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T-Love

@tauralove

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I created this account WAY back in 2012 JUST to secure the name, then promptly returned to Facebook where I remained till 2025. I'm new here. Be nice.

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Happy Dilla Day! The story of how J-Dilla came to produce T-Love's debut album, Long Way Back. #thedilladialogues #BGirlChronicles #stunnedinlondon #parisblues #detroit #losangeles #leimertpark #jdilla #jdillachangedmylife #jaydee #tlove #tauralove #pickipeople by @tauralove

How J-Dilla composed T-Love's "When You're Older [Ode to the Pickaninny]".
#jdilla #jdillachangedmylife #thedilladialogues #bgirlchronicles #stunnedinlondon #detroit #madeindetroit #internationalbgirl #worldwide #tlove #tauralove #longwayback by @tauralove

#teaser #newmusic #internationalbgirl #jazzhop #thedilladialogues #BGirlChronicles #pickipeople #worldwide #katrahquey #cashford #acatcalledfritz by @tauralove

WHAT WAS THE DANK WORTH?

"Was it like the buzz from 12s you can't earth?"

Music was produced by the Herbaliser/Soundsci's @ollieteeba and written by British saxophonist Johnny Dankworth. Jay Dee helped me with the vocals. 🙏🏾🕊️

The song appeared on a 12" single and as an exclusive bonus cut for the Japanese version of my second album, "Long Way Up".

I actually still have a few of these 12" singles left. The flip side features "Definition of a Yee-Yee" which was produced by the Alchemist (Mudfoot).

Please see the link in my bio to my webshop.

#vinylrecords #undergroundhiphop #thealchemist #brithop #internationalbgirl by @tauralove

Aye! Huge shoutout and thank you to my girl @tauralove for the additions to Sebs collection!!!
#mailtime #tauralove #xojo by @tauralove

C'EST KOHNDO

Et mon fiston, Matisse ! Souhaite !

HAPPY FLASHBACK FRIDAY!

#flashbackfriday #paris #francehiphop #kohndo #internationalbgirl by @tauralove

WHO DAT?

So who in Los Angeles has a DAT machine? I'm on a mission! If I can find one?

I will release, for the first time ever, the song "Kinky Hair" which features one of your most fave Los Angeles emcees from the 90s!

By far, some of his dopest bars EVER!

It was going to be Urban Prop's leading single backed with our other song "Heavyweights Round 2" (featured on the first Project Blowed compilation)–but then?

Capitol Records dropped us. Our production company, Double Platinum, were crackheads that smoked-up all the money. So this dope-ass, jazzy boombap song has just been sitting on this DAT for 33 years now.

Help me get this old-azz song to the new world! #losangeleshiphop #90shiphop #urbanprop #thepharcyde #freestylefellowship by @tauralove

VOTE!

Hollywood, California, 1993 – Slap a Hoe

The chick (the hoe) on the left ran up on me one night at Lava Lava at Guatelinda's of Hollywood.

I was not threatening or taunting her.

I warned her 3 times to back up out of my personal space. She ignored my warnings and continued to advance.

I counted to three then raised my hand to smack the hoe. Out of nowhere, her man, popped up and swung on me.

And missed. I pushed him with all my strength, causing him to first fly backward then fall to the ground. The moment he was on the ground, I, in a cute dress and all, pounced on his blackazz, then pelted his fat belly with punches.

I was connecting and then suddenly I wasn't. Next thing you know? I'm punching at air, my feet no longer touching the ground.

A bigazz dude straight air-lifted me, vertically–from the back, before I could land the TKO and carried me, punching and kicking, out of the club.

Last thing I saw was "Karen" dropping to her knees to console her well-injured Mandingo. The members of his notorious Los Angeles underground hip-hop group, standing around him, with their jaws dropped: Their DJ just got his azz kicked by T-Love.

True story with several witnesses. His name is–

HAHAHA! Y'ALL BETTER VOTE!!!! #bgirlchronicles by @tauralove

GAME CHANGER

Just recently, one of my homeboys gifted me ADOBE In Design for my book(s). 🥹 🙌🏾

Guess he was like, "Come on, T! Let's go already!"

So, I've been in training mode for about 2 weeks now and just learned how to lay out text-only pages.

But yeah. This is such a game changer because I wanted to include a booklet in my next 12" release (instead of doing a gatefold or in-design liner notes).

At URB Magazine, we used a combination of Aldus Pagemaker, Adobe Photoshop and Filemaker Pro. Beautiful magazine. Complex production process. But that was 30+ years ago.

Today, with all the advances in technology, most of those functions from old software are now available in just one product.

I'm amazed.

It's a new day. Anyone who's familiar with ADOBE In Design please know that all suggestions, tips and tricks are welcomed! by @tauralove

NOBODY NEEDS TO KNOW MY NAME AS LONG AS CHECKS ARE SENT

It wasn't until I became a publicist that I truly learned the game.

Record labels paid me to market their rap artists.

Many times, these artists blew into town, medically uninsured and broke AF, often asking me for money or for me to feed them. This was where I learned all about promo tour "per diem" wages.

It blew my mind. I'd be praying to God that nobody got injured or had to go to the hospital.

The only thing that those bigazz record label marketing budgets ensured was that these rap artists would receive plenty of notoriety.

It created this weird and uncomfortable dynamic where these artists, way more known than me (and doing way more physical labor), were earning way less. I vowed to never do a record label promo tour.

And I never have. by @tauralove

DO YOU WANNA GO TO THE LIQUOR STO'?

Los Angeles, California, Circa 1985 – Ham-Dog

I took this photo on the corner of Pico Blvd and Carmona Avenue, the street that I grew up on.

We had just, as that full 40-ounce of OE on the ground in front of the boombox signifies, come from the liquor store.

Please note the WCA (West Coast Artists graffiti crew) tag on the upper left.

Me and Ham lived across the street from Dr. Dre's first babymama, Lisa.

When I became the hip-hop music editor at URB Magazine, I started a hip-hop column called "Beats & Rhymes" which had a section called "Baller of the Month".

Ham was the very first honoree. He dropped out of school to take care of his 3 younger brothers. He watched the kids of his older brother (one of which grew up to be R&B singer James Wright). He walked our dog Fila everyday, for years. He washed my mother's car. He always asked us if we needed anything from the liquor store.

Ham used to look out for me. He was low-key security at all my house parties. He was the one who taught me how to stomp and Cripwalk.

Often jailed, he was in the wrong at times.

But his heart was always in the right. #Flashbackfriday #cgirlchronicles #1980s #carmonaavenue by @tauralove