Lisa Lopes remembered....
Lisa Lopes is remembered by some of her loved ones and colleagues. (Vibe Magazine, June 29, 2003)
Mimi Valdes, VIBE magazine: Lisa didn't believe in death - she thought of it as a transformation, and said that she wasn't one to cry at a funeral. And while it's hard not to cry for Lisa, because we will miss her energy talent, and immense creativity, it's comforting to imagine a spirit transformed into something much bigger and brighter than her tiny body could contain. She will always be our supernova, and she will forever live in the hearts of those who love her.
Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas: It's been so hard for me and Tionne. I don't even know what to do with myself. Sometimes I'm okay, then I break down. Half the time I'm in denial about it. I miss and love her so much. You never get over something like this. It's something that we gotta deal with forever, because we have to continue to work. TLC still goes on. Tionne and I are still working in the studio; Lisa is already on the songs The whole album is dedicated to her. Lisa and I clicked real quick. She immediately moved into my house, 'cause she was staying with Perri [Pebbles]. We lived together for like two months. I was waking up and going to sleep with this girl every day. It's like the love started right there for me. That's why everything that we've ever gone through, even during the difficult times, it's like there was never love lost. When I was over at Lisa's mom's house, just seeing her broke my heart. All I was able to ask her was if she wanted something to eat. Other than that, I was scared and just felt uncomfortable. I mean, it's sad when anything happens to anybody, but it's like I just never ever thought in a million years it would be this.
Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins: Lisa and I were actually in a group together before Rozonda, called Second Nature. We clicked right off, 'cause she was outgoing, fun, feisty, and down, like me. She liked to ride roller coasters and party. So I was like, Oh we gonna click, she's like right up my alley. I remember one of my first birthdays spent with her and Chilli. Lisa airbrushed this whole yellow outfit for me. It was when Gap had out the color jeans and jacket to match. She airbrushed it right in Rozonda's basement. It was the most awesome thing I had ever seen in my life, and I had no idea that she could draw like that. I still have that outfit. It was just one of the best gifts I'd ever gotten, 'cause it came from her natural talent. She could set her mind to anything she wanted. We got along a lot more than we argued. I've always accepted Lisa for how she was, whether we agreed or not. In any person's life and family, you can always agree to disagree, but that doesn't mean you don't love them.
Dallas Austin: When I met with TLC to do the first record, Lisa and I became the tightest first. We were like Bonnie and Clyde at one point. This never started off as a business. It's hard enough to lose a friend that you might have hung out with on a normal basis, played basketball, whatever. But when you lose a person who's involved in the biggest experiences of your life? You really can't express the importance of a person who you've shared that stuff with. It's so big that it's not like losing a person; it's like the rest of that experience goes somewhere else. I want people to know that I love her. The magic that all of us had in making records together.... We didn't start an album until we sat down with her. Once I met with Lisa, and once she told me the visual ideas, once me and the other girls more or less could hear all that, then I could make that come to life with the production end of it. Nobody could move without that kickoff from Lisa. From day one, it was never a misunderstanding that she wanted to do her own record. She was like, "You're right that through TLC we have a certain image that can only go so far, but I should be able to express myself in some way if I can't get it through TLC." People thought she was crazy to go to Death Row, but I understood it. She was looking for a creative outlet. You can't even imagine the frustration when a creative person can't express herself. She'd always be like, "I'm not just an eight-bar rapper." Her creativity was number one.
Hype Williams: At one time, Lisa was a very confused person, and what she found in Honduras was peace. She was always a very rare and creative person, and I connected with her in various stages in her life. Honduras really helped her to learn to love herself for who she was. People should realize that, no matter what happened, she was really happy there. I don't think anybody realizes the girl was there, like, six times a year, even going by herself. No matter how tragic the situation was, she died in the place that she loved most. That's not Atlanta, not being in front of a camera; it's none of those things. She looked everywhere-different religions, disciplines, yoga-looked through all kinds of things to find peace. And she finally found it in Honduras. If we can die happy, that's all anyone can ask for.
Andre Rison, former boyfriend: She was a blessing to this earth. She was not only my best friend, she was my soul mate and like a wife to me. Her stature was small, but you can't put a size on her heart. A lot of times people couldn't see what I could see. I really didn't give a damn, because I knew the true lady, and I knew what her heart carried. I was down with her 'til the end, and I'm still down with her.
Adrienne Muhammad, close friend and former Left Eye Productions employee: When I got a call to come work for her, I was like, Oh no, I would never work for her. But I went to the house to meet her anyway. She had this little rag on her head, and was wearing a little tank top and some funny little shorts. She just looked at me, didn't even say hi, just gave me a hug and said, "So you're my new A&R person." Her energy was so inviting, and it was so different from what I thought it would be, I was hooked. I didn't know about my salary, didn't have a start date, didn't know anything. Our first event was at a children's hospital in Atlanta. She stayed all day signing autographs and visiting with the children. She cried because these kids were dying, and I never expected her to be that way. She was in the process of starting a nonprofit organization, with all the money going to children's charities, every bit of it. She had acres of property next to Dr. Sebi [founder/director of Usha Village] and wanted to expand his whole herbal retreat operation. She really was a beautiful person.
Perri "Pebbles" Nixon, former manager: Lisa was a very special person in my life. I can still remember the joy and excitement we shared forming and developing the vision for TLC. She truly was like a daughter to me. The trials and tribulations we shared in the music business seemed far behind us when we talked together last year. She still had that same loving smile, energy, sparkle, and drive. I told her how proud I was of her growth and accomplishments. At the end of our joyous conversation, I said, Lele, I have always loved you, and always will. She replied, "I love you too, Perri." That meant so much to me.
Antonio "L.A." Reid: Lisa oftentimes would reach out to me. And where I could offer guidance, I would. But for the most part, I was just an ear for Lisa; I was there to listen. She told me that she thought of me as her father in many respects. I had no idea that I had that kind of impact on her life. She explained to me that she'd never raise her voice, she'd never use profanity in my presence, she'd never be disrespectful in my presence. I have so much love for Lisa....and she will be missed, absolutely.
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds: She was a sweet girl, but she came hard. She had edge, and it was not an act. We never had any bad blood, and even in bad times, she would come and get my opinion about things. She felt things passionately and brought that to TLC. Lisa was pure rock 'n' roll.
Natina Reed, of Blaque: When I met her in 1993, I already felt connected to her. She came up to me and said, "You remind me a lot of myself. You're not ashamed to rap in front of people. You're very energetic. You have an attitude, and I love that about you." We were like sisters. My son, Tren, is her godson. And right before she went to Honduras, she asked me to bring the baby by. The last memory I have is her telling me that she doesn't know how to burp a baby. We kind of laughed. She was like, "I gotta get used to this if I'm gonna have a godson." She was like an angel, there's really no other word to describe her.
Usher: I think I cried for an hour straight. I tried to go out, but it didn't work - I just broke down right where I was. I will make sure that the individuals like Lisa who paved the way for us to be successful are not forgotten.
Jermaine Dupri: Left Eye stayed with me sometimes before TLC got signed. She was like the cool tomboy, always having fun. I was young back then, so she used to get me to do crazy *beep* Like one night I stole my mother's car to pick her up from some dude's house down in the 'hood. We just got a lot of memories like that. As long as you were in her mix, it was all good.
Max Gousse, personal manager from 1999 to early 2001: Lisa was one of the most creative artists I've ever worked with. She was the driving force behind a lot of TLC's marketing. She really cared about the fans and did everything possible to please them, like the whole Fanmail concept. She taught a whole generation of young females to speak their minds. And when confronted with the establishment, she always stuck to her guns and did what she wanted to do, and she was respected for that.
Salaam Remi, producer, “The Block Party” single, other tracks on Supernova: We started to record about a year ago. During that time, my mom passed. Lisa went to the botanical gardens and got these plants. She and her assistant came into the studio with their arms full of them. And I'm asking, where are those going? And she's like, "They're for you." I was still in mourning, and that was a little bit of compassion. She brought me something that was gonna have life.
Esthero, singer, collaborator on Supernova: She was more connected to her spiritual world than she was to the physical. She gave me Letter to Earth, by Elia Wise. Inside, she wrote: "Aside from the book called The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra, this book would be my favorite. Very easy to read, lots of info. I hardly ever read a book from front to back cover, because all the answers are within. This will serve you as great food for thought. And thank you so much for everything, Lisa."
Rockwilder: She was always putting me up on what was going on spiritually and mentally. I smoke, so she rolled up a blunt in an onion peel. She took a little slice of an onion and rolled this weed up, and said, "With this, there's no toxins in the blunt." It was real natural and didn't taste like an onion. I learned something new every time I was with her.
Sean Newman, former boyfriend: The last time I saw her was right before she went to Honduras. We remained friends, so we hung out, went to clubs, talked. She was very down to earth, didn't think she was a superstar, didn't act like a superstar. There was nothing vain or materialistic about her. The only thing that mattered to her was the real stuff. She wasn't about cars, clothes, or houses. She was more of a people person. A beautiful person lost....people don't even understand.
Raphael Saadiq: I had a very enlightening experience working with her on the forthcoming TLC album. She was always smiling, coming up with ideas, understanding the concepts - she just really wanted to be involved with the whole music - making process. About three months ago, she kept me in the studio until six in the morning. She kept wanting to redo this song called "Us." The other girls had gone home, but she just wanted to stay and keep working all night.