On May 27th, 1971, rapper, singer, actress, songwriter, dancer, and member of TLC-Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Left-Eye was the more over the top/flamboyant personality in TLC, and is most known for the verses she spit on their albums-as well as those with others (most notably Donnell Jones’ song U Know What’s Up). Lisa was also known as the one-time significant other to former Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Andre Rison-which ended shortly after she burned his house down upon discovering that he had been cheating on her. Lisa started out as a member of the Lopes Kids-a gospel outfit with her siblings-before moving to Atlanta in 1990 to audition for the all-female group 2nd Nature (later renamed TLC).
The nickname ‘Left Eye’ came from a guy who complimented her about her left eye. After taking on the stage alias, she began to accentuate it by putting a black stripe under her left eye, wearing glasses without the left lens, and piercing her left eyebrow. TLC signed to LaFace Records, and released their debut LP Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip in 1992. In 1994 they released their follow up CrazySexyCool; and in 1999, they released their third LP FanMail. Around this time beef ensued within the group, and Chilli & T-Boz publicly accused Left-Eye of being selfish & self-centered. Left-Eye responded by urging them to make solo albums, to see who got the most sales, so the could really determine who was the greatest member of the trio. She changed her name to N.I.N.A. (New Identity Not Applicable), and pursued a solo career. Unfortunately she passed away before her career could really take off. Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was just 30 years old at the time of her tragic death.
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On May 27th, 1975, rapper, actor, producer, singer, fashion designer, multi-label recording artist, solo musician, former member of The Dungeon Family, and half of the rap duo Outkast-Andre 3000 (Andre Lauren Benjamin) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Andre is a star in three realms of the entertainment industry: music, film, and fashion. He helped boost the south's position on the rap scene when Outkast released Southerplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994. It was a mix of east and west coast sounds/styles, with southern culture and slang at the foundation. Their follow up ATLiens was more electro and futuristic than their first album, and featured the hit Elevators, which had the the whole world singing "Me & You, Your Momma And Your Cousins Too. Rolling Down The Strip On Vogues. Coming Up Slamming Cadillac Doors..."
Aquemini was different than the first two, and very good. Many people consider it to be one of their best, if not the best LP from their discography. Andre's rhyme topics and clothing style changed drastically, from his baggy jeans and sports apparel in 1994, to a more elaborate almost P-Funk/Prince type of futuristic gear (with loud colors and wigs). In Hollywood Andre starred as Jimi Hendrix in the film All Is By My Side (2013). He also appeared in comedies and dramas like Four Brothers (2005) and Idlewild (2006). He had a son with Erykah Badu (Seven Sirius Benjamin) in 1997. Andre 3000 is 44 today.
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On May 27th, 2011, we lost a super influential Black American poet, singer, author, organist, songwriter, educator, hip hop MC pioneer, composer, producer, pianist, arranger, social activist, multi-label recording artist and the man dubbed as ‘The Godfather of Rap’ Gil Scott-Heron (Gilbert Scott-Heron). TOV covered the artist’s birthday in the April 1st post. Please refer to it for more information. Interesting Fact:
Gil never fully completed his undergraduate work at Lincoln college. He went on however to get a M.A. in Creative Writing from John Hopkins University in 1972. He also held creative writing seminars there, and taught literature and creative writing at Federal City College in Washington, D.C.
Gil never fully completed his undergraduate work at Lincoln college. He went on however to get a M.A. in Creative Writing from John Hopkins University in 1972. He also held creative writing seminars there, and taught literature and creative writing at Federal City College in Washington, D.C.
Gil’s first LP, Small Talk At 125th and Lenox, was released in 1970 on Flying Dutchman Records. His second LP Pieces Of A Man was more musical, and included contributions from former James Brown drummer Bernard Perdie, Hubert Laws (sax & flute), and Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet bassist Ron Carter. His third album Free Will (1972) was the last one he recorded on Flying Dutchman. One of his most politically charged and commercially successful LPs, Winter In America (Strata-East Records, 1974), helped bring Gil to a larger audience. Arista Records signed him, and released nine albums on the imprint (1975-1982). His work from these years has been heavily sampled. Some notable Arista releases include: The First Minute Of A New Day (1975), From South Africa To South Carolina (1975), It’s Your World (1976), Bridges (1977), and Reflections (1981). Gil Scott-Heron was 62 when he passed.
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HONORABLE MENTION: On May 27th, 1935, iconic jazz musician, soul jazz pioneer, fusion jazz trailblazer, pianist, composer, arranger, radio personality, multi-label recording artist, bandleader, Chicago Jazz innovator, and mentor to Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire-Ramsey (Emmanuel) Lewis Jr. was born in Chicago, IL. He’s most known for soul jazz/post bop standards like Wade In The Water, Hang On Sloopy, and The In Crowd. In the 1960's he started working with upcoming soul and funk musicians like Maurice White. He transitioned to fusion jazz/funk in the 1970's and released hits like Sun Goddess, Hummingbird, and Serene Funk. He’s 84 today.
On May 27th, 1936, pioneering stage, TV, and film actor-Louis Gossett Jr. was born in Brooklyn, NY. Gossett played multiple major roles during the Blaxploitation-Era of the 1970's, on throughout the 1980's & 1990's. I first saw him in one of my favorite 70's films, J.D.’s Revenge, starring Glynn Turman. Gossett played Reverend Elija Bliss. I saw him again in the 1982 film An Officer & A Gentleman. He was Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley. He was also in Jaws 3-D, and played George Jefferson’s shady best friend Wendell Brown in 1975. He made his TV debut in 1958, and his film debut in 1961. He’s been in 100's of films, plays, and TV shows-and is still slated for more in 2019 (41 year in the game)!!! The legendary Louis Gossett Jr. is 82 today.
On May 27th, 1970, screenwriter, producer, and creator of Being Mary Jane, Girlfriends, Moesha, & South Central-Mara Brock Akil was born in Los Angeles, CA. Mara is a Northwestern University graduate, that majored in journalism. She’s also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She started writing for South Central in 1994, starting writing for Moesha in 1996, and became the supervising producer/writer on The Jamie Foxx Show in 1999. In 2000 she launched the sitcom Girlfriends, and in 2006 she launched The Game-and became consulting producer of Cougar Town. In 2013 she created Being Mary Jane. She is also a writer, and executive producer on Love Is... & Black Lightning. Mara Brock Akil turns 49 today.
On May 27th, 1975, rapper, actor, solo recording artist, and member of The LOX-Jadakiss (Jason Terrance Phillips) was born in Yonkers, NY. Jada isn’t really an ‘actor;’ but he’s appeared in several interviews and documentaries on hip hop, urban culture, and beef. As a member of The Lox, he originally signed to Bad Boy in the mid 1990's-before going to Ruff Ryders in 2000. In 2001 he released his solo album Kiss The Game Goodbye-featuring heaters like Knock Yourself Out, Show Discipline, None Of Ya'll Betta, and We Gonna Make It. In 2007 he signed to Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records, and released his 3rd LP The Last Kiss. Acts he’s collaborated with include Nipsey Hussle, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Bun B, Biggie, and Nas. He’s 44 today.
For more information on any musician or event reviewed in posts, or for additional information on The Wandering Eyes Blog overall, use the search bar and search the artist or event using keywords. It’s like a Google search for the site. A wide variety of information, covering several topics exists on this site going back to 2013 when it was created. PEACE