As one of the biggest selling female groups of all time, TLC
has no doubt left their mark on pop culture in the ‘90s. Their early beginnings
of injecting the message of safe sex through music was one of the ways TLC
managed to capture our attention and separate themselves from the pack. T-Boz,
Left Eye and Chili maintained their position at the top of the charts
throughout the group’s career. Sadly, tragedy struck with the untimely death of
the group’s most flamboyant member, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, in early 2002 during
a car accident in Honduras.
Left Eye’s death came as a shock not only to her group
members and family, but also to the millions of fans the group had touched
through their music. In addition to her work with TLC, Left Eye branched out on
her own to collaborate on songs such as Donell Jones’ “U Know What’s Up”, Lil
Kim’s “Not Tonight” and Melanie C of the Spice Girl’s “Never Be The Same
Again”. She also released an album entitled Supernova [Arista] which never released in the US. In addition
to this album, Left Eye has recorded many other unreleased songs, which where
selectively chosen for her upcoming release Eye Legacy [Mass Appeal]. With the assistance of a few new producers,
Left Eye’s legacy has been brought into illumination.
1. “Spread Your Wings” feat. Free (p###. The Heavy
Weights and Marcus DL) – The very
radio-friendly track is your typical inspirational song. Takes you back to the
days of TLC circa 1996. Either Free was featured on the song for less than a
millisecond, or she’s simply overshadowed on the song altogether.
2. “Rags 2 Riches” feat. Bobby Valentino (p###. Surefire
and Marcus DL) – A very West
Coast-type of flavor track. Perhaps K-Ci or JoJo would have been more fitting
than Valentino.
3. “Let’s Just Do It” feat. TLC and Missy Elliott (p###.
The Heavy Weights and Marcus DL)
–This is hands-down the hottest single on the entire album, which was the only
solitary track, which received an applause from attendees. Left Eye blended
well on the electric organ and bass-heavy track.
4. “Block Party” feat. Lil Mama (p###. Surefire and
Marcus DL)
– This teeny-bopper trackis reminiscent of a down South booty bass 69 Boyz – ish song. Despite the
distracting musical backdrop, Lopes still rode the beat pretty well. Again, the
featured artist is not very memorable.
5. “Universal Quest” (p###. Andrew Lane,
Panauh Kalayeh, Danny Keyz and Reigndrop Lopes)
– Another bass-thumping track.
6. “Bounce” feat. Chamillionaire and Bone Crusher (p###.
Surefire and Marcus DL)
– Theleast-striking thus far. Chamillionaire was a good addition on the track.
Probably could have done without Bone Crusher.
7. “Tampered With” feat. Wanye Morris of Boyz II Men
(p###. Surefire and Marcus DL) – The
mellow, story-telling beat featured Wanya on the hook. This one wasn’t too bad.
8. “Through The Pain” (Keep It Moving) feat. Ryan Toby
and Claudette Ortiz (p###. Surefire and Marcus DL)
– Another slower tempo track. Claudette complimented the trackwell.
9. “Friends” (p###. Surefire and Marcus DL) – Sounded more like Left Eye was reciting
poetry, rather than rapping.
10. “Neva Will Eye Eva” (p###. Andrew Lane, Reigndrop
Lopes and Panauh Kalayeh) – Featured
Left Eye’s younger sister, Reigndrop Lopes. The younger Lopes adds a bit of Rock
to the album.
11. “Let Me Live” (p###. Surefire and Marcus DL) – Another audience favorite, this single
seemed slightly more relevant to today’s music.
Bonus Tracks
“Let’s Just Do It” feat. TLC and Missy Elliott – Just as great as the original, this single
will produce a pretty good video.
“Wild Out (Crank It)” feat. Reigndrop Lopes – Another club ready track. The type of song
that gets you ready for a night out.
The Verdict
Since the songs on the posthumous album were pre-recorded in
the late ‘90s, it was a little difficult to truly appreciate them with today’s
music consisting of the return of the Auto-Tune and several other innovative
sounds. A few of the tracks stood out among the rest, however Left Eye’s
dedicated TLC fans will still be able to look beyond the melodies and
appreciate the mark she has left behind that will continue to live on.
“Tampered With” – Feat. Wanye from Boyz II MenWindows Media Player: http://h.zeitbyte.com/o1/koch/left_eye/tampered_with/tampered_with.asxReal Player: http://h.zeitbyte.com/o1/koch/left_eye/tampered_with/tampered_with.mov “Legendary” – Feat.TupacWindows Media Player: http://h.zeitbyte.com/o1/koch/left_eye/legendary/legendary.asxReal Player: http://h.zeitbyte.com/o1/koch/left_eye/legendary/legendary.mov
