Behind The Band Name: TLC

Though their career as a group together was cut short, the rap trio known as TLC has written many chapters in their story over the decades.

The group, comprised of three talented female artists, was formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1991. Soon after came big hits like “Creep,” “Waterfalls” and “No Scrubs,” all of which hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 10. “Unpretty” also hit No. 1 and the group has six more songs that were top 10.

TLC rose to fame with their multi-platinum album, CrazySexyCool, in 1994, which was one of four multi-platinum records the group put out. CrazySexyCool went on to earn Diamond certification. To date, the girl group has sold more than 65 million records and even made an appearance on the popular ’90s television show Living Single.

Comprised of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, the four-time Grammy Award-winning group experienced tragedy in 2002 with the death of Left Eye. Since then, the other two members have gone on to make more music but, sadly, it hasn’t been the same without the complete lineup.

Nevertheless, the band remains one of the most successful hip-hop outfits. Here is the history and meaning of their simple yet memorable name.

2nd Nature

As with so many groups, how TLC finished is not how it started.

The whole thing began around 1990 in Atlanta when local record producer Ian Burke and his client Crystal Jones mused the idea of starting a tomboy hip-hop trio in the vein of others like Bell Biv DeVoe.

[RELATED: The Meaning Behind TLC’s “Waterfalls”]

After Jones put out an open call for the new idea, she got responses from Watkins, a former native of Des Moines, Iowa, who had recently moved to the Peach State, and Lopes, an emcee who had traveled to Atlanta from Philadelphia with a keyboard and $750 to her name.

The trio got together and formed a group, then known as 2nd Nature. They began to work with producer Jermaine Dupri on a demo.

Name Change to TLC

As the group began to get off the ground, they managed to set up an audition for a manager through a connection at the hair salon where Watkins worked.

The trio then got their audition with Perri “Pebbles” Reid, who operated her own management and production company, Pebbitone. After seeing the trio, Reid loved them. But she had a thought: let’s change the name. Reid gave the group their new moniker, which would then stick: TLC, an acronym for their names—Tionne, Lisa, and Crystal—but also a three-letter word that also historically means Tender Loving Care.

Growing, Changing

Reid helped the trio get an audition with local record label LaFace, which was operated by the legendary producer and songwriter Babyface and Reid’s then-husband, Antonio Reid. Reid liked what he saw from Watkins and Lopes but felt Jones didn’t have what it took, in the long run.

Things began to crumble for Jones after that. Watkins remembers she and Lopes asked Jones to depart the trio as talk of contracts began swirling. In 1991, Watkins and Lopes signed with Pebbitone and Perri Reid became their manager. They began to look for replacements for Jones and TLC began making appearances on songs, including on the track for LaFace’s Damian Dame’s 1991 LP.

The Final Third Member

The trio found their third member, Rozonda Thomas, from Dame’s crew. She was one of his part-time backup dancers. Thomas signed with the group in April 1991 and because of her nickname, “Chilli,” the group was able to keep their TLC moniker. Comprised now of T-Boz, Left-Eye, and Chilli, TLC began to rise to fame, working with big-name producers and having a bona fide record deal.

They debuted as backing singers on “Rebel (With a Cause),” a track on Jermaine Jackson’s solo album, You Said. And they released their debut album, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, in 1992.

Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns