T-Boz of “TLC” – The Very VERY Fly-Mommy!!!

www.boz-bizz.com

Tionne Tenese Watkins, better known as “T-Boz” is the Founder of TLC, [Members included T-Boz, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes who was killed in a car accident in April of 2002], one of the most exciting and successful girl groups in history.  She was born in Des Moines, Iowa on April 25, 1970.  She is of African American and American Indian descent.  She has a daughter, Chase Rolison.

(Interview with Flaimahmy, August 10, 2009)

(Sickle Cell Anemia is a painful blood disorder, characterized by red blood cells that become abnormal and rigid, assuming a sickle shape.  The sickling is the result of a mutation in the hemoglobin gene).

FM:  You went public about having Sickle Cell Disease in 1996.  The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia was your charity of choice on ’The Apprentice.’   Who is most affected by Sickle Cell?

TB:  Are you talking about the community or me personally?

FM:  Well, the community and you.

TB:  As far as the community is concerned, Sickle Cell  is a disease of people of color.   A lot of people think it is just African Americans who are affected but there are Hispanic and some Indian people that I have met who have Sickle Cell as well.    I try to urge people to get involved with their health, to get tested if they want to have children and to give blood.  Black people need to give more blood.   When I give a blood drive it’s amazing.  I can get white people and Asian people to give blood but I cannot get our own folk to give.  We need to do this.  I’m trying again this September.  I want to raise awareness and make a difference.  Our people are affected the most.  As far as me personally, I have a child and a mother so it takes me away from my child when I go to the hospital.  My family is affected by it as well as me because it breaks my body down each time.  As a spokesperson I’m fighting for a cure not only for others but for myself as well.

FM:  What was it like as a child having this painful disease?

TB:  I got sick a lot.  My first seven years I spent in and out of the hospital.   That was all I knew. The nurses and the doctors were my friends.  If that’s all you know; that’s just always been my life.  One thing I can say about my mother, she was always great in making me feel normal,  like there was nothing wrong with me.  That actually made me a strong-minded person.  She just didn’t make me feel like I was an outcast.  Some people used to tease me and make fun of me because they didn’t understand.  There were a whole bunch of things that I was restricted from doing.  I had to drink baby milk until I was sixteen.  Doctors told me I would not live past thirty, that I would never have kids and that I’d be disabled my whole life.  There are a lot of things that you’re told.  But my mind, the way it works, I have strong will-power, I just never believed them.

Now, I’m thirty-nine.  My daughter will be nine this year.  I’ve been in the most successful female group of all time.  So I have superseded everything they told me I couldn’t do.  Doctors are practicing medicine and even though we are all told we have one disease it doesn’t affect us the same.  That’s why you’ve got to get into learning about your body.  That’s what I did.  I learned about how to deal with what I have and not let it hold me back.

FM:  That’s inspirational.  That’s great.

TB:  Thank you.  I appreciate it.

FM:  Tell us about your combination African American and American Indian descent.  Have you had negative feedback for going public about your heritage?

TB:  There’s only been a couple of times back in the day when some of the “black power” folks would say things like, “Oh, she’s so light-skinned she shouldn’t be able to grace the cover of a black magazine.”    I’m like, “How do you figure…I’m black all day long.  I can’t help what color skin I was born into.”  Down south in Atlanta I’ve always had issues with the color of my skin.  When I went to school the dark-skinned people who did not like me were girls because I was too light.  Then white people did not accept me because they were still calling people the “N” word back then.  So I didn’t belong.  But, once again we all bleed the same.  I cannot help how I was born.  If most people would have taken the time to talk to me I’m probably more ghetto than the dark-skinned chick over there.  That’s never bothered me.  I am who I am.  I’m proud of who I am.  God made me who I am and that’s just what it is.

I just never let it bother me.  Most people think I’m mixed with something.  To me I look black.   They say, “What are you mixed with?” and I say black on black.  My grandmother was beautiful.  On my dad’s side.  She was Indian.  She had long black hair with no grey when she died at age 83 and she was beautiful.  It just  is what it is.  You can’t help who you are.  I embrace it.

FM:  I know that all of us are still hurt at the loss of  Lisa Lopes.   However, when you look back at being in the group, what was it like being in an all girls group?

TB:  The thing about TLC, as much as people spread rumors about us breaking up, we never did.  Of course we had our ups and downs  but that’s in any family, any friendship and any relationship.   You can always agree to disagree.  What you have to learn is how to respect each other regardless.  Lisa ended up being my cousin because my uncle is married to her mom.   It got real personal with us.  When anything happened the moms would be like, “What are ya’ll arguing about?”   Like family.  That’s what we really became, is family, regardless.  I wouldn’t have changed anything for the world because I think everything you go through you go through for a reason. And whatever that reason is, I’m fine with it.  I couldn’t have asked to be in a better group than TLC.   That was the best group ever and I love those girls.  I feel honored to have been a part of it.  We had fun and a great time.  There’s no bitterness.  There’s no bad feelings.  If we went through something we would makeup, hug and keep going.  The thing that I liked about us the most is that we were rebels, the more people wanted to get to us the tighter we got and we would go fight the world.  TLC against the world like we were some superheroes.  It was fun.

FM:   We know that you’ve been working on an album.  What is it like to work with Dallas Austin?

TB:  You know I haven’t even worked with Dallas Austin this time.  I was supposed to but he was working on that show with Puffy’s “Making His Band.”  I’ve actually worked with some other folks.  I’ve been knowing Dallas since I was fourteen.   The other producer I’ve worked with so far, Bangladesh…he did  “Diva.”   He has that song out now “Break Up.”   He’s from Iowa and is like my little brother.   His name is Shondrae Crawford.  Also right now I have songs with Young Jock, Too Short and Lil Wayne on the album.  I also did one with Raheem Devaughn.  It’s been fun!

FM:   You have an online clothing store, ‘Chase’s Closet’ named after your daughter.  How do you find the time to write songs, create music, put together an album, be a spokesperson for Sickle Cell, build a business, and be a mom?

FM:  I’m a mommy first.  I do my schedule around Chase.   Sometimes I want to pull my hair out; I’m not going to lie.  I always try to take three projects and work on them at the same time because they all run at different times.  For example, one will happen in February, another might get started in April and the other in December or next year.  It sounds like a lot, and it is, but it doesn’t always happen at the same time.

As far as Sickle Cell is concerned I feel like if I’m in position to reach people and talk about something, why not?  I’m not going to sit here and talk about, “Oh, my house is big, and my ring is that, and my car, bump all that.  I’m going to try to make a difference when I open my mouth.  That’s what I choose to talk about.  Time is free.  It doesn’t cost anything.  That’s the easiest thing for me to do is spread a word or to give back or help because I didn’t get here by myself.  People helped me get to where I am.  They helped me become T-Boz.  I didn’t do this alone.  I can’t take all the credit.  We all have a talent  but other people’s help enhance that.  I don’t want to take that away from anybody so I give credit to everybody who helps me.

It’s hard.  I ain’t gonna lie…(laughter)…I get up,  I fix my daughter breakfast, I take her to school, I pick her up myself.  I take her to cheerleading practice.  I try to do stuff in between her schedule.  I go into the studio.  I take a meeting.  I stay up late.  I design clothes in the middle of the night.  I work out things in the middle of the night when she’s asleep because I’m a night person.   And I’m dog tired when it’s time to take her to school,  It still kicks my butt everytime I have to get up.  Then I fall back and take a nap and get up and start over again.  So that ’s my day.

FM:  Sounds familiar.  Trust me.

TB:  There is never a dull moment.

FM:  A few months ago you headlined a show in Japan.  Is there a difference between a Japanese audience and an American audience?

TB:  Yes, it really is.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love America and I love our fans.  But, in Japan it’s a whole different level of appreciation.  We hadn’t been there since 1999.   We were headlining over people who are number one and hot over here.   I mean Akon opened for us, T Pain opened for us, John Legend opened for us…Craig David… Chantelle.  It was just an honor to be treated that way and still get that respect over there because we were always number one.  That goes to show you once they love you they always love you and they give you sooo much respect.  It was just so much fun being back over there.  They gave all of these great gifts and electtronics.  I just had a ball.

FM:  Do you talk to your daughter about the way many women are portrayed in music videos today?

TB:  Oh yeah.  She doesn’t watch MTV or BET at all.  I know that sounds crazy because I am a musician, but no.  Because all you see is nakedness, it’s damn near all reality shows.  And today’s stardom is basically dating people, getting butt naked and arguing. That’s all you see.  That’s what’s hot and that’s fine.  But, my child, no. I have a Tivo and she keeps it on Disney and Nickelodeon.  It’s mostly Disney.  Disney has nice, clean, fun, youthful videos with the hit songs.  I let her listen to the radio so she knows all the dances and the songs that are hot but watching those videos with titties swinging and butts clapping, uh uh.

I think they are programming our young girls to think that it is ok  to be like that.  It’s cool if you’re grown and you want to do it but I don’t think it’s supposed to be like the in-thing that “if you show your titties girl you can make it.”  No.  That’s not a way to teach our youth and that’s where it’s going.   When I talk to some of these young girls these days they’ll say, “Girl when I grow up I want to be a stripper.  That’s what you want to do?!  Not own your own business, not run something, not be an entrepreneur or anything, model…something… but, a stripper because it’s fast cash and an easy way out.  But, how long would that last?  How much respect?”  Respect, to me is more important than anything because if you don’t have that you don’t have anything.

FM:  You’ve got me over here nodding.

TB:  You know what I am saying.  You’re gonna make this trip cool and it’s not.  It’s not at all.  If you talk to my daughter right now she’ll come in here and go “eewwh she’s nasty.”  I’ve got her thinking it’s the grossest thing ever to hit the planet.

Do you know that they don’t even get paid to do it?  “Girl you know, if you get naked, they’ll show you on tv.”  But, you don’t have any talent.  You are not being respected for your mind.  When there’s one set of big titties and big booties there’ll be another set.  And, that doesn’t keep a man because there will always be another set of titties.  It’s like a hollow shell.  It’s good on the outside nothing on the inside.  Where are your morals?  Where is your self-respect?  What’s up with your self-esteem?  Who are you as a person?  Respect yourself girl!!!   I can’t stand it.  It makes me sick to my stomach. I think it’s pathetic.

FM:  Have you put your daughter on a college track and would you be opposed to her going into the music business?

TB:  My daughter knows the importance of school especially because her mom just sucked in that area.  (Laughter)  I don’t want her to be like me; I want her to be better than me.  My daughter is very smart.  She skipped up a whole grade.  She is a very very creative girl.  If she wanted to be in the music business I would support it.  She always says that she wants to be a veterinarian.  I support that.  I’m scared of all the animals that she has.  But, she said that when she was two and it’s years later and she’s still saying that.  I’m not into breaking anyone’s dreams.  I’m a person who dreamed and my mom didn’t crush mine.  So if you are going to be responsible and take care of the animals and do what you are supposed to do I explained to her that if you want something in life you go get it you don’t wait for anything to be given to you, you work hard for it and you go and get it  the right way.  That means using your mind and your skills.  You work for it the right way, not by taking your clothes off and using an easy way out.  You use your mind and your skills and you work hard and you get it.  You feel good about yourself.  I showed her that in dancing.  She dances in the Christian group.  I told her that in practicing her dance if she  just jerked it a little harder she would be put in the front and she did. And she was put in the front, in the middle.  I said yeah!  You’ve got to work for it.  I make sure she understands.  I ask her, “When you want something what do you do?”  She says, “You work hard and you go get it.” And I am like “That’s right!”

FM:  What was it like being on ‘Celebrity Apprentice?’

TB:  Girl, I’ll say this.  It was an honor to have been involved and to have worked with Donald Trump, but I will never, ever, do that again.  (Laughter)  We worked six days a week, fourteen to eighteen hour days.  I hadn’t worked that hard since “Waterfalls.”   I hadn’t been up that early in the morning since I did that video in 1994.  I think what he is doing is great…honestly…to bring awareness to all these diseases and charities and to give.  But, when I say on that show you work for that money, trust me, you work for that donation.  Do you hear me?

I’m not a woman kind of person; I usually hang with guys.  So it was hard for me to be with all those women, cackling and talking and oooh!   They were wrecking my nerves.  I wanted to choke myself.   I just said I’m here on a mission.  I won $20,000 for Sickle Cell and that was it.

FM: We consider you to be a Fly Mommy.  In your own words what makes you a Fly Mommy?

TB:  I think being a Fly Mommy is having a connection with my daughter.   She can talk to me about anything.  She doesn’t have to worry about somebody else raising her no matter  what my lifestyle is or my job or me being a celeb.  That will never get in the way of me being a mom.  I cook for my daughter , I take her to school, pick her up and I’m there for whatever she does.  I think that makes you a Fly Mom because if I don’t teach her and set a good example for her how can she be a mom to her kids one day.   I think time well spent, having fun and just setting a good example is being a Fly Mommy.

FM:  Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?

TB:  Well, I’m working on an album and ya’ll gotta go get it.  Oh, check out my website, www.boz-bizz.com.  Since this is about motherhood, I think time is the best thing anybody can give and it doesn’t cost anything to just spend time with your children and I wish more people would do it.  Since I sell clothes I see women who don’t even know their children’s shoe size but if I ask their nanny they know.  I’m not knocking anybody with a nanny because everybody needs help.  I have my mom.  It’s a hard job.  Trust me.  But, I think there is a difference between somebody helping you and somebody helping you raise your child.  Just spend time with your kids.  Don’t let television entertain them and raise them.  You should.

Tags: Bangladesh, Dallas Austin, Donald Trump, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, T-Boz, Tionne Tenese Watkins, TLC

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am and is filed under Entertainment, Fly-Mommies!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.