3LW

3LW (short for 3 Little Women) were an R&B trio that originally consisted of Adrienne Bailon (born Adrienne Eliza Bailon on October 24, 1983 in the Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York), Kiely Williams (born Kiely Alexis Williams on July 9, 1986 in Alexandria, Virginia) and Naturi Naughton (born Naturi Cora Maria Naughton on May 20, 1984 in East Orange, New Jersey). The trio was formed by Kiely’s older half-sister Michelle in 1999.

Adrienne was discovered by Ricky Martin while performing with a church choir at Madison Square Garden and was selected by him to be a back-up singer for his “Livin’ La Vida Loca Tour” concert show. After the performance, she was discovered by a producer during a field trip to Beth Israel and was offered to join 3LW. Naturi joined the trio when she was 15 years old.
In October of 2000, 3LW released their debut single “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)” peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100, #15 on Billboard’s Top 40 Tracks chart, #10 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart and #22 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for 23 weeks. The song became their only highest chart appearance on the Billboard Hot 100.
In November of that same year, the trio released their self-titled debut album which peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 and #19 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
In May of 2001, the follow-up single from the album “Playas Gon’ Play” was released. The song peaked at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100, #17 on Billboard’s Top 40 chart and #56 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for 12 weeks. The song fared better in the U.K., peaking at #21 on the U.K. Singles chart.

A third single “Is You Feelin’ Me” was supposed to be released as the third single, but it was cancelled due to 3LW working on their sophomore album.

During 2001, 3LW went on the MTV TRL (Total Request Live) tour along with artists Jessica Simpson, Eve, Nelly, Dream and Destiny’s Child. They were also featured on the single “What More Can I Give” (which was released in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks) which also featured various artists such as Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson & Luther Vandross.

In late 2001, the trio was featured on the soundtrack to the Nickelodeon animated film “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” along with Nick Cannon & Lil Romeo, singing a cover version of the Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff’s song “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

For the first half of 2002, 3LW were working on their second album (which was originally called “Same Game, Different Rules”). The song “Uh Oh” was supposed to be the lead single from the album, but their record label felt that the song didn’t have enough urban radio appeal.

The songs from the “Same Game, Different Rules” album were leaked as MP3s online. Epic Records considered dropping 3LW from the label, but a fan support campaign called “Never Let Go of 3LW” (named after the trio’s song “Never Let Go”) reached the radio and 3LW stayed with Epic Records.

The “Same Game, Different Rules” album was scrapped and 3LW began recording new tracks for their sophomore album. They were also featured on Naughty By Nature’s single “Feels Good (Don’t Worry Bout a Thing)” and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s song “Get Up & Get It” during that same year.
In June of 2002, 3LW released the single “I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)” which featured P. Diddy (who also produced the song) and rapper Loon. The song peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #50 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for 18 weeks.

Before the release of their second album, Naturi announced that she was no longer a part of the trio with allegations that she had numerous conflicts & arguments with not just Adrienne & Kiely, but their management as well.

In August of 2002, there was an argument that involved an altercation with food from KFC. Naturi later stated that she was forced out of 3LW.
In October of 2002, 3LW released their sophomore album “A Girl Can Mack” which peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 and only sold 176,000 copies.
The follow-up single from the album “Neva Get Enuf” (featuring rapper Lil Wayne) failed to make any impact on the charts at all.

Kiely and Adrienne continued to perform under the “3LW” name as a duo which lead to the press to jokingly refer to them as “2LW.”

According to a cover story with Sister2Sister magazine, the girls stated that they got death threats which forced them to beef up security & Naturi leaving affected the album sales & popularity of 3LW.
In November of 2002, 3LW released their third and only Christmas holiday album “Naughty or Nice” which flopped, failing to making any impact on the Billboard charts at all.

After the flop of “Neva Get Enough,” auditions were held to find a third member and Jessica Benson (born on October 4, 1988 in Washington, DC) was chosen, joining 3LW in early 2003. It was said without Jessica, 3LW would have had to disband due to bankruptcy.

During 2003, Adrienne and Kiely starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie “The Cheetah Girls” which also starred Raven-Symone and Sabrina Bryan. In the fall of that same year, 3LW left Epic Records and signed with So So Def Records.

The trio began working on their next album “Point of No Return” (which was originally called “Phoenix Rising”).
In 2006, the single “Feelin’ You” (featuring Jermaine Dupri) was released to radio, but didn’t appear to chart at all. During that same year, they were featured on the soundtrack to the film “Step Up” on Yung Joc’s song ” ‘Bout It.”

The “Point of No Return” album was supposed to be released in 2006, but due to Kiely and Adrienne’s involvement with The Cheetah Girls franchise along image conflicts between the franchise & 3LW, the album’s release date was pushed back to 2007 and it was eventually shelved (although some tracks appear on the Internet).

In early 2007, Adrienne stated in Girls’ Life magazine that the album was on hold due to her & Kiely working on the Cheetah Girls franchise. During that same year, 3LW broke up after they were dropped from So So Def Records (which was confirmed in 2008).

After the disbandment of 3LW, Kiely and Adrienne focused on the Cheetah Girls until the franchise ended in 2008. These days, the girls of 3LW have gone on to pursue separate careers.

Adrienne Bailon has appeared in various films & television shows along working on her solo music career. In 2012, she and actress Julissa Bermudez had their own reality show on the Style Network called “Empire Girls: Julissa and Adrienne.” These days, she is currently one of the hosts of the talk show “The Real.”

Kiely Williams continues to still be active in music and has appeared in films such as “The House Bunny,” “Elle: A Modern Cinderella Story” and “Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming.” On her official website, she runs an advice column called “Dear Kiely.”

Naturi Naughton has been very active as an actress, starring in the films “Fame” & “Notorious” and on television shows such as “The Playboy Club” & “The Client List.” She starred in the Broadway musical “Hairspray” as Little Inez from 2005 to 2008. These days, Naturi currently stars on the Starz Network drama series “Empire.”

As for Jessica Benson, she appeared in music videos by artists such as O’Ryan and Jarvis. According to research, she joined a new music group called Chocolate.

To see the music video for “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right),” go to:

To see the music video for “Playas Gon Play,” go to:

To see the music video for “I Do (Wanna Get Close to You),” go to:

To see the music video for “Neva Get Enuf,” go to:

To see the music video for “Feelin’ You,” go to:

Crystal Sierra

Crystal Sierra is a female Latin music\R&B singer-songwriter from the 2000s.

Crystal began singing at the age of five and later attended Baltimore’s High School for the Performing Arts. After high school, she got a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

She began her music career, singing with a female trio called Hands On. In 1999, Crystal left Hands-On and signed with Virgin Records.
In 2000, Crystal released her debut single “Playa No More.” Although the song didn’t make the Billboard charts, a music video was made for the single and she promoted the song by appearing on TV shows such as “Soul Train.”
Crystal was supposed to release her debut album “Morena,” but for reasons unknown, the album was shelved (although some promotional copies exist).

After that, it seems as if Crystal has faded into obscurity. It’s unknown what she’s up to these days.

To see the music video for “Playa No More,” go to:

Naisha

Naisha was a female dance singer from the ’80s. Not much information is given about her, but she was signed to Sutra Records.

In 1989, she released the single “One Step at a Time” which was produced by Clivillés and Cole (of C&C Music Factory). It’s unknown how or if the single ever charted at all.

After that, it seems as if Naisha faded into obscurity. Nothing much has been heard from her since.

To see a fan-made video for “One Step at a Time,” go to:

Black Maddness

Black Maddness was a hip-hop\rap duo from Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York that consisted of Black Man and Madd Poet.
In 1992, they released their first single “Igpay Antinlay” which didn’t appear to make the charts at all.
In 1993, Black Maddness released their second (and last) single “Wild Brooklyn Bandits” which peaked at #17 on Billboard’s Rap Singles chart.

After that, it seems as if Black Maddness faded into obscurity. They never released an album and it’s unknown what they are up to these days.

To see the music video for “Igpay Antinlay,” go to:

To see a fan-made video for “Wild Brooklyn Bandits,” go to:

DJ Danny Dan And The Female Dream

DJ Danny Dan And The Female Dream were a hip-hop music act from the late ’80s. Not much information is given about them, but they were signed to Select Records.

In 1989, they released their only single “The Beat to Get Hype.” It’s unknown how or if the single ever made the charts at all.

After that, it seems as if DJ Danny Dan And The Female Dream has faded into obscurity. Not much has been heard from them since the ’80s.

[There are no videos available for this entry]

Tarsha Vega

Tarsha Vega (born on April 26, 1972 in the Bronx, New York) is a pop singer who began her career in the 2000s. She studied acting & dancing and even worked part-time for the CBS Evening News.

In 1998, Tarsha met music producers Sam Hollander & Dave Schommer (also known as Freshmaka and Duke Mushroom) and she provided vocals for the Pop Rox album “The Warriors.” After that, she began working on a demo with Sam & Dave which caught the attention of RCA Records who signed her to the label.
In 2000, Tarsha released her debut single “Be Ya Self” which was featured in the film “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle,” but the single didn’t appear to make much impact on the chart at all.
Her debut album “Diamonds and Monsters” was only released in advanced copies, but it was never officially released.

After that, not much was heard from her until 2001 when her song “What It Beez Like” was featured on the soundtrack to the film “Summer Catch.” Tarsha has also dabbled in acting, appearing in the films “Get a Grip” and “Fugitive Hunter.”

These days, Tarsha runs her own internet radio show called theKNU.

To see the music video for “Be Ya Self,” go to:
http://www.artistdirect.com/video/tarsha-vega-be-ya-self/39290

 

Golden Girls

Golden Girls (not to be confused with the television show “The Golden Girls”) were a freestyle\dance music act from the ’80s. Not much information is given about them, but they were signed to Tommy Boy Records.

In 1985, the Golden Girls released their only single “Too Cute.” It’s unknown how or if the single made any impact on the charts at all.

After that, it seems as if they have faded into obscurity. It’s unknown what they are up to these days.

To see a fan-made video for “Too Cute,” go to:

Rock Squad

The Rock Squad were a hip-hop group from the ’80s that consisted of DJ Eazzy “P” (born Parrish Smith), Groovy Groove (born Eugene Allen), Jerry Jay (born Jermaine Jones Jr.) and Smitty D. (born James Smith).

In 1985, they released their first single “Facts of Life” on Tommy Boy Records. It’s unknown how or if the single made the charts at all.

A year later, they released the single “Kic Kic” on Body Rock Records under the name “Smitty “D” & Rock Squad.” Like their first single, it’s unknown how or if it made the charts at all.

After that, it seems as if the Rock Squad has faded into obscurity. DJ Eazzy “P” (now PMD) went on to join rap music group EPMD and appears to still be active in the music business. It’s unknown what the other members are up to these days.

To see a fan-made video for “Facts of Life,” go to:

To see a fan-made video for “Kic Kic,” go to:

Miss Thang

Miss Thang (born Cheryl Sewell in Los Angeles, California) was a female rapper from the ’80s. She was a friend of an employee at Tommy Boy Records.

In 1986, Miss Thang released the single “Thunder and Lightning” which was an answer to Oran “Juice” Jones’ hit song “The Rain.” The song peaked at #48 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 9 weeks.

After that, it seems as if Miss Thang has faded into obscurity. It’s unknown what she’s up to these days.

To see a fan-made video for “Thunder and Lightning,” go to:

To see a fan-made video for “The Quiet Storm” (which is featured on the B-side of the “Thunder and Lightning” single), go to:

Sarai

Sarai (born Sarai Howard on January 23, 1981 in Kingston, New York) is a female rapper who began her career in the 2000s. Her record label dubbed her “Feminem” in order to draw comparisons between herself and rapper Eminem.

Growing up, Sarai’s mother played music such as Fleetwood Mac and her older brother played hip-hop music such as Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C. and NWA which influenced her so much, she wrote her first rap when she was 15 years old.

Two years later, Sarai and her friend took a trip to Atlanta, Georgia where she was introduced to music producer L.J. Sutton. In 2000, she left college to join L.J. in Atlanta. Sarai later got a record deal with Epic Records.

In 2001, Sarai was featured on the remix version of pop girl group P.Y.T.’s song “Same Ol’, Same Ol'” and also on a second remix on P.Y.T.’s debut album.
In 2002, she released her first single “Pack Ya Bags” which peaked at #38 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart and #90 on Billboard’s Hot R&B\Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, staying on the chart for only 2 weeks.

In 2003, Sarai released her second single “Ladies” peaked at #19 on Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream chart, #28 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Top 40 chart and #38 on Billboard’s Top 40 Tracks chart.

During that same year, she released her debut album “The Original” which peaked at #6 on Billboard’s Heatseekers albums chart.

The album didn’t receive a lot of promotion by Sarai’s record label and there were rumors about a third single “Black & White” that was supposed to be released, but after Sarai was released from Epic Records, the single release was canceled. In 2006, Sarai appeared in the film “National Lampoon’s Pledge This!”

These days, Sarai continues to perform under the name “Miss Eighty Six” and works with Ali Dee Theodore and his company DeeTown Entertainment. She has written & performed music on various films & television shows.

To see a fan-made video for “Pack Ya Bags,” go to:

To see the music video for “Ladies,” go to: