TLC

The group was conceived to represent the most desirable traits of womanhood[1]. Over the course of three albums, the trio's[2] combination of hip-hop, R&B, and dance balladry has gradually moved into arenas redolent of defiance.

Long-term[3] residents of Atlanta, Ga., Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins each worked mundane, blue collar jobs before being discovered. With Austin and Pebbles overseeing production, TLC completed and released its debut album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, in 1991.

On the strength of the pop/rap/hip-hop singles "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg[4]," "Baby, Baby, Baby," and "What About Your Friends," the album quickly reached the top ten, and ultimately topped sales of 4 million in the U.S.

CrazySexyCool, released in November of 1994, unlike the trio's debut, the second album contained hardly any rap songs, and instead unveiled a more traditional R&B sound. CrazySexyCool spawned three #1 singles ("Creep," "Red Light Special," and "Waterfalls"), as well as the top ten hit, "Diggin' on You". TLC carried home Grammys for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group; and MTV Video Music Award trophies for Best Video of the Year, Best R&B Video, Best Group Video, and a Viewer's Choice Award.

Fan Mail was released in February of 1999, which is the trio's most personal work to date[5]. The album is also more aggressive than its predecessors, bearing song titles such as "Silly Ho," "No Scrubs," and "I'm Good At Being Bad," evidencing TLC's ongoing evolution toward a more autonomous artistic stance. Fan Mail vaulted to the top of the charts with one of the biggest debuts of the year, and sold over half a million copies in its first two weeks of release.