Tell It Tuesday: Naturi Naughton & the Art of the Comeback

Naturi Naughton 

By Ta-ning Connai
Naturi Naughton is the epitome of a saying that I love: Your setback is a set up for your comeback. ‘Cause no one can play Tasha from the hit show Power like the middle girl from 3LW! I honestly didn't think she would ever rebound from the drama around her 2000’s girl group. However, slowly but surely she took the world by storm, reaching stardom after many years of obscurity.

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3LW

I clearly remember when 3LW’s video for No More came on TV. I was like, “Oh my goodness, they so cute, I sure hope they can sing!” The first two on the mic were Adrienne and Kelly, and I'm not gonna say they sucked, but the whining was super irritating although the lyrics and beat were super dope.

So now I'm just sitting there patiently holding my breath to see what the brown girl gon’ do, ‘cause the two light-skinned girls seem to be hogging the song. When the video ends, my protest begins ‘cause Naturi didn't even get to sing, and I truly wondered with all my heart if it was a colorism thing. See, I might be light, bright and darn near white, but I'm quick to call a spade a spade; not the type to just sit back and relax while this crap keeps happening right in front of my face.

A few singles later, Naturi had her turn and the sista could actually blow; which made me wonder even more why she wasn’t singing lead tho. So by the time the news hit that the group was remixed and rumors swirled as to why, I wasn't surprised and didn't think Naturi lied when she said she was axed for her skin tone.

The two group members went on damage control, to wipe up the tea Naturi spilled, and as I heard different reports it started to smell like drama that management built. Whatever the case, whoever to blame, Naturi was hurt the most; nobody would touch her with a ten-foot-pole, she could barely find any work.

Naturi as Lil Kim

Little odd jobs came here and there, then the Lil Kim role came calling. But the movie Notorious didn't do so well, and there were rumors that Lil Kim didn’t support Naturi because she was too dark for the role. Again, Naturi’s star was quickly falling. But when the character of Tasha St. Patrick was born, my girl literally killed it! And for five straight seasons folks are staying tuned-in to see what the actress is going to do next!


Ruth was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, actually one of two (The Book of Ruth from the Bible). All three women lost their husbands and they didn't know what to do. To top it all off, there was a famine in the land; wow, talk about a major setback! While all three women were parting ways, Ruth was like, “Nah, forget that!” She was one of the realest, a ride-or-die type and wasn't leaving Naomi alone. She said, “I'm following you mama and your God too, “til death do us part”...that’s us!”

No clue to where they were going, they ended up in a field, a field that belonged to the richest man in town, and the next part you won't believe. Ruth rolled up and found herself work amongst all this male employees; she was never too proud or even too shy to do whatever was necessary. She did this every single day, to care for herself and her fam, til one day the rich guy noticed her there and was like, “Yo, who is THAT?!” One of his workers filled him in about the setback the ladies endured, but he put more attention on the amazing fact that Ruth remained loyal to her in-law. So now the rich man (Boaz is his name) was thoroughly impressed, he walked up to Ruth and said, “Don’t go nowhere and I'll give you nothing but the best!” Ruth tried to be calm but ran back home like, “OMG! What should I do?” Naomi said, “Baby girl, don’t even trip, the brotha obviously likes you!”

Boaz got bold and started shooting game just like a natural poet, and before you know it, him and Baby Ruth became a serious couple. They married first, had a baby last and the child was no average thing; he was the Grandfather of David, the greatest of kings, ‘cause his mommy was a comeback queen!

Naturi as Tasha

Now, your comeback might not be a Hollywood gig or a child related to a king. Maybe you'll bounce back from being abused or from a terrible disease. The key is to keep your eyes open wide and expect to see the day, when all your troubles start to make sense as they lead you along the way. On the surface, your set back might look like a journey littered with all kinds of trash, but bet your bottom dollar hun, those tough times ain't gonna last. Just being a black woman means you've gone through some things. Yet you survived it all, yes here you are, you beautiful comeback queen!

Do you believe you can come back from anything?

TA-NING is a former model and clothing designer who one day got the "call" to leave the fab world of fashion behind. While in Bible College, she discovered her knack for mixing her quirky style of writing with her gift to teach. TA-NING'S TELL IT TUESDAY is a weekly column that uses doses of pop culture to tear down the walls of churchy tradition, change the face of Christianity, and present it's message in a lively way. Ta-ning resides in Santa Monica (by way of BK), is obsessed with dogs, and is an old school Hip-Hop junkie!

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