Natina Reed
A fierce talent in the late-90s R&B scene who helped shape the sound of Blaque and wrote for megastars before her life was tragically cut short.
1979–2012 (age 33)·American singer·Birthday: October 28·Generation X
Biography
Natina Reed co-wrote and performed on Blaque's 1999 debut single "808," a top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit that fused R&B with futuristic hip-hop. Discovered as a teenager by TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Reed first worked as a ghostwriter for TLC before Lopes helped form the trio Blaque. Reed's sharp, confident verses and rapping gave the group its edge. She appeared in the 2000 film "Bring It On" as a member of the rival cheerleading squad. The group released two albums but faced label disputes and declining sales. In 2002, Lopes died in a car accident, a blow that deeply affected Reed. She stepped back from music to focus on raising her son. In 2012, while working on a solo comeback, Reed was struck by a car and killed in Duluth, Georgia. She was 32. Her son survived the accident. Reed left behind a handful of era-defining tracks that captured the late-90s pop-R&B moment.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Natina was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Natina Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Natina's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Died at 33
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Co-founded and performed in the R&B group Blaque, whose self-titled 1999 album reached the Billboard 200.
- Wrote songs for TLC, contributing to the work of one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.
- Performed on the hit soundtrack for the film "Bring It On," in which she also had a cameo role.
- Her group's single "808" became a signature hit and a mainstay in late-90s pop and R&B.
Did You Know?
She was discovered by TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who became her mentor and managed Blaque.
Reed had a son, Tren, with rapper Kurupt in 2009.
She attended North Springs Charter School of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta.
Her final recording was a feature on the song "Get It" for the soundtrack of the film *Honey 2*.
“My pen wrote the rhythm, and my voice made the city feel it.”
