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3LW

This article is about the group. For the group's eponymous album, see 3LW (album).

3LW (initialism of "3 Lil Women") was an American girl group formed in 1999 by Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Naturi Naughton. 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.[3] They are best known for their singles "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)", "Playas Gon' Play" and "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)".

3LW
Also known as3 Little Women
OriginNewark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1999–2007
Labels
Past members

History

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1998–2001: 3LW

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In 1999, the group 3LW was formed by sisters Michelle and Tse Williams. Michelle's daughter and Tse's younger sister/niece Kiely was the first member of the lineup and the group would soon be rounded out by Adrienne Bailon and Naturi Naughton with both Michelle and Tse as co-managers.[4] Their debut single "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)", released in the fall of 2000, was a chart success, and was followed by "Playas Gon' Play" in early 2001. The group's self-titled debut album, released on December 5, 2000, was certified platinum by the RIAA, selling 1.3 million copies in the US.[5] 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 "What More Can I Give" as part of a supergroup of various artists including Michael Jackson, Reba McEntire, Usher, Beyoncé, Luther Vandross, Céline Dion, and Mariah Carey in response to the September 11 attacks. Late that year, they collaborated with Lil' Romeo and Nick Cannon for a cover of "Parents Just Don't Understand" on the Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius soundtrack. They also appeared on Naughty by Nature's 2002 single "Feels Good (Don't Worry Bout a Thing)".

2002–2003: A Girl Can Mack and Naughton's departure

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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. 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") gained traction, and the act was retained.[citation needed]

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, and a concert special on Nickelodeon titled Live on Sunset. By August, the group was set to release its newest LP, A Girl Can Mack, when member Naughton left the group.[6] In an interview on Wendy Williams' radio show, Naughton alleged that she had numerous conflicts with Bailon, Williams, and their management, which led to an August 2002 altercation involving a plate of food from KFC.[7][8] Naughton later claimed that she was forced out of the group.[9]

Williams and Bailon continued 3LW as a duo, causing the press to jokingly refer to them as "2LW".[6] Naughton's departure greatly affected the group's popularity and album sales. According to a cover story for the October 2002 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine, Williams and Bailon said they received death threats. A Girl Can Mack's release date was pushed back a month and debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 with 53,000 copies sold in the first week.[10] After the album's second single "Neva Get Enuf" underperformed, the group released a Christmas-themed LP Naughty or Nice, which failed to appear on any major Billboard charts.[11] After nationwide auditions for a new third member, fifteen year old Jessica "J" Benson was selected as the third member and made her first public appearance with the group in March 2003.[12]

2003–2007: Canceled album and breakup

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Amidst 3LW's public drama, Bailon and Williams signed on to star in the Disney Channel Original Movie, The Cheetah Girls in 2003, alongside Raven-Symoné and Sabrina Bryan.[13] The film's success prompted Disney to turn the project into a real girl group.[14] As the Cheetah Girls project grew, with albums released and world tours, 3LW was on hiatus.[15] The progress on 3LW's third studio album, titled Point of No Return, became a background for Bailon and Williams and was delayed several times.[16][17][18][19] Only on August 15, 2006, after four years, the group released their new single, "Feelin' You". Despite this, Point of No Return was shelved and Bailon and Williams continued with The Cheetah Girls. On January 7, 2008, Bailon confirmed in an interview with BlogTalkRadio that 3LW officially disbanded in 2007.[20]

In 2022, three previously unreleased songs recorded in 2003-2004 – "Trouble", "After This" and "How U Gonna Act" – were released on iTunes.[21][22]

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  • 3LW are featured as bonus characters in the 2001 video game NBA Street.[23]
  • In January 2001, 3LW appeared in an episode of the Nickelodeon series Taina as a fictional girl group (along with the same name of this episode) called Blue Mascara where the main character (Christina Vidal) is overjoyed to become a member of the popular all-female singing group at school until they tell her that she must get rid of her best friend Renee (Khaliah Adams).[24][25][26]
  • In October 2001, 3LW appeared on the Disney Channel series The Jersey in the episode "Speaking of Coleman" where after freaking out at a debate competition, Coleman Galloway (Jermaine Williams) gets a lesson in handling stage fright by jumping into the body of one of the three members of the group which in general was Kiely Williams.[27]
  • In November 2002, 3LW appeared in an episode of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That.[28]

Past members

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Discography

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Further information: 3LW discography
Studio albums

Awards and nominations

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

"Nominated for "Best Group"

2003 Soul Train Music Award Nominated for "Best Group, Band or Duo R&B/Soul Single"

References

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  1. ^ a b Paoletta, Michael (December 16, 2000). "Reviews & Previews - Albums". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 51. p. 26. Retrieved June 12, 2022. With its eponymous debut, the young ladies of 3LW (3 Little Women) are the latest pop-infused R&B act to join the youth-driven musical movement
  2. ^ Carter, Brooke (March 13, 2017). "What Happened to 3LW 2018 – News & Updates". Gazette Review. Retrieved September 24, 2022. The all-girl hip hop trio, 3LW first made themselves known to the world with the release of their debut single, No More (Baby I'ma Do Right) in 2000.
  3. ^ "3LW : 3LW Sign To So So Def, Ask 50 Cent To Get 'Gangsta' With Them – Rhapsody Music Downloads". VH1. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  4. ^ Now A Duo, 3LW Is Still ‘Mackin’ Billboard
  5. ^ "3LW Is A Trio Again". Billboard. March 4, 2003. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Oh, Minya (August 21, 2002). "3LW Become 2LW – News Story". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 4, 2002. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  7. ^ "3LW: One Story, Two Sides". MTV. March 9, 2006. Archived from the original on September 28, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  8. ^ "3LW: One Story, Two Sides". MTV. March 9, 2006. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  9. ^ "3LW : Naturi Describes Alleged 3LW Fist Fight That Led To Split". VH1. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  10. ^ D'angelo, Joe (October 30, 2002). "Santana's Shaman Blessed; Foos At #3 On Albums Chart". MTV. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  11. ^ Moss, Corey (September 30, 2002). "3LW Holiday Album Due; Members Land Film Roles". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "3LW Become a Trio Again ... Finally". MTV. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017.
  13. ^ Moss, Corey (October 4, 2002). "Remaining 3LW Pair Too Busy To Hold Auditions For New Member". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  14. ^ Dangelo, Joe (October 29, 2002). "3LW Don't Judge Others By Color Of Their Spots In 'Cheetah Girls'". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  15. ^ Miller, Gerri (August 25, 2006). "CHEETAH GIRLS 2". Scholastic. Archived from the original on October 25, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  16. ^ Reid, Shaheem (July 25, 2005). "Jermaine Dupri Boosting Grown-Up 3LW With Their Sexy Return". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  17. ^ Moss, Corey (July 2, 2003). "3LW Celebrate New Beginning". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 4, 2003. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  18. ^ "3LW". MTV. Archived from the original on March 15, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  19. ^ "Platinum R&B Female Group 3LW Set to Release Their Third Anticipated Album Point of No Return August 15th!!". Sony. May 22, 2006.
  20. ^ Carter, Brooke (March 13, 2017). "What Happened to 3LW 2018 – News & Updates". Gazette Review. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  21. ^ "Trouble - Single by 3LW on Apple Music". iTunes. February 14, 2022. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  22. ^ "After This - Single by 3LW on Apple Music". iTunes. March 15, 2022. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  23. ^ "GameSpot Video: NBA Street Movie 12". Gamespot.com. June 18, 2001. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  24. ^ "Taina - Blue Mascara - Part 1". Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via YouTube.
  25. ^ "Taina - Blue Mascara - Part 2". Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ "Taina - Blue Mascara - Part 3". Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ "Disney's The Jersey - S02E19 "Speaking of Coleman"". Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ "3LW - All That Skit 2002". Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via YouTube.
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