Back in ’95, placing soulful vocals over a hip hop beat was on the rise. Bad Boy’s first female group, Total, helped make that happen! These ladies emerged on the scene with their rough enough for the street, funky enough for the club…yet, smooth enough for the radio sound. Hailing from New Jersey, Kima, Keisha and Pam made a huge splash with their first hit single, “Can’t You See” featuring Notorious B.I.G…that even now today in 2011, will still get the party started! Total’s rough, funky & smoothness not only described their sound, but also their style…
After their hit single, the girls released their self-titled debut album which went platinum. With the help of legendary celebrity stylist Misa Hylton, the group was able to create their signature style of dark shades, leather separates, sassy short hairstyles and thigh high boots. Separate from their group image, each girl had their own trend setting style…
Pam’s boyish inspired style of floor length leather trenches, diesel shades, fitted tanks and super short sleek hairstyle was the perfect combination of sexy street toughness…
Kima’s sassy long layered hairstyles were huge in the mid 90’s! Whether she rock’d a blunt Chinese bang, layered curls or accessorized with a great animal print hat… she always looked trendsetting!
Kiesha’s signature sexy flava of high split skirts…that showed off that infamous paw print tattoo, I remember wanting this SO bad! Too bad I was only 11 lol! Her short curly hairdo..that had my older sister in the bathroom mirror chopping off her hair with kitchen scissors and laying her baby hair down with gel & a toothbrush!. And her studded diamond nose ring…that had teenage girls all over begging their parents for their first piercing! Looking back at these three things alone, shows how influential Total’s style was on women in that era…no matter the age!
In a time where females hid their femininity by wearing oversized clothes,Total appeared on the scene with their undeniably sassy urban style with something to say: “Besides every Bad Boy, there is a Bad Girl!”
@Arjaunjubri & Mia Ray
I still love Total even now. TLC had to grow into their CrazySexyCool but Total gave it to you no hold barred. Very tasteful but unmistakenly seasoned with their own personalities. Keisha was always my fav because she had a “shape”. So many women in that time were baby doll sizes. Thank you for this post, now im about to youtube all their videos and have a 90’s session in the living room!!! lol