Customer Reviews

On the Tlc Tip

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Out of all of their cd's, there's no doubt that their debut had the most Left Eye. If only that were still true. It was released when they were free and didn't where skimpy clothing; they even wrote a song about not liking to where tight clothing. Left Eye wrote all but 2 songs on the album, and appeared on all but 1 song. The best song on the album, in my opinion, is "His Story". Yes, Left Eye didn't rap on this song, but it, in a way, demonstrated the concept of the album: women's rights and their independcy. I suggest this album to anyone who likes TLC, especially their early days.

I only recently purchased this album, after becoming a devoted TLC fan after CrazySexyCool and following thier careers since then. But how wrong I was to believe they really hit the big time with CrazySexyCool - Ooooooohhh...On the TLC Tip furthur exemplifies the groups ever radient individuality and confidence in singing about a range of issues - something that just really lacks in artists today. Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes was a genius and she features more on this album than any of TLC's others. I encourage any TLC fan to complete thier collection, whatever albums may be missing. Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, CrazySexyCool, Fanmail, 3D and the soon to be released Now and Forever: The Hits is a package of 5 of the greatest R&B CD's you will ever purchase

Imagine the late '80s - early '90s R&B group Bell Biv Devoe as a girl group - and TLC is what you get. Little did we know we had legends in the making!! They had a unique look and style, and they weren't like ANYONE else out there - and this is why people are STILL talking about this group. We will never forget the almost cartoonish Day-Glo clothes that were baggy as all get out, and condoms worn as the "must-have" fashion accessory.

Although CRAZYSEXYCOOL is probably TLC's best selling and most popular disc, OOOOOOOHHH...ON THE TLC TIP, the Atlanta group's debut, is my favorite by the trio. Primarily produced by Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, L.A. Reid and Babyface, this is one of the few CDs that features samples throughout it that I really love. While all the ladies contribute their now trademark sounds, it is the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes who dominates the material here. I still listen to it at least once everyday. I first purchased it on cassette and wore it out so badly, I had to get another one and the same thing happened. Finally I just got the CD and I still have it today. I can honestly say that this was the CD that changed my life when I first brought it in '92. TLC might have taken a page from Salt 'n Pepa by talking about female empowerment, safe sex, loyalty, black-on-black crime, double standards and true friendship - issues that touched me in a huge way back then (and still do today, to a degree) but they took it to an even higher level. This is GIRL POWER in its finest form. The message on it gave me the confidence and courage to face the dilemmas in my life instead of running away from them, to rely on myself, and I haven't looked back since! This is why these girls mean so much to me, and why I've supported them from day one.

OOOOOOOHHH....ON THE TLC TIP grabs you right from the start - yes, even the intro makes you interested in what you are about to hear. (And yes, the interludes between the songs will crack you up, too.) Exploding with the sounds of New Jack Swing, funk, rap, hip-hop, catchy pop hooks, and crazy, frenetic Public Enemy-like samples all over it, this CD is an instant injection of fun and youthful energy. The material sounds just as good now as it did back in the day. It kicks off with the Grammy-nominated hit "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", goes right into the red-hot "Shock Dat Monkey" and keeps the momentum going with "Hat 2 Da Back". The CD sort of hits a bump with "Das The Way We Like 'Em" - all I can say is I prefer that Left Eye do the rapping, and let T-Boz and Chilli stick to singing. However, it picks right up again with the hit "What About Your Friends" and "His Story", an amazing song that showed that TLC had a serious side to them as well. This tune caused a bit of controversy back then because Left Eye mentioned the name of a prominent rape victim in the intro. (For those who don't know, this was a huge story in the late 1980s in New York and the news spread nationwide. The teenage girl, who was black, accused six white men, some of them police officers in Westchester County, NY of kidnapping and raping her but when it came down to it, she was accused of lying about the attack. She continued to stand by her story. It's been said that the song "His Story" is loosely based on that event.) What I loved so much about this group is they almost always had important messages in their songs, subjects we all need to pay attention to - as we see with their later smashes, "Waterfalls" and "Unpretty".

The CD keeps up the pace with the hyped-up girl-power anthem "Bad By Myself", and segues into the smoother ballads "Something You Wanna Know" and the # 1 R&B hit, "Baby-Baby-Baby". Another misstep here is "This Is How It Should Be Done" - don't really like this much even though it does feature Left Eye. But a perfect closer to this is MY personal anthem - "Depend On Myself", words I truly live by and take to heart. Ladies, if you ever need a dose of confidence and something to lift your spirits, this is the CD to listen to! Energetic, lively and positive, if you are a TLC fan then there is no reason for you NOT to own this. Put it on, dance and have a good time - I know Lisa would want it that way.

Of all the years of the 90's, 1992 was my favorite year. One of the things that made it that way was TLC who debuted with this classic gem that was a hybrid between a Public Enemy album, a BBD album and a whatever was going on in Hiphop at that moment. The first time I saw these cuties was even before the album was released while watching the "Aint To Proud To Beg" video and I was immediatley attracted to Chilli. But I admit, it wasn't until I heard "Baby, Baby, Baby" that I ran out and purchased the album. Every song on this album has a life of its own and the personality of this group showed me that they would be the biggest group in the world soon enough. I love this album, every song, every moment. I miss u Lisa, rest in peace, Boo.

Though this cd is more than 10 years old, that does not take away from the fact that it's still a good cd. I got this early last year, and I listened to it nonstop. TLC is really the bomb! The songs on here are really good, and you know something is really good when you like most of the songs on a cd instead of 3 or 4 of them out of 12 or more tracks. "Ain't 2 proud to beg", "that's the way we like 'em", "this is how it should be done", "what about your friends", baby, baby, baby", "something you wanna know" are such tight songs! I wish that the songs "something you wanna know", "das da way we like 'em", "this is how it should be done" were released on the radio when they first came out in 1992 because these songs are so good and tight that they were meant for radio airwaves. TLC is a very talented group with the raps from Lefteye, singing from Chilli, and deep, raspy voice from T-Boz. Trust me, this cd is one that you can still jam to.

Combining the seductive prowess of T-boz, abundant sass of Left-Eye, and pervasive sexiness of Chilli, Laface formed one of the most successful and ecletic groups in TLC. From 1992 to 2000, they were the ultimate girl group, recording three multi-platinum albums, a host of hit records, and attaining millions of fans around the world. It all started with their eponymous debut. It turned out FOUR mega-hits ("Aint Too Proud To Beg", "Hat 2 Da Back", "What About Your Friends", "Baby-Baby-Baby") and, in the process, rose them to superstar success overnight.

As with any successful record, the hits are the highlights, but album tracks are almost always just as good, if not better, than the singles. And this holds true for Ooh...On The TLC Tip as well. My favorites include: "Das Da Way We Like 'Em" (the only track in their entire career which features the whole trio rapping), "Somethin You Wanna Know" (a rap slow-jam showcasing Left-Eye's diabolical rapping style), "This Is How It Should Be Done", (a midtempo groove showcasing Left-Eye yet again), and "Shock Dat Monkey" (a energetic dance number similar to "Aint Too Proud To Beg").

In conclusion, TLC promoted a innocent, colorful image in the beginning. It transpired into unimaginable success, especially with the trio's distinct personalities. But bigger things were yet to come for TLC, as later releases would invoke. However, their debut is representative of humble beginnings. It is one of the most entertaining albums of the early '90s, and ranks right up there with En Vogue's Funky Divas and SWV's It's About Time as the top girl group record of 1992. That being said, you must pick up this album not only for TLC's catalog, but for nostalgia purposes as to how innocent and fun R&B music used to be.

Grade: A-

The debut album scrait out the gate from ATL's finest R&B group. It's TLC you fool. When this came out they had about 5000 colors on with condoms pinned to their clothing: promoting safe sex.

For those that don't know(those living in caves) the group consists of three members: Chilli, T-Boz, and Left Eye. T-Boz is the low- key "creep" singer who sounds almost like talking when she sings, which was original and tight in 92. She is also married to Mack 10. Chilli is the pure singer in the group( who has appeared in two recent Usher videos) and Left Eye is the MC(emcee) who burnt down Andre Rison's house some time ago. As always the group is almost always in the spotlight whether for their charisma and outstanding songs or for their popularity and celebrity status. They have appeared in movies, guested on others albums, and Left Eye even hosted a show on MTV.

What I am getting at is that this group TLC was monumental, influential, innovative(Blaque anyone?), legendary, and downright dope. This cd was the beginning. It contains all the hits such as Hat 2 Da Back- an ode to dressing however they wanted; baggy clothes and all, Shock Dat Monkey is about getting on the "field" and "playing" the "game", and others.

Aint Too Proud To Beg STILL rocks the party with its tight chorus and singing. What About Your Friends which is about who your friends really are. Baby Baby Baby is the best song with its laid back instrumental and sounds fresh even today; the chorus and melody are off the chain and it is the cleanest(nicest) song on the album. The only bad thing about this cd is that some of the songs production( none of the aforementioned) sound WAY dated, which may turn away listeners accustomed to today's production.

Either way you are getting quality when you listen to it and it is classic because it has withstood the test of time( I think 8-9 years is good aging) I highly recommend this cd to newcomers and everyone else who doesn't own a copy.

This album shows TLC at their very best. If you are a hip hop fan, this album is definitly for you. If you aren't, you will become one after hearing this cd the same way I did. The songs have an edge to them, and they have lyrics that describe TLC's view's on basically everything. In their song 'HIStory' they open up a touchy subject about descrimination between the sexes, and I think it is one of their best songs. All in all, this album is definitly showing the world what TLC are made of.

This album introduces us to the varous characters that is TLC, absolutely love it, the album promotes, safe sex, talks about woman abuse, jealousy in relationships, but on the other hand it is fun, fun, fun. TLC made up of Tboz, the husky voiced, laid back serious don't mess with me beauty, Left eye the in your face hip hop rap star who speaks her mind sexy yet gansta, with a unique voice that is only hers, Chilli the sweet, dark chocolate beauty with the soulful voice and the sexy moves. These ladies are so different, yet click perfectly, it just cannot work without them all being part of the package. Even the incredible Destinys Child can't compare to this cohesion, no one really cared much that the group dropped and replaced chicks, lets face it Destiny's Child was basically Beyonce (Diana Ross) and her backing vocals (Supremes).

TLC is a group both with individual equal importance. I love this first album, songs like "Baby, baby, baby", "What about your friends", "His story" and "Ain 2 proud to beg" are great songs, Left Eye has never had a stronger role on a TLC album than this one, who knew that these ladies would end up to be the biggest girl group of their era. I suggest you get yourself a copy.

For awhile now, I had all of TLC's albums except for this one. (I have a weird tendency to purchase an artist's discography backwards.) Anyway, I finally bought it and when I popped it into my CD player, I listened to it threee times straight through. I absolutely love it! It's so fun and energetic. This is obviously the album that Left Eye had the creative control on. Every song is great, especially "His Story." I also loved "Intermission I." Funny stuff. This is definitely one of those albums you clean your house to, or you can just listen to it without any disruptions. Either way, I highly recommend.