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3LW

 
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3LW

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R&B group

The teen R&B trio 3LW emerged on the popular music scene in 2000, releasing their self-titled debut album and the accompanying hit single "No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)." Singers Adrienne Bailon, Naturi Naughton, and Kiely Williams comprised the all-girl group, which created a sophisticated brand of music that belied their youth. With Williams’s rap style, Naughton’s soulful delivery, and Bailon’s powerhouse vocals, the three produced a sound they called "ghetto pop"; fans have compared the trio to Destiny’s Child, En Vogue, and TLC. Just prior to the release of 3LW’s second album, 2002’s A Girl Can Mack, Naughton surprised the music world by quitting amid accusations of ill-treatment by her fellow members and managers. Singer Jessica "J" Benson replaced Naughton in early 2003.

The group formed in 1999 as the brainchild of Williams’s mother, Michelle Williams, who manages the pop stars Joe and Jodeci. Young Kiely had entered the entertainment business at age five, appearing in a television pilot directed by Robert DeNiro. When her daughter’s passion and talent for singing became apparent, Michelle Williams decided to create a girl group, seeking talent that would complement her daughter’s.

During their auditions, the Williamses discovered Bailon, a Manhattan choir girl of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian descent. Bailon was raised to the beat of Latin music, with influences including Celia Cruz and La Lupe, as well as contemporaries Marc Anthony and La India. Her talent was first recognized when she was plucked from her church choir, which was performing at an event in New York’s Madison Square Garden, by Latin megastar Ricky Martin, who asked her to sing backup during his performance the same night.

The Williamses next discovered Naughton, a New Jersey native who had been singing with her church choir since age five. Affiliated with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, Naughton emerged as a strong vocalist who would complete the trio. Michelle Williams assumed the role of manager and dubbed the group 3LW, shorthand for Three Little Women, with a nod to the classic Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women.

Signing with Epic Records, the trio released their debut album 3LW in the fall of 2000. Before long, the girls were enjoying radio airplay with their hit songs "No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)" and "Playas Gon’ Play"; both dominated MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) show. In that same year, the members of 3LW appeared in an episode of the Nickelodeon series Taina, playing an all-girl group called Blue Mascara. The same year, the trio’s song "Till I Say So" graced the soundtrack of the teen movie Bring it On, starring Kirsten Dunst.

By early 2001 3LW had cracked the Billboard Top 40 with their "No More" single; the album climbed to number 29 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart, giving the teenagers got their first taste of fame, though they had to juggle their music careers with schoolwork. In press interviews, the girls’ individual personalities emerged. "I’m more wild and crazy," Williams told Jim Farber of the New York Daily News. "Adrienne is more girly-girl. And Naturi is more cool."

At the 2001 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, 3LW took home the awards for Album of the Year and Best New R&B or Hip-Hop Artist. Later the album sold more than a million copies, achieving platinum status. Music critics compared 3LW to classic female R&B groups, some dubbing the trio the "Teen Supremes."

In 2002 3LW sang with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, contributing vocals to the rap group’s hit song "Get Up and Get It." By the time the single was released in summer, the girls were recording their sophomore album, A Girl Can Mack. "We chose the title because we wanted something really empowering," Bailon told fans on the group’s website. "It’s just saying a girl can do anything a guy can do. Women in music are tearing it up." The album included the dance tracks "Leave" and "Meet Me at the Crib," as well as the upbeat hit single "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)," coproduced by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Mario Winans.

One month before the autumn release of A Girl Can Mack, Naughton surprised fans by announcing her departure from the group. She alleged that management and her fellow 3LW members forced her to leave after complaining about her image and performance. The 18-year-old singer also told reporters that the group’s youngest member, 16-year-old Williams, had thrown a plate of food at her during a dispute. Naughton later filed a lawsuit citing loss of income against 3LW and their management.

Minus a singer, Williams and Bailon were forced to appear as a duo at performances to support their new album. Meanwhile, a plan was hatched to find a replacement for Naughton, with auditions in New York, Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Thousands of girls turned out to sing 3LW tunes and perform a dance number in the hopes of being selected.

The Washington, D.C., audition led to the discovery of Jessica "J" Benson, a 15-year-old Maryland native with big dreams of a career in music. Benson had sung in her church and high school choirs, and dreamed of running her own record company one day. "One of the things we loved about her was that she got up [to audition] with so much confidence," Bailon told MTV.com. "It’s like her whole vibe onstage was like she was already a star, like she had this confidence in who she was and her moves and her whole facial expressions. She was a wonderful performer."

In late 2002, 3LW released a holiday album, Naughty or Nice, recorded when Naughton was still with the group. With Benson replacing Naughton in early 2003, 3LW continued to promote A Girl Can Mack. Meanwhile, Bailon landed a recurring television role on the Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven. In April of 2003 the trio recorded for the first time with newcomer Benson, singing the title track to the film If You Were My Girl, a remake of the 1987 romantic comedy Can’t Buy Me Love. They signed a deal with the So So Def record label in late 2003, and began working in earnest on a new album with the label’s owner, Jermaine Dupri.

Selected discography
3LW, Epic, 2000.
(Contributor) Bring It On (soundtrack), Sony, 2000.
A Girl Can Mack, Sony, 2002.
Naughty or Nice, Sony, 2002.
Remixes, Sony, 2003.

Sources
Periodicals
Baltimore Sun, April 22, 2003, p. 1E.
Chicago Sun-Times, August 24, 2002, p. 23.
Daily News (New York), January 9, 2001, p. 34.
San Antonio Express-News, August 3, 2001, p. 13H.

Online
"Babyface Oversees 3LW’s First Track with New Member," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1471322/20030416/story.jhtml (June 10, 2003).
"3LW," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (May 23, 2003).
"3LW Become a Trio Again Finally," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1470341/20030304/story.jhtml (June 10, 2003).
"3LW Sign to So So Def," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1479771/10152003/3lw.jhtml (October 21, 2003).
"3LW: Three Once More," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/bands/123/3LW/news_feature_030313 (June 10, 2003).
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

3LW

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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
  • Genres: Rock

Biography

The young women that shape the R&B trio 3LW (Three Little Women) are Naturi Naughton, Kiely Williams, and Adrienne Bailon, and together they compose the healthy pop sound similar to the soulful poise of Destiny's Child, TLC, and Blaque. Each of them, however, hail from different backgrounds and their musical influences span a wide spectrum. The initial formation of the group was pulled together by Michelle Williams, mother of Kiely. She wanted a singing outlet for her daughter, and to make her daughter's wishes a reality, she held auditions and hand-picked each member for 3LW and became the manager of the group. 3LW was official.

New Jersey-native Kiely Williams started embracing the entertainment industry at age five. Her beginning moment in show business was for a TV pilot directed by Robert DeNiro, but the desire to sing came later. Naturi Naughton, also of New Jersey, had been singing in the church choir since the age of five, but Adrienne Bailon's rise to performing took interesting shape. Bailon, who is of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian background, grew up listening to her singer/songwriter father who emigrated from Ecuador to the States in hopes of scoring a better career deal in professional singing. Enjoying Latin tinges of salsa and Cumbia, she grew up listening to music and relishes the pioneering careers of Celia Cruz and La Lupe, but also appreciates the Latin newcomers like Marc Anthony and La India. Prior to joining 3LW, Bailon was spotted by Ricky Martin while singing with her church choir at a conference at Madison Square Garden. Hand-picked by the Latin superstar himself, Bailon had the opportunity to sing backup for Martin's performance that same evening.

In fall 2000, the girls also got a chance to act, playing an all-female group called Blue Mascara in an episode of the Nickelodeon series Taina and they also contributed their track "Til I Say So" to the 2000 teen flick Bring It On, featuring Kirsten Dunst. Signed to Epic, 3LW were becoming TRL mainstays at the time of their self-titled debut in fall 2000. Two years later, the ladies of 3LW added vocals to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's summer smash "Get Up and Get It." They also spent most of summer 2002 recording and tweaking a second album, A Girl Can Mack. Unfortunately in August, founding member Naturi Naughton announced that she had been forced out of 3LW just a month shy of A Girl Can Mack's release date -- leaving the current status of the group in question. Before the year's end, the ladies held various auditions in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York in search of a third member. (They also released a Christmas album, Naughty or Nice, as a duo.) Jessica Benson made the cut and joined 3LW in December, bringing the vocal group back to three little women. They returned in 2006 with Point of No Return, an album featuring production work from Jermaine Dupri, Dre & Vidal, and Rich Harrison. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

3LW

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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
3LW
Also known as 3 Little Women, 3LDub, 2LW
Origin Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres R&B, hip hop, hip-hop soul
Years active 1999–2007
Labels Epic (1999-2003)
So So Def (2003-2007)
Associated acts Lil' Wayne, Jermaine Dupri, The Cheetah Girls, Loon, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Yo Gotti, Yung Joc
Past members
Adrienne Bailon (1999–2007)
Kiely Williams (1999–2007)
Naturi Naughton (1999–2002)
Jessica Benson (2002–2007)

3LW (initialism of "3 Little Women") was an American hip hop soul and R&B girl group that enjoyed a number of modest hits during the early 2000s. Its founding members were Naturi Naughton, Adrienne Bailon, and Kiely Williams. Jessica Benson later replaced Naughton after she left the group in 2002. 3LW was signed to the label Epic Records, and later moved to So So Def.[1]

Contents

Members

Musical career

3LW (1999–2001)

In 1999, the original line up of 3LW formed. Their first single, "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)", was released in the fall of 2000. "No More" was a chart success and was followed by "Playas Gon' Play" in early 2001. The group's self-titled debut album, 3LW was released on December 5, 2000. The album went on to be certified platinum by the RIAA, selling 1.3 million copies in the US.[2] In the summer of 2001, the group embarked on the MTV Total Request Live tour along with Destiny's Child, Dream, Nelly, Eve, and Jessica Simpson.

In 2001, 3LW recorded a song with various artists including Michael Jackson, Usher, Beyoncé, Luther Vandross, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey in response to the 9/11 attacks called "What More Can I Give". In late 2001 they collaborated with Lil' Romeo and Nick Cannon for "Parents Just Don't Understand" on the Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius soundtrack.

3LW spent the first half of 2002 in the studio, recording an album tentatively titled Same Game, Different Rules. The album and its intended lead single "Uh Oh" were presented to the label, who felt it did not have enough urban radio appeal.[3] The tracks from Same Game, Different Rules were leaked to the Internet in MP3 format, and Epic considered dropping the girls. A fan support campaign for 3LW named 'Never Let Go Of 3LW' after their song "Never Let Go" spread to the radio, and the act was retained, despite the album loss.[4]

A Girl Can Mack and downfall (2002–2003)

Recording a new set of tracks, the group returned in the summer of 2002 with the P. Diddy-produced single "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)", featuring Loon. By August, the group was set to release its newest LP, A Girl Can Mack, when member Naughton had left the group for good after heated arguments. A Girl Can Macks release date was pushed back a month, but sales were still disappointing debuting at #15 on the Billboard 200 with a disappointing 53,000 copies sold in the first week.[5] Approaching the time that the group was ready to deliver their second album, Naturi Naughton announced that she was no longer a member of the group.[6] Naughton alleged that she had a number of conflicts and arguments with Bailon, Williams, and their management, which led to a heated argument in August 2002 involving an altercation with KFC food.[7][8] Not long after, Naughton claimed that she was forced out of the group.[9]

Williams and Bailon continued as a duo while using the "3LW" name, causing the press to jokingly refer to them as "2LW".[6] According to a cover story for the October 2002 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine, Kiely & Adrienne said they received death threats and that they had to beef up security. The departure of Naturi greatly affected the group's popularity and album sales. After the second single released from the album, "Neva Get Enuf", underperformed, auditions were held across the country for a new third member. Jessica Benson made the cut and joined 3LW in early 2003. Without Jessica, the group might have had to split due to "bankruptcy".[10] Jessica's first performance was on Live with Regis & Kelly, followed by a performance on Soul Train.

Point of No Return (2003–2008)

In fall 2003, 3LW departed from Epic, signing with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label.

The group's third studio album was originally called Phoenix Rising, but was renamed Point of No Return.[11][12] The lead-off single, "Feelin' You", was added on radio stations July 12, 2006. The album was supposed to be released later that year but was pushed back to a 2007 release because of Adrienne and Kiely's involvement with Disney's Cheetah Girls franchise, and eventually fell off the release schedule. The album delays were caused by image conflicts between both groups. During the success of The Cheetah Girls, Jessica Benson finished High School and contact between parties involving 3LW was limited. As a result, the album was never released. In early 2007, Bailon stated in Girls Life magazine that 3LW was on hold because of the Cheetah Girls project. However, rumors were finally put to rest by Bailon in an interview with Jonathon Jackson in 2008. Bailon confirmed that 3LW officially disbanded after they were removed from the So So Def roster. Bailon and Williams decided to then pursue The Cheetah Girls franchise full-time.

However, in January 2009, The Cheetah Girls announced they were splitting to focus on solo projects. Williams stated she "didn't think" there would be any future Cheetah Girl projects, as well as Bailon saying that the franchise was over. However, Bryan has said many times she would never say no to any future Cheetah Girl projects. While Williams and Bryan remain close friends, Williams confirmed via an online chat on her official website that she has not spoken to Bailon since the final date of The Cheetah Girls: One World Tour 2008 citing that she and Bailon were "both busy" and "doing [their] own thing" while original member Naughton and Bailon have since reconciled, as well as Bailon and Benson who reconnected during a Recording Session in Atlanta for Adrienne's solo album. A video of the Reunion can be found on YouTube.

Bailon announced she is working on her debut solo album, due for a Summer 2010 release via Island Def Jam Records. Bryan and Williams are collaborating on a talk show together, which Williams described as "a young version of The View". In 2008, Williams filmed a music video for her first solo single "Make Me A Drink" in New York City. A teaser of the video was released online in October 2009 with news that the single would be released soon. A full length solo album is currently being recorded and is set to be released in the Summer of 2010[dated info] as well, on her family's own Nine Lives Entertainment brand. She has also been cast in three feature films, all set to be released in 2010.[dated info]

Acting careers

Besides their singing work, the original lineup of 3LW appeared as guest stars on Christina Vidal's Nickelodeon show Taina as Leah, Ria and Gia.

After the birth of The Cheetah Girls, Kiely and Adrienne both starred with Raven Symone and Sabrina Bryan in the film The Cheetah Girls as well as its two sequels The Cheetah Girls 2 and The Cheetah Girls: One World.

Adrienne has also appeared in several episodes of the Disney Channel show That's So Raven. Adrienne had a cameo appearance in the movie Coach Carter in 2005, and in 2006 co-starred in the MTV straight to video/television movie All You've Got beside fellow R&B singer Ciara. She also appeared on some episodes of "Keeping up with the Kardashians"

Kiely played sorority sister Lilly in the 2008 comedy, The House Bunny and has been cast in three new feature films, all set to be released in 2010.[dated info]

Naughton starred in the Tony Award winning Broadway musical Hairspray as Little Inez from 2005-2008. Naturi played rapper Lil' Kim, in Notorious, a big screen biopic of the late Notorious B.I.G. Notorious opened at #4 at the box office with over $21 million made opening weekend. Naturi has also done a commercial for Truth.com, titled "It Must've Been A Typo". In September 2009, Naughton played a pianist named Denise in the remake of the 1980 movie and TV show musical Fame, which opened up at #3 at the box office. Also she played in the movie "Lottery Ticket" Bow Wow[13]

Adrienne will star as "Vanessa" alongside Ja Rule in the upcoming 2011 movie In Love with A Church Girl. No release date has been officially announced.[14]

Other

The group was also featured as bonus characters in the 2001 video game NBA Street.[15]

Adrienne Bailon also has had many appearances in the E! Network's reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians as a friend to the Kardashian clan and ex-girlfriend of Rob Kardashian.

  • In March 2011, 3LW fans launched a worldwide campaign to reunite the original members of the group.[16]

Discography

Further information: 3LW discography
Studio albums
Unreleased albums
  • 2006: Point of No Return [Leaked]
Other albums

Awards and nominations

Year Award
2001 Soul Train Music Award Win for "Best New R&B or Hip-Hop Artist"
Soul Train Music Award Win for "Album of the Year"
BET Award Nominated for Best Female Group
2002 BET Award Nominated for Best Female Group
2003 BET Award Nominated for Best Female Group

References

  1. ^ "3LW : 3LW Sign To So So Def, Ask 50 Cent To Get 'Gangsta' With Them - Rhapsody Music Downloads". VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1479771/20031015/3lw.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  2. ^ Up for DiscussionPost Comment. "3LW Is A Trio Again". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1830066. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  3. ^ [1] Archived July 17, 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "3LW | Biography". Lyricsfreak.com. 2006-07-12. http://www.lyricsfreak.com/3/3lw/biography.html. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  5. ^ [2][dead link]
  6. ^ a b Oh, Minya (2002-08-21). "3LW Become 2LW - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". Mtv.com. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1457117/20020821/3lw.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  7. ^ "3LW: One Story, Two Sides". MTV.com. 2006-03-09. http://www.mtv.com/bands/123/3LW/news_feature_081602/. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  8. ^ "3LW: One Story, Two Sides". MTV.com. 2006-03-09. http://www.mtv.com/bands/123/3LW/news_feature_081602/index3.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  9. ^ "3LW : Naturi Describes Alleged 3LW Fist Fight That Led To Split - Rhapsody Music Downloads". VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1457173/20020823/3lw.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  10. ^ "3LW News - Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. 2003-03-05. http://new.music.yahoo.com/3lw/news/3lw-adds-new-member--12053202. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  11. ^ Moss, Corey (2003-07-02). "3LW Celebrate New Beginning - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News". Mtv.com. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1473478/20030701/3lw.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  12. ^ "3LW | Music Artist | Videos, News, Photos & Ringtones". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/3lw/artist.jhtml. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  13. ^ "Flores, Iacono, McGill, Naughton, Perez and More Cast in "Fame" Remake". Playbill.com. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/122227.html. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  14. ^ I'm in Love with a Church Girl
  15. ^ "GameSpot Video: NBA Street Movie 12". Gamespot.com. 2001-06-18. http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/nbastreet/video/2778776/nba-street-movie-12. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  16. ^ www.WeWant3LW.com

External links

3LW
Studio albums
Other albums
DVDs
Singles
Related articles

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
Related topics:
3LW (2000 Album by 3LW)
3LW: Live on Sunset (2002 Music Film)
3LW [Bonus Track] (2000 Album by 3LW)

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