Take Two: TLC Singer T-Boz Returns to Talk Some More
By Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com
Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins is an interviewer’s dream. She’s a straight shooter, uninhibited and doesn’t hold back. Fresh off her stint on Donald Trump’s ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ which airs each Sunday on NBC, T-Boz talked about her departure from the series, the possibility of a new TLC album and what she thinks of bloggers.If you thought this Atlanta-bred singer made headlines with part one of my interview with her, then you’ll have to see what she said in our continuation.
You are no longer on ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’ Do you think its fair that people like Joan Rivers and Brian McKnight left the show for personal gigs and weren’t around for certain challenges?
A lot of people would get upset when Joan had to leave and Brian had to leave because they had prior commitments. There’s a part of you that feels like I could leave too and make extra money if I knew it was like that because you’re working your butt off. I don’t really trip. I don’t get that anal about everything. It’s just too much negative energy. I’m just gonna work hard and do my part. I will really judge you if you mess up or are really lost. I was Project Manager and I knew Khloe [Kardashian] had something important that she couldn’t get out of and it had nothing to do with making money. It was her court thing with the DUI and I was like cool. I’m not gonna hold that against her because that was not in her control, but Annie [Duke] was like, ‘Well she is not here working and we all had to work.’ I was like it’s not that serious to me because she couldn’t get out of it and Joan was out doing comedy shows and Brian was out doing concerts so that was a little different. It didn’t bother me as long as you worked your ass off when you come back.
Were you a fan of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ before joining the show?
Honestly, I would have never watched it if I wasn’t on it. It comes on at the same time as ‘Desperate Housewives.’ I had turned the show down twice and one of the producers for NBC called me and said, ‘We know that you are an advocate of charity work and you don’t have to live with them.’ That sounded cool and I told them I would do it. Once they showed me the show I really liked it. I loved the fact that it was for charity and it was a great avenue for sickle cell. It just made sense all around because it was something that I never would have done and it brings great awareness to sickle cell. It was really good once I got into it.
What was it like touring like that again?
I feel honored to have been in this business for 18 years and still have the chance to do things. [In] Japan [we] headlined the show. Akon, T-Pain, John Legend and Craig David opened, so it’s crazy that’s we’re still headlining. It’s a blessing in itself. I’m happy to do it because it’s fun, but ultimately, my daughter comes first. I feel like I’ve been there, done that and I’ve had the greatest career that anyone could ask for. Of course we had highs and lows, but I wouldn’t change that it for the world. Chase comes first and I am not missing my baby’s first ballet recital because I can’t replace those things. What I can replace is MTV’s ‘TRL’ and all of that. You can’t get those years back with your child and I won’t miss that for the world.
You mentioned your daughter Chase. Is your store named after her still in business?
I actually closed the Chase’s Closet in Houston , but I still have the online store. I’m revamping that whole website so it’s shut down right now so I can put it back up. We’re gonna sell a lot of private labels. It should be fun, but I thought it would be fun to have a store named after my daughter so she can have her own thing. I want her to be a leader as well when she grows up so I’m starting early. Let’s talk music. Online it says you’re signed to Steve Rifkind’s SRC Records. How did that come about. I don’t know why Steve put that on there because I’ve never signed with him. We’re great friends and we’re really close, but I’m not signed to anyone’s label. I am working on a solo album and that’s going really good. People have been coming to the table and working with me as if I was signed so if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. I’m 75% done and I’m just gonna keep working on it and then I’ll figure the rest out later as far as who I want to sign with, if I want to go major, independent or start my own label. The choice is mine and I’m happy to have that choice.
What is the vibe of the music you’ve been recording?
It’s just straight T-Boz. I don’t put it in a box or a genre of music. What I wanna do is just make good music period. It’s about the lyrics to me. I want to bring back those songs that help people feel better about themselves and feel good about themselves. I still want to do the ‘Unpretty’s’ and stuff like that. I have a song on my album called ‘Stronger Than You Know’ and one called ‘Start Off New’ which is about walking away from the past and starting off new. I just want to bring back the good because to me, is at an all time low and you need to help these women. It’s so many people who are thinking it’s cool to be sluts and all you see on reality TV these days is women throwing themselves at men and men throwing themselves at women. It’s like, ‘Girl you’re gonna see me butt naked all for the love of somebody, somebody and somebody.’
What about a TLC record? Will you all ever do a new CD?
Chilli really wants to do a TLC album and I’m the one who really doesn’t. I’m not even gonna lie about that. I said that I would do the single with Lil’ Kim and everybody keeps asking if she’s in our group. I keep telling y’all there will never, ever, ever and I mean that, it will never be anybody in the group. Will we collaborate with other artists? Yes, of course and that could be fine. I’m a little more open to doing it than I was before, but I’m not gung ho about it. If they pay me enough then I might do it.
I’ve seen pictures of you and NFL star Takeo Spikes online. Are you all serious or just really good friends.
We’re together. I’ve never been one of those chicks that just go out dating a whole bunch of people anyway so if you see me with somebody, hello. Whether you like it or not, I’m with him.
Previously, you were in a high-profile marriage to rapper Mack 10. Was it a lot of pressure being in a highly visibly relationship, particularly with the scrutiny you all received during the divorce?
It can be, but the only reason I say that is because I have a child involved. If I didn’t have a daughter I probably wouldn’t care as much because I don’t care what people think and at the end of the day I’ve come to the conclusion that if you’re not the person waking up by my bedside and paying my rent then you’re really not making a difference. You can talk all day long because a lot of people lie on me anyway and they don’t really know unless they go through it. A lot of things that you go through in life, you’d never think it would be you, but yes it can be. It’s not fun having everybody in your business at all. That’s why I felt bad for the Rihanna and Chris Brown situation because maybe some of their situations would be different if everybody didn’t have a say so. You might be rebellious and do something just because people are already saying something about it. You just have to wish people the best and people have to realize that we’re real people and we have feelings and hurt the same. The only difference is that we are popular and on TV. The thing that pisses me off is these crazy bloggers. They have so much to say and it’s like what the hell is wrong with y’all? Do you have all day to sit around and talk about people? What’s wrong with you? I know that misery loves company, but who sits at their computer all day long and talk about people? Something is wrong with that picture. The things that they have to say about people are crazy to me. I remember one time I sat here and did a party for homeless children. Some of the kids got adopted out of the situation and I gave them clothes and a different day that they will probably remember for a lifetime. It was about 100 degrees outside and somebody wrote on their blog that T-Boz needs to check her kitchen. I just want y’all to know that my hair is not nappy, but if it were that’s what perms are for. I was just like you are really petty and simple minded. How stupid is that? I’m sitting here giving homeless kids a home and clothes and you’re thinking about if I have a perm or not. That really baffles me.
You really don’t like the blogs, do you?
It’s amazing to me that these people believe everything that they see on these blogs. The rumors don’t bother me, but I have a child now and it bothers her and my mom. If I walk up to somebody on the street and say to their child that their mom is a whore, they’re gonna want to kill me and be pissed. I’m not the chick that’s all fabulosity out and getting drunk and high. I don’t put myself out on display like that and for you to pick on me; you really have to be bored. If I were ignorant, then I would deserve it, but that’s how it is these days and the messier the better. That’s really sad because they don’t want to hear about the good things that we do and the differences that we make in people’s lives and that does still matter.
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Check Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins blog entries and her video series and her Web site at www.Boz-Bizz.com.
You can also hear T-Boz’s recaps of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ every Monday on the nationally syndicated ‘Tom Joyner Morning Show.’
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To read part one of my interview with T-Boz, read ‘T-Boz Talks: Dishes on Celebrity Apprentice, Girl Group Drama & TLC Movie.‘
