Yesterday marked the ninth anniversary of the untimely passing of TLC member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. The rapper/singer was killed in a car accident while travelling in Honduras, she was 30 years old. Lopes’ death left a large hole in the music industry and in the lives of the many people that loved her. Record executive L.A. Reid was one such person whose life was touched by Left Eye and who continues to mourn her to this day. Reid was like a mentor to the artist and signed her to his LaFace Records label.
Reid spoke with The Hollywood Reporter recently and expressed his feelings for Lopes. He explained, “I think about her often, I miss Lisa a lot. She was like my little girl, and I loved her. I was closer to her and I was devastated at the loss of her. I still love her today, and she still is in my mind and in my thoughts daily. It’s been quite some time now but it’s one of those things that just never goes away. Left Eye’ was an original … losing ‘Left Eye’ was a big loss to all of us. I’m still saddened by it as we talk about it. ”
Reid also stated that he believes Left Eye’s influence is still felt in the music industry to this day. He revealed that there was one artist he felt had the same aggressive spark that Lopes displayed during her career. “I see a little Left Eye in [Nicki Minaj]. There’s certain female artists that you can see the influence of TLC and that time,” Reid said.
