was in like fourth grade. And for the next several years, it was basically a thing. of which member of TLC are you in love with? And I'm just going to go on record

and say, it was all three of y'all at different times. Right. It just depends on which video it is. Sometimes it's left. Sometimes it's chilly. And then sometimes, I can't even front. It's you.

So this hit different, you know. I'm sure Gina is an A1 day one as well. Yeah, absolutely. As a child, I wanted to be, you know, everybody was talking about Keish on belly. Right. Right.

No, I wanted to be T-Boss character. One thousand percent. An iconic musician, actress, entrepreneur, all the above. Let's go back to the very beginning because, like I said, we're really trying to bridge the gap in generations and let some of these youngans know what's up with the legends that, you know, paved the way for what everyone's doing today. as well as, you know, bring some of these people that are our age over to this platform as well, you know? Okay. So you, what's the origins of TLC?

You said, what's the origins? What you mean? Like, how did the group form? Oh, my God. The group started with me and left eye, actually. I was working at a hair salon. and basically was in a group

and I had just told my hairstyle because I heard she was, you know, doing Pebbles hair. And I was like, dang, she married L.A. who works with babies hair. Let me just holl at her and tell her. I was like, no, you need to tell Pebbles to holl at me because, you know, I'm the jam.

I was just talking, you know, isher, or whatever. Child, Pebbles called me that night. And I was like, she really called. You know, so she called that night. And from there, me and Lisa got in this other girl group. Her name was Crystal. But when Pebble saw us all three, she didn't like Crystal. She just like me and Lisa.

So we had to kick that girl out her old group. Replaced through with Chili and TLC. TLC is one of the most influential groups that I feel like of all time. When you look back at the style and how you guys have even influenced like my era, you guys still people still dressing up as you guys for Halloween. I've done it. You got, you guys are, people are still recreating the freaking creep video and dressing in all silk. And y'all made it cool for women to dress in baggy pants.

I wear baggy pants because of y'all. Yep. So, thank you. How does it feel to be part of such a legendary era and group? It's amazing. It's a blessing. You know, when we started this, we always set out to be trendsetter. So to look up 30 years later and to, you know, see all these generations dressing as us and like, oh my God, the dog.

The dog is asking to go outside. Sorry, y'all. You'll shut up. Shush. Just to see everybody, you know, like when we have concerts, there's generations of people there. I'm like, whoa, like, we even have them as small as two-year-olds. It's crazy. And they're singing, baby, baby.

You know, I'm like, wow. Or they're singing waterfalls or scrub. So honestly, it's a blessing, but to become the biggest selling girl group of all time in America. Like, I know I wanted to be that, but it still sounds crazy saying it out loud that we still actually hold the title for the best girls. It's talking to group. Y'all are legends. And coming from that era, you were one of the original groups that was popping. I mean, obviously there's TLC and Vogue as Doval.

There's, you know, a lot. And then slightly after that, you know, Destiny's Child comes on the scene. Why do you think nowadays we don't see as many R&B groups and it's more soloists? That's a good question. It's hard to be in a group. I'm not going to lie. Like, it's very hard. And we're in a day where, with especially social media, it's a shallow, superficial world. And I know there's always jealousies and, you know, competition within groups. But I don't know if it's because the labels are few and far and not too many. I don't know if it's because it's so shallow out there. Girls are so catty.

They can't get along. I wondered myself because even when you do see them, they don't last. They break up, you know? And we've been trying to figure that out too. But like being in one myself, if I had to do it all over again, would I question that. But I wouldn't have it any other way. It wasn't exactly the way it's supposed to. But I'm not going to lie, it's hard to, you know, get along with other people's personalities.

And, you know, in a world, like I'm saying, that's so crazy on the Internet and so much competition. Maybe it's getting in the way of the talent and the music and the artistry, you know. Do you feel like artist development from a label perspective is somewhat of a lost art? Oh, yeah. And I say H.E. double hockey sticks, yeah. Yes, no, yeah. It is totally missing. That's one of the problems that I have because when we came up, it was like Motown days.

You know, you get to work, work, work, work, practice. To this day, I practice my behind off, okay? I practice, we practice five days a week, eight hours a day. To this day. To this day, when we go do shows. Like, you always got to brush up on your art because there's always somebody out there trying to take your spot. And I'm not just willingly just going to hand it until you come get it.

So I stay in practice. So, like, going back to that first album, We want to go through the whole discography and everything. On the TLC tip, was A-T-T-T-Roud-to-Beg the first single? That's the first one I remember. And that was like way more, had way more of a hip-hop flavor.

It's like there was vocals, but it's like you're kind of the tail end of New Jack swing, transitioning into like 90s hip-hop. And, you know, it was, you guys really teetered that fine line between hip-hop and R&B. Was that kind of like, was that the intention? you know i don't know if it was the intention we were intending on just having our own sound and our own vibe honestly um and it just naturally went that way and i think it was good because that's where

we were that's that's we we have always stood true to what's going on in the world or with ourselves you know what i'm saying that's that's what i think helped keep us here along with our miracle content and the timeless music has to do with a lot of our words lyrics. It's relatable. It's something in our music. I don't care what age you are, color you are, where you live. Somebody's going to be able to relate to one of our

songs somewhere in the world. We're going to touch somebody's heart or make you want to dance or something. We got it all. But our beats back then that's why when people ask what type of music I do, I say universal because we do a little bit of

R&B, a little bit of rap, a little bit of hip hop, a little bit of pop, a little bit of A lot of pop, actually. But, you know, it's a little mixture of everything. And that's what made it so special. Speaking of your lyrics, no scrubs, I feel like, was like the first anti-broke-nigger song. That song hurt my feelings.

I was always trying to pop out the passenger side of my best friend's ride. Come on. Now, we had to call you out, right? Had to do it. Someone had to. Now, was TLC living the No Scrubs lyrics? No, like, was I scrub?

No, like, was y'all like... Or was we living? Oh, I was about to say, because they're just the shrewbette. Which I live with us? Them are pigeons. They caught them pigeons. No, but hell yeah. Scrubs are like cockroaches.

You know, they don't die. They multiply. They're never going away. This song will last forever, ever, ever, forever, ever. Because there's always going to be. be this guy that's either living it with his baby mom or at home, ain't got no money, always yelling, pretending that the car is his.

That is like going to happen through the, like, that's just like the same book, but different characters. It's going to be the same story till the end of time. Did you see that Kim Kardashian made a post about gas prices being high? And she said, that man is no longer a scrub. He's saving money now.

Yeah, I saw those. Those were, too. I saw those names a while before she put it out. Yeah. The first time that joke came out, you know, I get my phone, be like, It's cultural impact, for real. TLC, you guys' messages have always been super duper powerful. Like, you guys have, y'all taught us to practice safe sex.

Even songs like Dear Lie had a powerful message. Unpretty taught me as a little girl about self-love. What are your thoughts now on seeing like this new era of plastic surgery? the whole BBL culture. Okay, well, to eat their own first, because everybody thinks I always got something to say, but I don't really care what nobody else does. I just feel that you should do things for yourself

and not for other people, because where they're one ass, there'll be another. You know what I'm saying? That don't keep men at home. Like, do you have a good heart? Can you cook? Are you a good person? Will you be a good mother?

You know what I'm saying? Those quality and moralistic factors matter, not just your BBL because everybody in their mom. I happen to be blessed with a natural ass. So I get it. Thank the Lord. But I mean, hell, if it makes your body look better, I'm all for it. But I just think it's just too much of it. Like they don't know where to keep it natural.

And it's just like when you start getting disproportionate with your legs and looking to formed and it's so big. It's like they always got to take it too far. Like if you want to enhance your body to look better, but what I'd be trying to tell girls is, especially the ones with low self-esteem, those girls that you see posted up but naked and looking all fine, fine now with the tities and the booties

and the BBLs, they have insecurities. That's why they're asses sitting there with a BBL. So they can look better too because they clearly didn't like something about their self and wanted to enhance it. So that's why lyrics that I wrote for Unprety stand true to this day. You know what I'm saying? That and those lyrics are real relatable,

especially because of social media and how people make you feel like you're not good enough to fit in or your body is not perfect enough or whatever. That's what that song was talking about way before BBLs, you know, came into play. They were probably calling it something else like, what, fat transfer and stuff like that. But because

they were doing it way before. It's just now it's a fad. But, you know, I think when Tiana Taylor came out with that, your love is feeding, you know, whatever that Kanye song was. You know that song? What is it called?

Yeah. Yeah. It shows that little petite with meat bodies are still the jam. Her body is banging. And she ain't out there with this, all of that, and all of this. And girls with BBLs is getting cheating on left or right. So tell me, did you do it to enhance your body,

or did you do it to keep a man? Because that shit, show ain't going to keep nobody at home every night. Great. You touched on a key point, something you said. You said, songs that I wrote, which is kind of makes you a bit of an anomaly. Because there's a lot of, it's not a prerequisite for singers in the pop and R&B space. to write their own music but how important was that to you and y'all overall creative process man it's important um i'm not the type of writer that like if you already got something that's jamming

i'm not the type like oh i got to do it because i need some publishing or some money um it's not about that it's about the song and the meaning and the artistry and if it's good is good but i also am a creative and i have a lot to set i have things that i need to get off my chest and Unprety was actually a personal situation that had happened with me and my boyfriend, and I happened to be watching Ricky Lake. And it was an episode about these women looking down and being abused by men and talked down to like they wasn't shit, basically. Can you cut something?

Yeah, yeah, you're good. Like they weren't shit. And I couldn't stand that. And the ladies were looking down, and they was like, look down, don't look up. And I'm like, nah, like, you know. And you could tell she just all her self-worth was gone. Her self-esteem was just nothing was there. And I'm like, you know, I should create this word.

And I had wrote a poem out of it. I was just like, you know, the opposite of what she feels is she doesn't feel pretty. So she feels unpreted. And that's how I felt at the time because I had just gotten out the hospital. And I had all these IV bruises and, you know, you're frail and weak, you know, because I have sickle cell disease. and I had a bad crisis. And my boyfriend at the time didn't understand

how, you know, weak and sick I was, and I just wanted him to stay there. And he didn't get it. He went to go party out with the healthy pretty girls, you know? So I was just like, he's making me feel unprety too. So that's what made me write the poem. And I took it to Dallas like, yo, I got something to say. So it's important for artists, especially those are the songs.

Look at Taylor Swift. Most of her number one songs are separate. that came from her personal experiences and stuff that meant something to her because it's so relatable to others. Like, I'm a girl. Like, bump all the flashing lights. I'm a woman who have feelings

and goes through real shit, just like you. It's just my job is different to be on TV, but that don't mean I don't believe the same when we get cut. So I get cut deep when I'm cheating on too. Like, we all have been cheated on or something or whatever. Like, that don't stop for nobody. No, absolutely. Touching on, you brought up the sickle cell.

How much do you feel like that affected your momentum as far as your career and all that goes? I don't feel like I may to stop me. I mean, of course, it stopped some tours in situations, you know, had to cancel. But, hell, that could have happened because somebody got drunk and fell off the stage, too. So, you know what I'm saying? I felt like this is the cars that I was dealt. And I didn't know no difference. So I was like, shit, they're telling me that this is the worst job I can possibly do

because for sick or cell flying thin your blood is not good. You don't eat right on the road. And, you know, the altitude matters. Just, you know, the different climates matter. I can get sick. Everything was going against me. But I'm one of them headstrong people that's like, that made me want it more. like, well, I'm going to go after it because you're saying I can't have it.

That's going to make me go get it. And that's what I felt like I did. The doctor. And that's what I'm still doing. Absolutely. Get to it. So you were diagnosed at 7, right? And then the doctor said...

Correctly, yeah. Correctly. The doctor said you would not live past the age of 30. And what point was you like, oh, yeah, this doctor is wrong. How did you like, what moment of your life that I was just so defining and you was like, oh yeah, this doctor is wrong. At seven, when his ass said it, period. I was looking at my mom right that minute. Like, shit, I'm about to be on TV.

Boehner. What the fuck you're talking about? You know what I'm saying? Like, my mom always made me feel like I could do anything I wanted to do. She said, as long as you keep your character morals intact, Tion, I'll back anything you want to do as long as you say true to you. And I'm like. And but she also told me But make sure whatever you do

You be the best at what you do You know So I knew he was wrong right that moment Because in my head I always had this dream And I don't know if I manifested it or not But I always seen myself on a stage With a whole bunch of people screaming

The most crazy thing is I couldn't see my face But I had on baggy clothes That's crazy Wow But I in my heart You couldn't tell me that I went about to blow up.

So when he said that, you'll never live past 30, you'll never have kids, and you'll be disabled your whole life. I look right at my mom, who's a strong, God, fair woman, and she said, uh-uh. She told me immediately, I'll finish this conversation in the car, but God has a last say-so of your life, so don't listen to what he's talking about. So she told me, and I was like, shit,

I'm about to listen to my mama, F this doctor. I can't know what I'm saying? Like, he don't know what he's talking about. I'm about to blow up and be on TV all around the world. Like, I told my mama. Do you know if that doctor end up seeing you on TV later on? Did you guys keep the doctor? Was he in point of the answer?

I've never seen that man again in my life. We never came back because you know how you can look up everything on Google that you want? I can't even Google what he said I had. Like, so he didn't know what he was talking about. I mean, they're so still uneducated certain doctors to this day about sickle cell. So they really were behind back then, you know. And honestly, credit to him, I'm not even mad at him because that's a part of my life and story that pushed me to go harder and actually made me want to understand things more. But I actually didn't know what type I had.

I just knew I had something, but I didn't know what type I had until I was 28. I'm damn there 30 years old and don't know what type of sickle cell I have. That's how far back, you know, they were medicine-wise when it came to knowledge and, you know, just the whole disease at that time, you know. So we're still learning stuff every day. You know that. And, you know, but that doctor. Is there any? I've never seen them again.

Is there any new information about Sick and Cell that you learned that has helped you? Well, there's new cures for certain people. Not nobody my age. I haven't seen it yet. But, you know, they have, you know, stem cell research and they've cured certain people. But I know one of the first people that are seeing cures, she happened to have leukemia as well. She did a bone marrow transplant. But so bone marrow transplant and the stem cell seemed to be, you know,

helping certain patients. The thing that discourages me sometimes is that they'll say we're only going to do people 40 and under, but I'm 52. I'm still dancing on stage. I'm vibrant. I got a lot of energy. Like, I don't feel I'm so old. I'm messed up.

My kids need me. I feed my son. He's seven. My daughter's 22. They need me. I want to be the matrives. and my family would be a grandma. I want to live a long time.

So what about us? So sometimes they're saying there's some people that they might, you know, take, but they feel like, and I'm just keeping it above, they feel like we're too old and messed up. But that shit ain't right. And it ain't true because, like, what I do my physical test, I still come in 10 years younger than what I am. Like, I'm dancing every day, like on stage. Like for two hours at a time while seeing me.

Come on, man. Like, everybody's not the same. So I don't think that statement is fair. Well, I mean, clearly you've become a catalyst of inspiration for a lot of people that have sickle cell. What would be some words of advice that you have to a young person or anybody that happens to get that diagnosis? You have to learn your body. One thing that's very important. is, you know, we all need help.

And, you know, if you don't like your doctor and they don't have a good bedside manner, that means that doctor is not for you. Like I said, it took me almost 30 years to find my doctor. He's the one that diagnosed me correctly. He's the one that saved my life. But he's the one that knew what he was talking about. I have learned to write down questions so I won't forget. I have learned to write down things that's going on with my body.

I've learned to pay attention to my body. because things change. We evolve as people. And medication, everything evolves. Everything. You know what I'm saying? And things change. So you remember how they used to be like, oh, eat wheat.

It's good for you. Now everything is eat gluten-free. Go vegan. Go organic. GMO. You know what I'm saying? So there's those type of things because somebody had an experience and then they figured out that didn't work.

And then a new creation comes out again. You know what I'm saying? So pay attention to your body. and make sure you are very vocal to your doctor and convey it in what's going on with your body because you're the only person who can convey that. But I mean it from the bottom of my soul. Keep looking for a doctor if you don't find one that doesn't care that just treat you like a dollar sign or somebody that's not human. Leave. Leave until you find one that really cares about you, which is hard to find. That's what's sad. It's hard to find. It's hard to find.

a doctor who really cares about you as a person. And that's what I found in my doctor. And that really means something because if you think about it and you go to the doctor, I call it the human experience. If you have something foreign in your body that you don't understand if it's cancer, lupus, like my daughter got lupus. It didn't hit until she was 18. You live this healthy life and then all of a sudden you're told you have this deadly

disease that could kill you. So at the end, she almost died when she was 18. I don't want to cry about that but when you have these foreign things like that and things like that can happen like it did to my daughter you have to really communicate to these people

and you need people when you don't understand what's going on with you and that's what happened to my daughter is somebody like me who has lived their whole life with a disease here I am again needing these people was something I don't understand

going on with my child, you know what I mean? So, like I lived this stuff like seriously every day. And my daughter stayed in the hospital almost four months and almost lost her life. She didn't hardly have a heartbeat when we got to the hospital.

So that's why I say it is so important to know, I mean, to have a doctor that cares because those are the people when you have something that you don't understand and that you need help with. These are the people that are supposed to help you. So somebody's making you feel like crap physically, emotionally, and spiritually,

and they're not helping you. Because that can really, like, if I didn't have a strong mom, that can really make that person, like, decide that they don't want to fight for their life. Like, so if somebody has cancer and they go, oh, you're in the fourth stage, and they just act like they don't give a damn. That person might go and just die. But if you have a doctor who says, you know, there's so many things out there, there's holistic stuff, you can do this, you can do that. I'm going to help you walk you through this and be thorough about everything.

That might make a person fight for their life. So I can't say it enough. It is so important for you to have somebody who cares enough to be thorough, explain stuff to you, and help you get through that. And that's why my daughter's sitting here today because I found one of those for her. no absolutely and um i wanted to get into this later but just because it just so perfectly comes off of this as a segue now you're in the holistic business yourself you know you got the tlcbd company and all that was was all of this the catalysts of inspiration for doing that all of it was my life was because i was tired of being on tour and running tours i was tired of getting

sick. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know what I'm saying? And I'm not that, you know, philebs get money to say, oh, you know, I'll give you $100,000 or $10,000 or $5,000. You know, we're throwing money to say all kinds of stuff. And half these people don't even let you try

your product. I am not the one who is going to tell you nothing that I ain't tried on myself. I won't. I have tried every last single thing that I speak out my mouth. So I practiced on myself with CBD for like about two and a half, three years before I brought it up to anybody. And it saved, like, it helped my sickle cell tremendously, just me overall, tremendously, my immune system.

It helped me rest better because I have severe insomnia. As far as my dog, even, because we service pets, too, your fur babies. My dog had congestive heart failure. I went into there ready to put my dog to sleep. He couldn't even breathe out the oxygen machine for a minute. And his heart was so big. It was sitting outside his chest. When I took him home, I could hold his heart in my chest.

Because he was like, because when he walked in there, he was wagging his tail. And I looked at her like, I can't kill. You're asking me to kill my dog. I thought he was like on one toe not breathing. but he wants to live. So if he wants to fight, I'm a fight. I took my dog home and I bleached the room. I cleaned it.

I put sheets on the floor. I carried him to the bathroom. You know, it's crazy. I'm not even an animal dog person like this, but I love the hell out fat dog. You know what I mean? And I was determined if he wanted to fight, I was going to fight with that dog.

You hear me, his name was Bailey. And I took Bailey and I started cooking his food and I put him on CBD, TLCBD. And that dog, lived a year and nine months past that day they said he was on die so I had almost another two years with my dog because of CBD and I watched it make a difference in my dog's life. Am I amazing what kind of dog he was a cavalier king Charles Spaniel and he was perfect for me because he didn't lit me all day he didn't bark he didn't jump he was just chill that was my dog Like, you know what I mean? He was everything to me.

Those are the little white and brown dogs, right? Yeah. They got them in tricolors and white and brown, but mine was white and brown. His name was Bailey. He was really special. And I just gave my daughter some socks for Christmas with Bailey's face on, and she bust out crying out of him. But, you know, but he was really a special dog.

R.R.P. Bailey, come on. Longly, L.L. Bailey, come on. Yeah. So earlier you talking about the talking about it's important for people to know their body. Well, what I know is your body of work. Very, very well.

And there's very few groups that transcended generations and lasted so long with hit after hit, after hit that's permanently embedded. Like her and I are different generations. Believe it or not, she a little bit younger than me. I'm a lot younger. younger than me. And so like I said, I remember ain't too proud to beg. And like when that came

out and y'all just like seemed like the cool home girls with like the baggy pants and you had the, you know, like there was like the condom over left eye's eye and all that crazy stuff. And it was just so lit. And then the next thing I remember was baby, baby baby, baby. I think that was the next single. And y'all had a, that was like y'all got a little bit more. That's when I fell in love. you know what I mean? Like y'all are a little more, like even more fly with it as like an R&B-based record. And then, you know, creep is the anthem to this day. That's my still be slapping creep.

That is such a slap, you know what I mean? Thank you. Red light special, like, come on. Like, if I'm with a lady and I put on red light special, she knows what time it is. She either going, she either go, you feel me, get down or she's going to bounce. You feel me? There's no other option at that point. like waterfalls

like a magnum opus an incredible just magnum opus one of the greatest records in music history hands down and then obviously scrubs unprety it's like so all these records and I'm bringing this

up to say that one thing that they all had in common besides like what Gina brought up with them all like having incredible songwriting and storytelling and being really like specific messages. It's something else that's a lost art nowadays.

Music videos. Oh, yes. The visuals for each one of these records was so important and unique. What, like, how, what was the process like and how did y'all come up with these amazing concepts? Man, video

budgets were way bigger back then as well, so, you know, I can't act like, you know, we had major budgets. You're probably, yeah. Like up there with Michael Janet and Jackson, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, excuse me, we were known for having like the million dollar videos, the same cost of screen and stuff that they were doing back then. But waterfalls would have to be the most important one for all of us

because collectively that's the first one that we all came up with together. And also that song was important because that's the one that we begged L.A. because Clive Davis didn't like it. Because if you think about it without the video, that video made that song come alive because the lyrical content was serious. So Clyde was like, I don't get this. Ain't nobody going to bump this down the street.

But we were like, no, this is like huge. Like you just, you don't see the vision. So I remember Lisa writing because she had the most artistic writing. We wrote this big postcard to L.A. begging him, if you believe us and get F. Gary, gray as the director and, you know, let us do this concept that we have. We'll give you the best shit you ever seen. So I remember we did the video and he gave us the budget and he let us do it. And man, I remember I came up with the storylines, left eye came with going through time, and

Chilly came up with like the movie, the abyss and how we were like, yeah, we could look like ice. My cybers could be icicles, you know. And, and. And when we saw the video, we were crying like, it's so good, we don't have to even be in it. Like, you know, we were just like so taken back. And I remember that video because I can't swim. And we were really at Universal where they shot jaws in the middle of water. Like we had to take a boat out there. And it's this little thin piece of plastic, this thing.

That's why you don't see my legs move. If y'all go back and watch that movie, you see me moving. and going like this, but my feet are planted because I can't go forward or backwards because I was going like this in the water. So I think I needed Emmy and an Oscar because I was scared as shit. But I was performing still and I wasn't moving.

But I was terrified and they had all these scuba divers in case I fell in. I didn't know that. That's amazing. I didn't know that F. Gary Gray did that for those that don't know. That's the director of Friday.

So that's incredible. And said it all. And say it off, come on, don't play with us. And what I always thought was cool about that video was he featured Shahim the Rugged Child from Wu-Tang was one of the actors in the video. He was like the dude that was caught up in the street mix and all that. So I always thought that was really, really dope that y'all did that. Thank you.

As far as, you know, she brought up no scrubs earlier. There was a rebuttal by a group called The Sporty Thieves. just called no pigeons. Yeah. What was y'all thoughts on that when that dropped? Chili, I think Chile was like, what? We only thought it was funny. We thought it was funny.

Because, you know, it just gave us more attention. It was just funny. Like, it just kept us going. Like, you know, it was funny. We stayed on the charts. I remember 16 weeks consecutive number one in a row. Guess what song took us off, number one? What song?

Jamie Fox. Blame it on the rock. Blame it on the here. Blame it on the blue tap got you feeling dizzy Blaming on an a That's what took no stress off Wow I was like Jamie Fox did it

What? I'd never forget that That's crazy Is TLC open to doing a verses? That's why I love you Gina Shelly's not I was But she's not really so I don't know She said She'll because I'm interested

She'll hear it out The thing is, is they can't find nobody really to go against us that they think would be right. So they have been going back and forth kind of talking, maybe just having a TLC day. Like TLC is a TLC. I don't know. You know, but we don't have anybody to go against right now. Who's come up? Which groups have come up?

They've already done it. So, like, you know, and then they was even talking about maybe doing a guy group, like, boys and men or somebody different. That would be hard. that has a lot of hits too. Maybe we can go against them or something. But I think the problem is, is, you know, everybody, of course you're going to say, in bold,

escape, SWV and stuff. But I don't know. They've done it, so I don't know. We don't have anybody to go against. It's hard to go against that catalog that y'all got. I was thinking Destiny Child. That's what people say.

I was thinking Destiny Child. Yeah, but, Beyonce, I said I doubt if she would do that. Like, that's why I still say we have nobody to go against. You know what I mean? That's the only group that probably, I don't know, that would make sense because they haven't done it either. Like, I don't know.

But I don't know. I don't know. I saw a post on your Instagram that said the movie ATL was partially about your life. Yeah. I'm a producer of that movie, executive producer. And that movie was me and Dallas is a lot. idea. That was my idea. Yeah. Is that the Noonu character or which character? New New with me. So Lauren London, I'm

Nunu. If y'all didn't know, that was partially based on my life about me growing up in jelly beans and when I used to live in the hood, the East Point, kind of paw, going to, you know. But then the other rich part that she was, it was like kind of they mixed my life when I was living in Sugarloaf Country Club and, you know, stuff like that. But that's where that came of. So they took bits and pieces. of my life, you know, from the present and from the path. Because even like, I think what's her name, Tasha, the actress, they were calling her

Gail. Gail's my mom. And we used to have to get out the back of the car like that. So they took different things from my life and made it put it in the movie. But yeah, NU was me. That was my character. What's up with ATL2? Well, I hear T.

I was trying to do one. I don't know. If I did do another, I don't know what I would make it about. You know what I mean? I don't know if they would be grown or whatever. I've seen a trailer where he got all the guys together and said they were thinking about doing another one, but I haven't heard anything since. How did you get on belly? Can we talk about how you got the role on belly?

Belly was all credited to Hype Williams. He was like, yo, Tion, there's this new rapper named DMX. I'm telling you he's going to be the next thing. He's the shit. And I was like, whatever you say, dog, I got you. you know he's like i got this movie i want you to be tean in and i'm like hell yeah i could be my own name i love that so um i have mad respect for hype and i've always thought he was very creative and talented so he said he had a movie of all time yeah and so when he said he had

a movie and he had this rapper that was amazing i was like i'm so there so i was actually doing fan mail couldn't be there the whole time so when some of the acting like when i was supposed to to be talking to method man he could only be there for a day and I could on only certain days I was talking to a piece of tape on the corner of the camera so it's just crazy how

some movies go like I was there with meth one day and then the next time I had to just talk to a piece of tape on the on the camera. What was it like? I know you mentioned Method man but what was it like working with Nas and DMX? Amazing. Just you know

DMX period is just an amazing and artists and individual, you know, just to be able to say that I got the opportunity, especially, you know, and Nanz, he's awesome too. I remember I met my husband on the set. I, you know, because I was working in a family, I didn't get to do the readings and stuff with, you know, the actors. So I met my husband at the store scene when I'm like, I think it's far. If I hear one more person say that to me, I can't say it.

I get so embarrassed about that to this day. But I met him doing that scene. The Africa is far. That's the first time I ever met him. So that was really cool. The chemistry works. Yeah. Wait, one more movie.

Yeah, yeah. We've got to talk about it. So I think House Party 3 is the best of the house party movies. They're doing another house party. I believe it comes out this Friday. Really? Yeah. Wow.

Shout to the homie AD. Yeah. Yeah. Some of our host here are actually in the movie. They have songs on the movie. House party is such a fun, well, House Party 3. The set, like, I don't know how much, what the hell was doing on set? But watching the movie, I just felt like I wanted to be there.

I was a little kid going through the house saying, mm-mm, we don't like that. Yeah, we're a right thing. How fun was it creating House Party 3? it was fun I mean we just have fun because we had shenanigans going on on set and offset yeah

so many I laughed just because I remember like we've had some of the biggest get back jokes between our crew on that set so I'll never forget that set because we yeah we we had a ball and those were just great times

how much of it was improv and how much of it was actually real? I mean, how much was improv and how much was scripted? A lot was improv because we would always take something and make it our own. So I don't like saying that's all less. And sex with the weapon was what they wanted

us to say. So we just gave them what we thought sex with the weapon would be. So you know you have to have certain dialogue songs in the script that you have to have and we just worked our magic around it. You know, like every other, every uh, all that is totally.

You know? Yeah. Your catalog of movies being attached to those legacies that were just mentioned is incredible. The first time I've seen y'all on any TV or movie outside of just, you know, y'all being in videos was, and I'm going to age myself again, was Nickelodeon's all that when y'all performed. Yeah, y'all performed creep, I believe, live on all that. I remember that was like such a big deal. What was your memories of that experience? Well, they're on the theme song of all that, right?

Yeah, that as well. You want to know we are the people who did the original pilot to get that show's cold. How about that? Break it down. Ryan Robbins is a friend and he said, I have a show and I want you guys to do the pilot. So we actually did the pilot. That's how the theme song ended up being kept.

And it ended up being so iconic for that show. They had votes on keeping it. And so it's still there when they relaunched it. So I thought that was really special. So we talked to Brian and also wanted to, like, since they relaunched it, come back on there. But our tour schedule didn't allow it when he tried to make it happen. So you have, you had a very, very publicized relationship with another superstar. one of our, you know, L.A. native actually is from Englewood.

Full live, Mac 10. That's my daughter's dad. Yeah, exactly. That's your daughter. You know, what was it like being in such a high-profile relationship? Because, you know, like you guys were both superstars and then be co-parenting through that whole experience. What was that like?

It's weird because we're both so private. Like, even though I'm in TLC, I'm not the sole. that likes to go out. Like, I know a lot of celebs who call TMZ. We're coming out the door in five minutes. Like, all that, I go out the back and hide. Like, think about it. Just think about it for a second before TMZ got super big and all that.

How the hell do you think all them people knew where them people were? I always wondered how do I know when these people at the airport. They call. They call. They self-snitching. What? Yeah. Yeah.

I used to watch them go, yeah, Paris Hilton will be coming out of Nobu in about two minutes. Yeah, they call. That's corny. So, exactly. So, I mean, now, you know, they show up at the airport and stuff and they really know because they pay people to say where we are and stuff. But before child, people would call them all the time. So that's what made it so weird because either one of us, he's not like a person that likes to be in the limelight and out unless he's just being at 10. You know what I mean? The same with me, unless I'm just being T-Boss. So Chase always goes, oh my God, I wish you would just be a regular celebrity celebrity sometimes so we could just go here and there and there. And I'm like,

Chase, you know, I'm like, I can't help it. I'm just who I am. But I'll make the call for and she'll still get in. I'll be like, shut up now. What are you going to say now? You know, but it was so funny and cute because at first she didn't really realize who her mom was. And so I would take her to the Cheetah girls in like Adrian or somebody, be like, oh my God, Chase the TV, like, Cheetah girls knows you, Mom. And I'm like, girl, they was like, girl, you don't know who your mama is. It was so, it was cute, so I thought it was amazing.

Like, cute. Is it kind of like different, you being a pop star, and then you got Mack 10, who's a famous gangster rapper, was that kind of like difficult waters to navigate, just being kind of, you know, different scenes and all that, different expectations of fans and images and stuff? No, because I never,

really cared about the expectation of fans. I just was doing me back then, period. You know what I'm saying? But if people really know my personality, oh, it fits. You know? Because, you know, I'm not the girliest girl on the planet, and I'm a prissy tomboy, and I ain't with the shits. So if you knew my real personality,

it ain't far from being with somebody like that at the time. Not at all. Did you ever have to beat anybody up? Hell yeah. He used to with people ass all the time. I had all kind of lost food for Troutes L.A. But, you know, I ain't never liked Holes. So back then, that was before TMZ, thank goodness,

because I would have been all over the headlines back then. But hell yeah, I used to touch a lot of people because them bitches was just successful. Did any of those fights affect your professional relationships? No. Mm-mm. She can't have any streets. No. Nope.

Not at all. But you know what? I just want to put out there for the record. I never started anything. I just, you know, had to, yeah, do things because people, it's like, you know, Rambo, they drew first blood. I'm just saying. So if the raft come after that, hey, it comes with what it comes with. You know what I'm saying?

But I have changed since I've had children. My temper is way better. And I don't react as fast. But back then, I would slap a bitch quit. But now I think things out and I try to not go there and be violent and all that. Is there anything that you learned the hard way back then that you would like today advise yourself to handle better? Advise your younger self to handle better? Oh, hell yeah.

Especially with my health. Because you go through this thing of denial where you don't want to be sick. I just want to go do whatever. And I always had this attitude. Like my cousin, he passed away because I used to be like, well, if you think sick, you'll be sick. And he used to say, well, I'm going to be sick so I can't go. And he would really be sick and not go.

And the doctor said, you're going to die at 45. And he believed it. He died at 45. So I was like, that's not going to be me. If I get sick in Chicago, that doctor can call my doctor and they can just hook me up and boom, boom, boom. You know what I'm saying? But I still got to go to Chicago.

So that's how I used to think. But what I do feel like I could have done better and I know and I wish I learned the hard way because my body basically was like, yeah, Heifer, sit down. You have a disease. I wanted to just be normal and not have it and go do things against what I knew would make me sick. And it would put me in the hospital and I would get super sick. And, you know, the reality was, is like I just couldn't do it. So I put myself through a lot of unnecessary pain. with that.

No, absolutely. Something that I always thought was super crazy, sexy and cool about y'all is that, y'all, the way your styles mesh together in TLC, you know, you had like, you with like the deeper voice would come in. I mean, you have range, but you would, like, come in a lot of records with that lead vocal, you know, deeper. Chili would hit the higher tones and then left eye with the amazing rapper. So, like, never should she be left off of the best rapper list, you know, female rappers in particular.

She was super nice. Thank you. One of the bounciest, most fun flows. Like, what did y'all, was that chemist? Obviously, it's natural, but how did it come to be? And what was that like? And how do you maintain that throughout the years? You know, that's what made us so special because it was organic.

You can't package something that's just meant to be. That's why we always say it was an MTV thing. anything that comes natural and that's organic, you can't package it again if you try. And that's what was so special is that we naturally had the strongest chemistry ever naturally. Like, we didn't even fucking try. That shit just came naturally. And me and Chile, like, we can still be talking and finish each other's sentences. It just comes natural on stage.

It's just meant to be. I can't explain it any other way. But God must have touched this group because. I'm telling you. Like, I couldn't do it again. That's why I crack up sometimes when people be like, yeah, we're the next TLC. I'm like, well, shit, I can't even be me back then.

Good luck. You know, good luck with that one. What helped you in Chile maintain over the years in, like, performances and still creating new music even after the loss of left eye? Well, when you go through things like that, you know that your life will never be the same and you know that your group will never be the same, but you have to find your new normal. And it only takes one person to say, yeah.

So a lot of people were like, oh, they're over, you know, but you forget one thing. Like, I still know how to sing and dance and I still have a passion and I still creative and I still got performances and stuff that I want to do. And the fans kept asking and asking and pushing and pushing and. pushing. You know what I mean? And so her dying didn't hinder my ability to sing or dance. I just had to find what our new normal was because she wasn't here anymore. But we built something together. So that's why it pisses me off when people go, let's just

T and C. No bitch, it's TLC. I paid for that name. I worked hard for that name. Bloods went and tears for that shit. So when you are a business-minded woman, that's why they don't know how ignorant they sound. When you work your ass off for something, that's your shit. That is yours.

You own it. I don't care physically what you see. We're always TLC. Period. And if you work for something, of course you keep that shit. Yeah. What was the process like what, and correct me if I'm wrong, but was

Girl Talked the first video that you guys did after she passed away. I remember seeing the video and just being super inspired because you guys kept going. I know Girl Talk had a whole different message, but it was just the fact that you guys kept going,

which was like so symbolic for me as a child. What was a process like when you guys were making that video because that was the first one that y'all did without her? Honestly, if I had all that time to do over, I would have did things differently. That wouldn't have been the first thing.

And honestly, during that time, I was depressed as fuck. I was just floating and moving because the record company at the time said, y'all either, you know, finish this album that y'all started with her or we're just going to put out a greatest hit and say, fuck your career and just do whatever they want. So it's kind of like, they didn't say fuck your career, but that's how it's how it's. That's what you really saying, you just going to do whatever the fuck you want. And I can't allow that to happen. So it was like I was floating the suspended air, not really picking the right singles.

Look at the cover in 3D. It's dark looking. I would have never picked that picture. Like I would have picked different singles. I would have did different things. But, yeah, I felt forced to keep going because there's not a rulebook on how to mourn. And I don't think we had time to even mourn correctly. or at all.

It was crazy. So honestly, I was just going. Just going. Because I just felt like I couldn't let somebody just take it and do whatever they want. So even if I'm not thinking straight and shit might be a little fucked up, I'd rather do that than let somebody just take all these years of work and just fuck my shit up. No, for real. Long live, left eye, and I guarantee you, I know in my heart that she's,

She'd be very proud of y'all keeping it lit as TLC, keeping her name alive and y'all name alive, and still being dope as you ever were. You brought up something. You talked about being a businesswoman. You talked about owning the name TLC. So you really, like, you learned a lot from a business perspective. What would you, what advice would you give to up-and-coming artists

from a business perspective? I don't know about it. everybody else, but I know about me. I'm not going to be around all these goddamn successful people and not learn some shit. You got to be a dummy. Look at all this damn money and all this

knowledge. Like, how can I not soak this up? I'm like a splutter. So I'm always going to surround myself with people who are even level or even better because that's how I become better. And that's how I learn more shit. So I want to

like man I didn't I didn't come in this to to be a businesswoman I didn't get in this to to like I do let me think I can do vocal arrangement choreography I do our stage production I've done our videoography like I didn't come in here learning that

but I know how to do it now you know what I'm saying but I am a person now if I can't do something because I always say it's a talent to know when you're not talent. That's talent. You got to be honest with yourself. Message. Yeah, be honest with yourself. If you're not talented in something, be honest with yourself. So I'm honest with myself. If I'm not good or something, I let it go. But if I know it's something I can achieve and do, I'm a do it. And so I've done it.

And, hey, you've seen the, you know, the outcome of it. So, like, I know how to edit videos, like, all that shit. Like, I learned all that. Like, because I'm around too many. talented people not to sit up here and learn all these different things through 30 years I've been here there's no way I'm going to sit up there and just still be sitting in the same spot when I first got here at 19 where I'm at 52 I better have a repertoire and a whole resume of titles I better what does 2023 look like for T-Boss girl I want to stay healthy because these damn cooties, girl, I just had cooties. I'm still

sniffling. All these damn something called a rhinovirus. I'm like, what the fuck are y'all cooking up in the lab now? You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm tired. I don't want no more cooties. So I want to stay healthy.

Okay? I want to have a good, healthy year, successful year. I also want to talk about something else. I have a vegan restaurant with my brother and my sister-in-law called Gavs. It stands for good asses. burger. So it's good ass burger, but it sounded like you had

a good ass burger. You know what I'm saying? And they are some good ass burgers, okay? That's a bar. That's in Atlanta or that's other... No, it's in Atlanta. We have a food truck. We have a location off of Howell Mill. We have one that we just opened on the Beltline, which is amazing

because it's all black-owned restaurants. And we have one opening up in February and it's vegan hamburgers. The Sloppy Joes are amazing. Conivores. always come back. Always. Always come back.

Bobby Brown was like, I don't eat vegan. No, no, no. He tasted our cheesecake. He was like, yo, T. I did. Like, he didn't believe it. I'm telling you.

You got to come to Gavs. We're on Uber Eats, all that. Like, you know. The next time I'll come to Atlanta, I'm going to make sure. Yeah, we need that. I'm going to get a good-ass burger.

Yes. We need our issue. I'm going to try vegan because of you. Yes. Let me tell you something. I trust you. I'm not. even vegan. And I'm telling you, our

double OG and our Sloppy Joe fries and the sloppy dough sliders are the biggest thing. And carnivores always will tell you because my brother makes this special gab sauce. It's so effing good, y'all. Everybody comes back and I'm telling you it's the jam. You got me about my stamp on it. Gavs, I'm telling you.

Is there a chance of that coming to L.A., you know, you feel me franchising? Yes, we're trying to get it out there. And, you know, like, we do parties and stuff like that. We travel. So we're going to start traveling and doing stuff like that. So I'm going to do something in L.A. And I'm going to bring gabs

with me. And y'all see, you'll see. Mm-hmm. Seems like, it seems like 2023 T-Baz. And I know we're going to keep the TLC brand and T-Baz music lit. But it seems like you're really leaning into this holistic direction between vegan food, between with the TLCBD and all that. Like, is the vegan?

Also, was that inspired by your health journey as well? Or what brought that delight? Yeah, it came from us starting to try to eat better, you know, and figuring out different meals like the kale salad. We're about to actually come out with a vegan. Well, it's not really vegan. I'll say plant-based and healthier options, a cookbook from gaps from our kitchen to yours. You know what I'm saying? And I'm excited about that. And I'm going to

talk about TLCBD in the book as well because that has totally changed my life. We're launching a a GTX Delta 8 dummy. GTS Delta if you know about GTX battle rap league. Come on. Don't play with us. Yes. Also, I'm a new tincter. Grateful. flavor. So when you try our tinctures, because that's what I take, like when I'm feeling like the cold I had, I got over it fast because I take more. I'll take our tension, put it under my tongue, and instead of once or twice a day, I'll do it three times a day when I'm not feeling well. And for me to have sickle cell in a low immune system, see, I'm sitting here talking to y'all and I can breathe. So, you know, like, so it really does work, guys. And, you know, you

You know, I just, y'all got to go to the site. It's Tian Wellness.com. I'm not to go to get some rimping. Yeah, Tion Wellness. And your fur babies. It's not just for cats and dogs. They give it to horses, sheep. We're on farms and everything.

So, hey, we're trying to save the world, honey. Them sheep need some help, too, clearly. Go to them. Yeah. What about musically for T-Boss slash TLC? this year and moving forward. What's it looking like? I actually have a song called 20 seconds that I might release with the cookbook

because it has to do it with what Gavs and TLCBD and TLC stand for, which is making you feel better and good about yourself and not let life pass you by, like not taking things for granted. And that's what the song is about like life will pass you by and like 20 seconds. if you don't sit down and really look and take in stuff. Like, I've learned to appreciate things more too. You know what I'm saying? And that's even with the food, if you think about it.

I was talking about that yesterday, about how my grandma used to make fudge for everybody, but my grandma passed away and nobody got a recipe. Do you know how important that would have been because she made it for everybody and the whole family? Do you know just that little thing, little things you don't think about that passed me by, in seconds that I didn't think about,

but would have made the world difference if we had my grandma's recipe. Little things like that make such a, like, big difference when somebody's gone and not here no more. You know what I'm saying? So that's the kind of things that I'm going to share in the cookbook, you know, and also with regimens that I do with my TLCBD,

because we have this facial stuff, y'all, because we even got the skin on lock, okay? we have this oil. Oh, my God. I just put it on my hand and smell it because it smells like you go into the spa. But it is so amazing. Like when my son goes out, he'll get blotches from the sun, like uneven skin tone. I'll put our oil and it'll make his skin one tone.

Sorry, people can call it. It'll make his face even. And we have some for women who are starting to get crows feed and wrinkles and stuff. So I'm telling y'all, y'all need to step down with that learn. Exclusively for women? Because some of us guys be getting them crow's feet. No, men can wear stuff too. I'm trying to come out with essential oils, like bath oils and all that.

You know what I want? I'm just trying to help people get where I'm trying to get. Like, I'm not, I'm a work in progress. I'm not perfect. I'm trying to get to a life of peace, of life of, of, of, of, of, of, of, of, of, of, of, of, because I'm in a hectic business. I'm in a hectic world. People are fucking crazy.

All these robberies and shootings and gun law passing. They just pass a stupid-ass law that you can carry a gun in Atlanta without a permit. Like, you're trying to kill us. Like, what are you doing? These kids are crazy these days. So with all this crap going on, I want to be able to come home to the one place I should have peace where ain't nobody trying to break in, rob me. None of that. Put some bath oils in, put some TLCBD in my mouth and stay healthy and some

some oil on my face child or the moisturizer. We got that too. And I just want to feel good and peaceful. That's all I want. And to be joyful and laugh. That's, I want life to be good and and eat better. And that's what the gabs is all about too. So everything that I'm doing and I'm touching has to do with making yourself a better person, feeling good about yourself. Like, if you look good, you feel good. And lastly, TLC is doing a Broadway musical. What?

So I'm not going nowhere. I'll be here. Hopefully, for some years, I pray to God that is successful, like our career. And if it is, boy, because I write movie scripts, now we're going to be,

you'll hear about me behind the scenes, child. If they let me in the door, on and pop it. I just need somebody to move out the way. Then let me come in. Just open the door, honey. If you let me in, I promise you I won't let you down and I'll be there and I'll have some more successful movies under my belt.

How did you feel about the TLC biopic? We were okay, this is my take. We were on it from day one out the gate, you know, because that was a dream of Chili's mostly to get it done.

But I wanted a movie as well. So we were there from the hands on from the script stage and all that. Some of it I felt me, this is me speaking, not chilly. I felt things could have been better but ultimately it was

number one on all of cable of that year. It was number one on VH1 ever at that time and you know it did very well so I feel blessed to have that and I'm glad that it came out. I just wished it was like

kind of like how they did the Jackson story or something where you can have five parts. Because there were so many things that I would rather break down differently and stuff like that. But it is what it is. And I'm blessed to be living and say I have a story instead of people doing like they doing with me

right now. Is there anything that was left out of the story that you feel like should have been added in? There's all kinds of stuff, but that's okay. Because that just leaves more stuff to like make a writer book, child. I got all kinds of stuff

that I'll never tell. That's what I'm saying. So I got stuff I can talk about. We're talking about 30 years, honey. You're trying to fit three girls. Oh, my God. They keep calling. Sorry. Yes, three girls in two and a half hours in 20 years.

That's not possible. We needed it the way they did the new edition film where it was saying. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. That's why I wanted it to be like that. Hey, 50. Talk to call 50. Yeah, you might need to run that.

Might need to run that. It's hard. You know what? 50. If I get that 50, shoot, we're going to do some other movies or something. Come on. Y'all have such a story legacy, but I wasn't going to ask this, but since you brought up something that kind of sparked my brain on it,

we've seen a lot of changes, especially in Atlanta over the years. You know, Atlanta, a mech, of hip-hop, one of the most important, other than New York, you know, arguably L.A. was probably taken over L.A. for a long time. One of the most important cities in hip-hop history in particular, and the music's changed quite a bit. Do you feel like as far as, you know, violence and negativity, you know, either of this high-profile indictment going on right now of like YSL and all that, do you feel like the music has influenced the streets in a negative way, or is it vice versa.

Both. Both. Like, I didn't even know takeoff, but just like all that, like, that really bothered me. You know what I'm saying? It's just,

it's disheartening. Like, I am so tired of seeing all this negative stuff and so many people's lives being taken. And it's just like, what is, I ain't never seen it this bad ever, ever.

And I think all of it. I think a lot of it has to do with the influence of music. It has to do with mostly how you were raised. Most of these parents can't, like, I can't blame all the parents, but some of these parents want shit. And they're raising their children like shit. How are you this young? You already got these many murders under your belt.

Like the list of like a 16-year-old these days are unbelievable. Well, I wouldn't fathom that. with my children. You know what I'm saying? Like, the way they're living, like adults, just like this incident that happened down at 17th Street.

Why is a 12-year-old dead and that's your crew and your friend? Just all of it. Like 12? I was in an arcade at 12. Not rolling around in the streets shooting people. So it's a mixture of all of it,

like our upbringing, our morals, our character, our beliefs, God, like, is he in your life? Is he not? Even if you don't believe in God, is something positive in your life? Like, and then the laws don't help. You just told everybody they could fucking carry a gun. I was walking in the store, and I fell back in the car.

My limo driver was laughing. And I was like, he's just got a gun just hanging out his, like, his sweatpants, and he was like, he's allowed to do that. That shit is not normal. where you could just grab it, pop, pow, like, no, that's why you're seeing so much of it. They're not trying to control this gun law situation. They're just making it easier for us to kill each other off,

and these dummies are actually doing it. So it's just pathetic. It's just disheartening. And I think it all plays a role within each other. It's a whole mixing part of negativity just going on, and all of it plays a role. You know what I'm saying? But if the upbringing was better, too,

we were taught to know the difference between GTA on TV and Call of Duty or not real life. These kids are desensitized. They don't value real life at all. You know what I'm saying? So like these are real people's families. They don't have any attachment to human life. And that is sad. Yeah.

Do you think that there's a big lacking of, I hate this word. but I'm just going to use conscious music, socially conscious music. You know, like TLC records, y'all were talking about something, and you were affecting change while still making people move and not sounding lame, which is very difficult to do and, like, combine all those elements. Do you feel like that's lacking nowadays? It's been lacking, period, throughout time.

You know what I'm saying? Just like there's not too many superstars anymore. Like, either they're dying, or they're just not any anymore, hardly. There are few far and in between. Lyrical content has been lacking every since, like, shoot. What was the name of that first one? Not SoundCloud, but they had that one that.

Yeah, like all that. Napster and all that. Oh, yeah, like, it's been missing. Yeah, so it's just, you know, anybody in their mama can, you know, because I think people get it. twisted on being popular in a reality star or being popular versus being, you know, just being the celebrity versus being a star or superstar. It ain't the same.

And they got that twisted. Just because you're, oh, Jesus, just because you're popular or a celebrity don't mean you're talented either. Right. That's right. That's just mean you're popular. Some people are out here popular for sucking on penises. I mean, okay.

That's facts. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, come on, right? Like, let's keep it above. Like, that don't mean you special. Yeah. Maybe at the porn convention. You know what I'm saying?

But I'm just saying. Our employer just got back from the porn invention, oddly enough, but that's a different story. Teabash, thank you so much for kicking it with us. We really appreciate it. This has been like, this is a really good, this is a really good one for me. Yeah, this is a dream come true. We'll love to meet you in person. Please pop up next time you in L.A.

We'll chop it up in person. Okay. If you want to bring chili, you know, it's all Gucci. You feel, I'm a horse over. Either way. I'll bring y'all some gaps. Okay, we need some gabs. The gift of gabs.

Would that be any final words for the people before we sky up out of here? Yeah, it's just stay safe in this world. I stay prayed up, but just stay safe. Stay safe and try to be a better person. I think it all starts with us looking in the mirror because if half of us would try to, you know, like change some of our ways or become better, maybe this world would be better,

but that's a far stretch right now, boy. It sounds like, like I'm reaching, you know. Sounds impossible to get at, but it can be done in certain areas or certain places. So even if you change one, person, maybe they might listen a day and go, you know what, she's right. Maybe I'll try to be a different person at work tomorrow or at school or with my friends. Maybe it'll change someone's life because just a smile you don't know might stop somebody from going to kill themselves that day. You don't know.

Straight up. Just be good to people. You know what I'm saying? You don't know what people go through in their day. You really don't. And that smile could just change somebody's whole perspective and save their life. You just know something like a little smile. Yeah. Thank you so much, T. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Enjoy the rest of your day. Much love. Okay. Y'all too. Don't leave me on right when I come out to Atlanta. Yeah. I'm a dear you.

I ain't too proud to beg for some gabs. I'll help you up. I'll come eat with y'all. All right. Easy call. Okay. Bye. That was an amazing interview.

Great. interview. Shout out to Teaboss. Thank you so much for chopping it up with us. Yeah. You feel me? And thanks for all of y'all in the No Jumper universe and beyond for watching. Like, share, subscribe, type in to Nojumper.com. Catch me on whole fessions. All of that, all of that. Come on.