Saturday, April 4, 2009
Interview With T-Boz: Dishes on Celebrity Apprentice, Girl Group Drama & TLC Movie
Posted by J.R. Taylor at 3:52 PM
Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins appears to be riding under the radar on NBC's hit reality series, 'Celebrity Apprentice,' but the TLC vocalist confessed to me that everything you see on television doesn't necessarily reflect what actually transpired on the show.
The 38-year-old singer, who is now dating NFL linebacker Takeo Spikes, also talked about a possible TLC movie, why girl groups are dysfunctional and tells why she hates her performance with Alicia Keys at the BET Awards in 2008.
T-Boz, who was preparing to go to Japan with group member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas to headline several concert dates the day before our interview, was an open book as we separated fact from fiction and left no stone unturned.
So we're starting to see more of you on 'Celebrity Apprentice.' Did you intentionally play low-key in the beginning?
If you don't keep up drama, they don't show you anyway and I just feel like they have their favorites. If you're not into it than Trump's not into you and that's just the way I feel about it. He likes poker, he likes golf, Playboy bunnies and he likes sports and that's his thing.
You had your big win on episode four and won a check for your charity. How did that feel?
It was a bittersweet night for me because I won, but they made it so depressing with the alcohol thing with Dennis Rodman so it almost took the glory out of winning. As far as me, it was heartwarming because sickle cell is something very passionate and close to me being that I have the disease and I'm a national spokesperson. I do a lot of things because I want to help others, but I want to be that chick that's here to see my daughter grow old. I want to be a grandmother. I want to live here too so I want to cheer for all of us and it's really a personal struggle and a fight for me.
Do you think Dennis Rodman got professional help after that episode? Because it was sad and I was hoping Donald Trump would bring out Dr. Drew Pinksy and announce Dennis was headed to 'Celebrity Rehab' at the end.
Do you think Dennis Rodman got professional help after that episode? Because it was sad and I was hoping Donald Trump would bring out Dr. Drew Pinksy and announce Dennis was headed to 'Celebrity Rehab' at the end.
Dennis says that he doesn't have a problem so that's the answer really in itself. If he doesn't think he has a problem then he's not gonna go get help because he don't think anything is wrong. Honestly, we worked 6 days a week and 15 to 18 hour days. When we're up at 5am and you already have cranberry and vodka mixed at 7am or 8am in the morning, it's like hello. I want to say this about Dennis though because he is very, very smart. He's a very smart man when it comes to marketing. He's like an artist. I noticed how creative he is because of the marketing stuff like the wedding dresses. You know how he used to do with the hair colors? He's smart, but the alcohol clouds his judgment. I think that's what the problem is so if he would stay off the alcohol; it's like he turns into this alter ego and that's a problem.
Who were you closest to on the show?
I really got close to Brande [Roderick], the Playboy chick. She is the cutest thing, but she's actually really cool. I love Jesse James, Herschel Walker and Tom Green. I really liked the guys a lot, but I got along with all of the women. They didn't really bother me much. Natalie [Gulbis] is a really sweet person. We didn't get close, but I just like her as a person. She's a nice little Christian girl and I liked that about her.
Annie Duke seems like a piece of work!
Annie is very controlling and you can not take this away from her. She's a very smart woman and a very hard worker, but her people skills suck. She has no personality. The problem is Annie doesn't talk to people with respect so I had to tell her that I don't disrespect myself and I'm not about to let you disrespect me so watch how you talk to me. She respected what I said to her because I told her that she is not a team player and this is a team. We said that Annie spells her name Anniiiii-me me me me. It's all good.
What was your interaction with Brian McKnight like?
Brian is a spoiled little brat and an asshole for real. I like him though, but he is an asshole for real. He has so much talent and he was very nice to me, but he was really trippin'. I asked him if he was gonna talk and he said that he would talk a little bit, but when we're off set and in the hallway. It's okay to say hi! He has to work on his afro-ism a little bit.
But before you went on the show your mom gave you a lecture, right?
As far as my mother, I'm one of those people that don't believe in arguing with strangers so I argue and put energy into people I care about and love. I'm not gonna argue with some chick that I don't know and don't care about. If I get mad I'll take it the whole nine yards, if you know what I mean. They get too personal and this is not your real job so chill out. We're playing for charity, but they were crying and getting all upset.
Now that you know how the show is done, who would you pick to be on the third season of the show next year?
I would just put Omarosa back on there because she's ignorant – in a good way. I love the way she attacks people! She's just great TV! She don't care what she does. I feel I could fill it with Dennis Rodman's and Omarosa's because I'm not gonna Omarosa it, but I want somebody else who will. I'll watch it all day long.
Let's shift gears a little. Your good friend Kandi Burruss is the new member of 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.' What do you think about that?
It's funny because she really has a great career for herself and she's a phenomenal writer so she has a lot of different things going for her than the other wives. I was happy to hear that she is engaged so that's great. Kim is kind of doing her thing with married men, NeNe has a different approach and Sheree and Lisa Wu are sweet. I don't think people know that Kandi has a raw personality so I would like to see who she is going to bump heads with because she doesn't take any mess either. That's gonna be interesting. If you don't pluck her nerves, she's easygoing, but if you do, I can't wait to see her mouthpiece. She's not one of the wives where the husband makes a lot of money and she uses his money to start a business. She's coming to the table like, 'Damn b----s, I am paid because I wrote 'No Scrubs' for TLC and those early hits for Destiny's Child. You better check my resume.' I love that.
Did you tape an appearance on the show?
We just went to lunch and that's something that's natural. What you see is what we would have naturally done. The only reason and the only person that I would have gone on that show for was Kandi and that's love.
I hear you and Chilli have been approached about a TLC movie. Monique Coleman from 'High School Musical' says it's her dream to play Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in a film.
That's awesome to hear. I am interested now whereas I wasn't before. I actually do want to pursue making this movie. We're talking to companies now so right now it's just talk. People are actively pursuing it and that's a great thing.
I hear you and Chilli have been approached about a TLC movie. Monique Coleman from 'High School Musical' says it's her dream to play Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in a film.
That's awesome to hear. I am interested now whereas I wasn't before. I actually do want to pursue making this movie. We're talking to companies now so right now it's just talk. People are actively pursuing it and that's a great thing.
What actress would you like to play you in the film?
It would have to be a girl who has a lot of cool personality like a prissy-tomboy whoever it is. She has to look good with blonde hair because she must swag out the blonde. I love Kyla Pratt. She has a lot of personality and a lot of spunk. I think Meagan Good can do it too. I like both of them. In 'ATL,' Lauren London played me and she did a great job. 'ATL' was about Dallas Austin and my experience growing up in the skating rink. The only difference was that we did not go together. That was part of the movie. I executive produced it and it was a part of my life. That was really my story.
What actress should play Chilli? I pick Keshia Knight Pulliam or Tatyana Ali or anyone else who can brush down their baby hair.
What actress should play Chilli? I pick Keshia Knight Pulliam or Tatyana Ali or anyone else who can brush down their baby hair.
Those are two good picks. Keshia still has that valley girl in her and so does Tatyana, so they make great looks, but they have to get rid of the valley girl part because Rozanda has no valley girl in her at all. You can buy the lace front weave and anybody can have her hair. All you got to do is call up Tyra Banks and ask her where she gets her wigs from.
Alicia Keys got you and Chilli to reunite and perform on last year's BET Awards. How did it make you feel that a singer who wasn't even in a girl group professionally wanted to celebrate TLC, SWV and En Vogue like that?
I love Alicia and that was the only reason I did it. We've never said yes to perform with anybody, ever. She is one of those people that you respect and feel honored to be asked and that's why we said yes. I don't count BET Awards as a real TLC performance. That was just a mess altogether. That was a terrible day for me. It wasn't a regular TLC show anyway. At real TLC show, we run things and are energetic and dance. That was just a hot mess. I'm very excited to do what we do and I'll be back in my element. That sure wasn't my element anyway. I'm happy to be back and we'll be doing it the way that we do it.
There are currently no girl groups in the music business. They all seem to break up. Why do you think it's like that?
I feel like girls are anal, bitchy and bitter. They're jealous, envious and compete with each other even though they say they don't. It always brings issues. They can't differentiate that this is business and we don't have to be best friends, we just have to work together. People have a hard time living with that because it becomes fake and you have to keep up this whole façade and you just can't deal with it and break up. At the end of the day, it's about making money and having a career. Nobody said you have to go home and hug every day. Some girls can't deal with that and I've always had girl problems. Girls and me just don't mix. They've always been jealous, tried to take my boyfriends and lie on me. I get it because I've always had that happen to me. That's why I would never do a girl group again. I'm happy to have been with the two I was with, but I would never bring another girl in and start a new group. You don't have to worry about that with me.
When you hear stories about what's going on with Destiny's Child and Kelly Rowland having to fire Matthew Knowles to finally get attention, what are your thoughts?
They get mad when I say this, but I don't give a damn. It was all about Beyonce anyway. She was my favorite too, but come on, her parents are over everything. Who do you think they were going for? It's always Beyonce. It was supposed to be exactly the way it is now, Bey is on top. I love Beyonce and I am a fan of hers. She was my favorite in the group even before they were Destiny's Child and they were the Baby Dolls. She was so cute and pretty. I like all of them too and I wish Kelly the best. When you're in a girl group, you have differences and you have to learn how to respectfully agree to disagree. There are a lot of things that happens behind the scenes that people don't know about. Some girl groups have girls trying to steal other girls' boyfriends and that's the ultimate no-no. You have situations like the Kelly thing and Beyonce's parents. You can say that I'm out for everybody, but if Lisa was to bring somebody in that's her boyfriend then I'm gonna feel like you got Lisa's back more than mine and that's gonna be a no-no. I just think that brings a conflict of interest in the beginning. That would have been a hard group for me to be in because I would have been like your mommy and daddy are running things and they're gonna have you at heart the most. That's just how I feel.
Look out for part two with Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out her videos and personal blogs on her website www.Boz-Bizz.com
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