Rozonda Ocelean Thomas made a name for herself as the "C" of the acclaimed R&B/hip-hop group; TLC, under the name "Chilli." In TLC's 1992 debut album; "Ooooooohhh....On the TLC Tip," she added her smooth R&B vocals to the mix, which helped power 3 Top 10 hits, including "baby-baby-baby," and "What about your friends."
Chilli went on to perform with TLC, including a national tour as MC Hammer's opening act and even appearing in the movie "House Party 3."
In TLC's 1994 sophomore album; CrazySexyCool, her role would become even more define as she would become the "Sexy" of TLC. She lived up to the title in music videos such as "Creep," "Diggin' on you," and "Red Light Special." One stand out track from CrazySexyCool was "Take Out Time," in which Chilli gave a tremendous performance in her only track singing lead vocals on the Album. To date the album has sold 11million copies in America, which contributed greatly to making TLC the #1 selling female group of all time.
In 1996 Chilli was part of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. "The almond eyes, straight ebony hair and voluptuous lips," indeed, Chilli is by far one of the most beautiful and exotic women of all time, however she was incomplete for she didn't know who her father was. At the age of 25, her father was found by The Sally Jesse Raphael Show, it was then known that she was part-Arabic and part-East Indian, which explained her exotic features. The next year Chilli gave birth to her son; Tron on June 2nd, 1997.
In 1999, on TLC's 3rd album; Fanmail, Chilli had her first lead single; "No Scrubs," which went #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and won an MTV Music Award for Best Group Video, two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo/Group and many other awards. The song is what fueled the debut of this album to #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums. Chilli also sang lead on stand out songs "I miss you so much," and "Come on down."
Chilli performed live throughout 1999 and 2000 on telvision and on a FanMail tour throughout the US.
At the end of 2000 she co-stared in the movie; A Diva's Christmas Carol, which aired on VH1 and made other cameo appearances.
After the fanmail era, Chilli started a romance with R&B singer Usher Raymond and began working on a new TLC album; 3D. On April 25th, 2002, her groupmate; Lisa Lopes died in a car crash and herself and Tionne "T-boz" Watkins morned while finishing the album they started recording together. Chilli and T-boz then made a very emotional appearance at the 2002 MTV Music Video awards as a tribut to Lisa and 3D was released in October of that year.
Chilli went on to make acting appearnaces on TV shows; That '70s Show, The Parkers and Strong Medicine, and ended her relationship with Usher Raymond. In 2005 Chilli starred with Tionne "T-boz" Watkins on the reality show "R U the Girl," and then went on to work on her solo album. In 2006 she signed with recording aritst Akon's label under Interscope Records and will release a new album in 2007.
TLC founding member Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas has inked with Akron's Konvict Muzik label, which is aiming to release her as-yet-untitled solo debut in mid-2007. The album will be distributed by Interscope.
"This will be totally opposite from when she was with the multiplatinum group," Akon tells Billboard. "She's an incredible artist and I want people to reconnect with her." Akon is working on half the album with Chilli; also lending production guidance are Missy Elliott, the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am and Timbaland.
Chilli has been relatively quiet since the release of TLC's final album, 2002's "3D." That set was released in the wake of group member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes death in a car accident.
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