Editing TLC (group) (section)

===1993–1996: ''CrazySexyCool'', career height and bankruptcy===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:TLCfoxy.jpg|250px|thumb|TLC in 1994 at the Golden Years.]] -->
TLC's second studio album, ''[[CrazySexyCool]]'', saw the group reunited with producers Dallas Austin, Babyface, and Jermaine Dupri, as well as new collaborators [[Organized Noize]], [[Chucky Thompson]], and [[Sean "Puffy" Combs]]. Lopes was released from rehab to attend the recording sessions, but the finished album featured significantly less of her raps and vocals. An R&B and hip hop soul album, ''CrazySexyCool'' featured hip-hop beats, funk, deep grooves, propulsive rhythms, and smooth production.<ref name="CSCallmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/crazysexycool-mw0000120130|title=CrazySexyCool – TLC – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809093539/https://www.allmusic.com/album/crazysexycool-mw0000120130|url-status=live}}</ref> Released on November 15, 1994, ''CrazySexyCool'' was critically acclaimed, with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranking it among the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/tlc-crazysexycool-20120524|title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 31, 2009}}</ref> ''CrazySexyCool'' debuted at number 15. Eventually, it peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and spent over two years on the chart. The album sold over 7.7 million copies in the United States alone and received a [[RIAA certification#Diamond sales|diamond certification]] from the RIAA.<ref name="billboard2017">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/100-greatest-girl-group-songs-7857816/ |title=100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks |magazine=Billboard|date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=May 10, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Epic Records"/> Worldwide the album sold over 14 million copies.<ref name="WW sales">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA119 |title=LaFace Congratulates the Century's Finest: TLC |magazine=Billboard |volume=111 |issue=40 |date=October 2, 1999 |page=119 |issn=0006-2510 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

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 |title = "Waterfalls"
 |description = Written by [[Lisa Lopes|Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes]] with Marqueze Etheridge and [[Organized Noize]], "Waterfalls" became TLC's biggest hit and is considered one of the classic R&B songs.<ref name="CSCallmusic"/>
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All four singles from ''CrazySexyCool'' reached the top five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100—"[[Creep (TLC song)|Creep]]" and "[[Waterfalls (TLC song)|Waterfalls]]" reached number one, "[[Red Light Special]]" peaked number two, and "[[Diggin' on You]]" reached number five. "Waterfalls", an Organized Noize-produced song that features an old-school [[soul music|soul-based]] musical arrangement, socially conscious lyrics criticizing drug dealing and unsafe sex, and an introspective rap from Lopes, became the biggest hit of TLC's career. Its million-dollar music video was an [[MTV]] staple for many months and made TLC the first black act to win [[MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2015/07/22/nicki-minaj-vma-race-problem|title=The VMAs Have Historically Been Biased Against Black Artists|first=Aimee|last=Cliff|work=[[The Fader]]|date=Jul 22, 2015|access-date=September 20, 2016|archive-date=August 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804100536/http://www.thefader.com/2015/07/22/nicki-minaj-vma-race-problem|url-status=live}}</ref> At the [[38th Annual Grammy Awards]], TLC took home [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Album|Best R&B Album]] and [[Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group]] for "Creep".<ref name="grammy">{{cite web |title=Past Winners Search: '''TLC''' |url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=TLC&field_nominee_work_value=&year=All&genre=All |publisher=[[grammy.com]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110034331/http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=TLC&field_nominee_work_value=&year=All&genre=All |archive-date=November 10, 2015 |access-date=January 27, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Billboard'' also crowned TLC as the Artist of the Year at the 1996 [[Billboard Music Awards|''Billboard'' Music Awards]].

Amidst their apparent success, the members of TLC filed for [[Chapter 11]] bankruptcy on July 3, 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us/cybereng/nyt/rapper01.htm |title=Does Going 'Broke' Mean Artist Really Doesn't Have Any Money? |author1=Henriques, Diana B. |author2=Samuels, Anita M. |name-list-style=amp |date=February 5, 1996 |work=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041010081842/http://mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us/cybereng/nyt/rapper01.htm |archive-date = October 10, 2004}}</ref> TLC said that they had debts totaling $3.5 million, some of it due to Lopes's insurance payments arising from the arson incident and Watkins's medical bills, but the primary reason being that the group received what they called a less than favorable deal from Pebbitone. After Arista Records, LaFace, and Pebbitone recouped their investment for recording costs and manufacturing and distribution (common recoupable charges in most record contracts), both Pebbitone and LaFace Records went on to charge for expenses such as airline travel, hotels, promotion, music videos, food, clothing, and other expenses. According to the members of TLC, ironically, the more successful the album became, the more they were in debt. In addition to this, managers, lawyers, producers, and taxes had to be paid, leaving each member of the group with less than $50,000 a year after having sold millions upon millions of albums.

TLC sought to renegotiate their 1991 contract with LaFace, under which they received only 56 cents (split three ways) per album sold—considerably less than most major label recording contracts<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beat.com.au/music/dark-tale-tlc-going-bankrupt-90s |title=The dark tale of TLC going bankrupt in the '90s |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Beat.com.au |access-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816230602/http://www.beat.com.au/music/dark-tale-tlc-going-bankrupt-90s |url-status=live }}</ref>—and received even less than this for each single sold; TLC also wanted to dissolve their association with Pebbitone. LaFace Records refused to renegotiate their deal midway through the contract, thus prompting TLC to file a bankruptcy petition.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hicks, J. Rush Jr. |url=http://www.meiea.org/Journal/html_ver/Vol01_No01/Vol_1_No_1_A6.html |title=Hicks, J. Rush Jr. (2000). Should a Record Company Be Alarmed When an Artist Files for Bankruptcy? MEIEA Journal Vol 1 No 1, 84–117 |publisher=Meiea.org |access-date=June 4, 2014 |archive-date=May 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504213141/http://www.meiea.org/Journal/html_ver/Vol01_No01/Vol_1_No_1_A6.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Both Pebbitone and LaFace countered that TLC "simply" wanted more money and were in no real financial danger, resulting in two years of legal debates before the cases were finally [[Settlement (litigation)|settled]] in late 1996. TLC's contract was renegotiated with LaFace, and Pebbitone agreed to let them out of their production/management deal in exchange for Pebbitone receiving a percentage of royalties on some future releases. By this time, Pebbles had separated from her husband. TLC also bought the rights to the name TLC, which was previously owned by Pebbles.

TLC recorded the theme song to [[Nickelodeon]]'s popular [[sketch comedy]] ''[[All That]]'', which was produced and co-written by Arnold Hennings. The show ran for ten seasons from 1994 to 2005, and was later revived in 2019. The group appeared on the [[Waiting to Exhale (soundtrack)|soundtrack album]] of the [[Forest Whitaker]]'s 1995 film ''[[Waiting to Exhale]]'' with "This Is How It Works" (a song written by Babyface and Lopes) and was set to re-enter the recording studio the following year after signing a new contract with LaFace and with distribution handled by Arista. Watkins began to release her solo effort with "[[Touch Myself]]", a single from the [[Fled (soundtrack)|soundtrack album]] of 1996 film ''[[Fled]]''; It reached the top 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Lopes also collaborated with fellow female rappers [[Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott]], [[Da Brat]], and [[Angie Martinez]] on [[Lil' Kim]]'s single "[[Not Tonight (song)|Not Tonight]]". It peaked at number six on the Hot 100 and was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group|Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group]] at the [[40th Grammy Awards]].