Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas, the 'sexy' component of TLC, one of the best selling girl groups of all time, graces the April 2008 cover of Sister 2 Sister magazine. The petite beauty dished on everything from her venture into the fashion world with her Bags by Chilli apparel line, the strong relationship continues to maintain with Usher's mother, Jonnetta 'Mama Pat' Patton despite his marriage to that walking negro spiritual he refers to as his wife a.k.a Tameka Foster, why she adores being a mommy to her 10-year-old son Tron (whom she shares with music producer Dallas Austin), the long-awaited solo album that's been in the works for over half a decade but has yet to see the light of day, her relationship with T-Boz and the projects (unrelated to music) that they're working on, where O'So Krispy (the young girl who received the opportunity of a lifetime to perform with T-Boz and Chilli on their reality show R U the Girl?, her brand new crush on a certain actor...and oh yeah, she and Usher's well-publicized failed relationship and why folks--fans and haters alike--are still talking about it as if the the former couple, who were once dubbed R&B/Hip-Hop's hottest and best-looking celebrity couple of 2002 and 2003 respectively, just broke up yesterday. Chilli also sounds off on why she doesn't give a damn about what Tameka thinks or says about her. Peep the excerpts below before a certain bogus, faked-out website lifts them up, claim them as their own and rearrange the wording to their liking. I would insert an LOL here, but I'm serious.
CHILLI ON WHY SHE NEVER OFFICIALLY SIGNED ON AS AN ARTIST TO AKON'S KONVICT RECORDS LABEL & WHAT TO EXPECT ON HER UPCOMING SOLO ALBUM: "We did work together but it wasn't a falling out or anything like that. We're still cool; we're friends. It's just that he's really busy and it's hard to try to be an artist and run a label. It's hard to split the two and I saw that. But we worked in the studio together and we did a song together. He's not featured on the record but he did the track and we wrote on another record together." So I got a lot accomplished in the time we did work together.' As for other record labels, Chilli says, "I have a couple of offers on the able. It's not so much as trying to find a deal. It's trying to be someplace where I'm happy with the deal. Fifteen years ago we [TLC] signed our lives away and that was fine at the time. But I just don't ever wanna do that again." On what fans should expect on her upcoming solo album, Chilli says, "A lot of up-tempos. I mean just dance, dance. Like I want people to--when they work out they want to put my CD in."CHILLI ON HER REACTION ON FINDING OUT HER 'STRAIGHT JACK' (LISTEN HERE) TRACK FEATURING MISSY ELLIOTT & PRODUCED BY POLOW DA DON HAD BEEN LEAKED & THE SONG'S COMPOSITION BEING GIVEN TO NICOLE FROM THE PUSSYCAT DOLLS: "I don't even know how that record got leaked. I have no clue. By the time I think she was doing it, I had already passed on the track. I just didn't want to do it. And some producers--I don't really know how--everybody works differently, but some producers give five people the same track at once. Which is, to me, not good; that's not a good business move. You can make people real mad at you--wanna beat you up. (laughs) Maybe that's what he did, but by the time she had it I had already passed on it. I think I would've wanted to fight him (Polow Da Don) if I had still wanted that recorded. That wasn't my case.
CHILLI ON TAMEKA'S SNIDE-ASS, SLICK-AT-THE-MOUTH COMMENTS SHE MADE IN ESSENCE MAGAZINE REGARDING CURIOUS GEORGE'S PAST GIRLFRIENDS: "I'm not offended at all. I don't really know what she said, to be honest with you. I don't know if I was singled out or if she put everybody in the same box. I mean, I have no clue. I don't care what comment(s) she makes or whatever. That's her stuff. I don't have anything to do with that. When Usher and I were together--like I said, we had very happy times and we had our bad times. At the end of the day I didn't work for him and he did not work for me. That's why we're not together. The only time that his name comes to mind is when somebody asks me. (laughs) 'Cause other than that I don't think about it. I done forgot all about it."
CHILLI ON HER RELATIONSHIP WITH USHER'S MOTHER & CLEARING UP THE RUMOR OF HAVING A RUN IN WITH TAMEKA MONTHS BEFORE USHER'S WEDDING; HER BREAKUP WITH USHER: "We're cool," Chilli says in reference to her longtime relationship with Patton. On those run-in rumors, Chilli says, "There's really nothing to clear about it. Jonnetta and I are friends. We've always been friends. Usher knows that. I know that he doesn't have a problem with it; it doesn't have anything to do with his life right now. We've been over for like four years--probably over four years. It's been a long time. We just didn't work out. I can tell you this: with everybody thinking that Confessions was about our relationship, it had absolutely nothing to do with our relationship. We were together when he was recording that album. I was in the studio with him on most of those songs. So I guess people just don't do the math with it all.We broke up because we just did not work, and that's it. It's funny to me that people are still fascinated with the situation since it's been dead for so long. I guess we were just 'that' couple--one of the couples that people like. So in the consumer world, if they like something they like and if it's over, they don't want it to be over. I guess it's like me being a little mad at Dawn from EnVogue for leaving (laughs). You know what I'm saying? I'm like, man, you messed up my group! So you know, maybe people look at it like that. I don't know."
HAVE YOU HEARD THE LATEST RUMOR(S) ABOUT CHILLI DATING FLOYD MAYWEATHER? READ ABOUT THAT AND MUCH, MUCH MORE FROM CHILLI'S S2S INTERVIEW AFTER THE JUMP!
Chilli's answer as to if she was embarrassed after Usher released Confessions and then went on a 'woe is me' campaign, the singer says, "Well, I kind of look at it like, when a person is hurt, they just kind of act out. So that's probably what that was. It didn't really bother me at all. We were together for two and a half years. It's not like when we broke up we hated each other; we just didn't work out as a couple. When you're in any relationship for a period of time, it takes a little while to get over it, and then once you're over it you don't act out anymore. But that's in any relationship. I don't think ours was any different." As if she and Usher ever discussed marriage, Chilli states, "There was a point where it was discussed but it wasn't. Obviously, we broke up, so it didn't happen. But again, I would think in most relationships that when you've been together for a while you talk about a lot of things. It doesn't mean that it's going to happen. It's just talk."
CHILLI ON THOSE RUMORS CLAIMING SHE'S STILL DATING C.N.N. ANCHORMAN T.J. HOLMES: "I'm so mad at myself that I put that (confirmation that she and TJ Holmes had dated) out there. But no, that relationship is over. He's a nice guy, though. He's just not my type. He lasted a couple of months longer than usual. (laughs) That sounds bad, but it's true. I don't date alot. People probably think I do. I hate that I've been linked up with Tyson Beckford. We were friends and I guess we're still friends. If I see him I'll definitely talk to him, but he was never my boyfriend. We never dated, but they have it out there that we did. So that really upsets me. It's just awful being linked up with people that you've never been linked up with that way. But I'm really picky for very good reasons. I know how I am as a person. So if it's not everything that I want and what I need then I'm not going to waste my time. I think every person should be that way."
CHILLI ON PLANS FOR ANOTHER TLC ALBUM; HER RELATIONSHIP WITH T-BOZ; & O'SO KRISPY'S: "Right now, T-Boz is working on her solo stuff, as I am, and we're actually working on some other things together that don't have anything to do with music. But as far as the album is concerned--we do talk about it. So I can't say that it will never happen. I just don't know when; we're more like sisters so we just naturally check in with each other. I don't have to try to force myself to be close to somebody that I love very much. It just happens naturally.' As for R U the Girl winner, O'So Krispy, Chilli says, "I'm very happy to say that the winner has a solo deal and she is about to come out and do her thing."
CHILLI ON HER NEW FASHION LINE 'BAGS BY CHILLI': "Five years ago someone gave me a bag as a gift with a picture of my son and myself on it. I thought that was just the most precious gift I ever received. I carry it all the time and people always come to me asking, 'Where'd you get the bag from?' And I kind of got tired of giving that answer. I definitely want to extend the line. Right now it is what you see, and you just upload your own picture. And I already started some sketches on different types of designs--more upscale."CHILLI ON MOTHERHOOD, BALANCING HER CAREER & LIFE AS A MOMMY & HER HOPES AND DREAMS FOR HER SON: "Tron is funny; he has a lot of talents but he's only 10, so the one thing I refuse to do is get him out there into doing television and stuff like that. I want him to be a kid and enjoy being a teenager. Once he graduates from high school, if that's something he really wants to pursue, then he can do that. But right now, after high school is college. I'll support whatever he wants to do...[I hope] he continues to grow up and be the smart boy. He's so funny. He is just so hilarious and extremely smart. He's just a great person. He loves the Lord. He know that Jesus is first and he's just a great kid. I know he's gonna be a phenomenal man. I know he is;... I'm sure Tron will grow up one day and say that I did something that he didn't like or whatever. But basically what I've been doing is remembering things with my mom, how she was a parent to me. I have very good examples around me and the main thing is that I've always wanted to be a mommy. I love it so much and so I'm always trying to be the best mom for Tron--and even if I had other kids. People don't realize that they don't ask to be here; you choose to have them and God blesses you with these wonderful babies and you should just love them to no end. So I just don't understand people having kids and not being great parents to their babies.....
It's hard to balance [career and being a mom] but it's not a struggle because Tron is first. I put him before I put myself. I've never had a nanny. I'm not saying people don't need help but I don't do that because I want to do everything for him myself. But he's just first. It's a lot of things that I've turned down because I chose to put my baby first."
CHILLI ON MARRIAGE AND IF SHE'S 'FOUND THE ONE.': "Oh, I know I haven't found 'the one.' Shoot, I'd be married. I think marriage is wonderful. I think it is an amazing thing for two people to come together and share a beautiful life, but at the same time it could be the worst thing when it's the wrong person. So because I want it so badly I haven't done it yet because I haven't met the guy that has the complete package for me. Whatever that is for me---and I'll know it when I see it. I'll know. But I have yet to experience that. So because I haven't experienced that yet, I've chose not to settle. That's why I've never been married before 'cause I know I'll get a divorce quick. I know me. [As of now] I'm not seeing anybody. I'm definitely not engaged. Oh my god, no, and not married. You haven't seen me with anybody."
CHILLI ON HER NEW CRUSH, WRESTLER-TURNED-ACTOR DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON: "I can't wait to see The Rock in something. Now, that's who I have a crush on. That's who they (the media) need to put me with. In little interviews I've seen with that movie he had--The Game Plan was such a good movie. My son really liked it. I was like, man! And then he did interviews and I was like, oh, he seems so nice. Seems, you know, because you never know how people really are, but he is a cutie-pie. I think I would lay the smackdown on him. Don't let the little 5-foot stature fool you!"
CHILLI ON LOOKING AHEAD: I dreamed--when I first got in TLC--for us to be in The Guinness Book of World Records, and we did that (in 1994 when the sales of CrazySexyCool reached 11 million, setting a record for the highest-selling rap/hip-hop album). All those things that I wanted to accomplished, I did in TLC. So I think right now all I wanna do is continue doing what I love to do and that's entertain. I just continue to ask God to bless me in doing that. And that's it."
UPDATE: HAS CHILLI FOUND HERSELF A NEW INTEREST?
According to the Vegaseye.com, Floyd Mayweather dined at Mr. Lucky's in The Hard Rock Hotel late Tuesday night with Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of the group TLC. They were accompanied by six other people. Witnesses said that the two behaved playfully with each other during their one hour stay in the restaurant. The following day (Wednesday, March 12), the boxing champ was spotted in the midst of a shoe-buying spree for Chilli. Sources say Mayweather bought her nine pairs of shoes at the Giuseppe Zanotti boutique inside the Forum Shops at Caesars. The tab came to $4,600. The couple has been spotted around Las Vegas since last summer.
