Sister 2 Sister Magazine Tribute (Ronald Interview) (2002)

(Ronald Lopes, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes posing next to one of their cousins in 1999)

Ronald Lopes, Lisa's brother, was exceptionally strong during the tragic death of his older sister. When all the other injured people returned to the United States, he stayed back to make the arrangements for Lisa and to watch over T'Melle. He held Lisa's hand and head and was comforted by words she had given him years ago.Lisa was always strong for Ronald as well. She was a comfort for him in life and even now in death. I got a chance to talk to both Ronald and his sister Raina when they were leaving a radio station. I also found Raina later on her cell phone. I appreciate both of them taking the time out to contribute during this sad time. The family's strength will enable them to push on.

Jamie: Ronald, can you tell me what injuries your sister, Raina, sustained?

Ronald: She has a hairline fracture in her right ankle and scratches and bruises that will heal soon on her shoulder and face.

Jamie: Does it amaze you that Lisa was the only one that perished? Did you question that?

Ronald: No, I didn't question it. I didn't give that part of it that much thought. I felt it happen. I didn't feel that it was a mistake. I felt that it was her time.

Jamie: Can you tell me anything that happened to Lisa during her young life? What about some of the charities that she was involved in? I hear more and more about things that she was doing.

Ronald: I don't know the names of the specific charities, but just the things that she did within her own community. She would have kids come to her house. She would help feed families who couldn't afford to feed themselves. She would house families. She would let friends that couldn't afford to live on their own, live with her. She would give people jobs who weren't that well off. Lisa was active in people's lives that needed her - people that she did and didn't know well.

Jamie: Did you all ever ask her why she did so much for people?

Ronald: Yeah, all the time. She always had an answer that would make me think twice about it. She put me through college and bought me my first car. If she buys me a car and then later down the line, she buys a stranger a car, I would be like, "Lisa, why are you buying them a car?" She would be like; "I bought you a care so I don't see why I can't buy somebody else a car." I know that people would say she is your sister and she is supposed to do for you, but its in her heart to give. It's hard for me to tell her that she can't do that or that it is wrong to do that. I never thought that it was wrong. It just made me mad that people took advantage of her niceness and they didn't appreciate what they got from her.

Jamie: How did she get like that? I know that you said there was a lot of pain when you all were growing up. What kind of pain was that?

Ronald: There were a lot of family fights. My dad fighting my mom, aunts fighting uncles. This is just right under our faces when we were little kids. We grew up seeing that for years and not being able to do anything about it. You can just imagine three kids upstairs in their room crying, hearing their mother downstairs screaming for her life. That alone impacts you and it stays with you as you grow up.

Jamie: Was your mother very kind and giving also?

Ronald: yeah. The difference with my mom is that she will give, but if you take advantage of her, she will not keep giving to you. If you took advantage of Lisa and you came back to her and asked her for something, she would still do for you.

(Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Ronald Lopes, 1998)

Jamie: What did you all think about Lisa? Did you think that she was a special person from a long time ago?

Ronald: Yeah. Just when she was a little kid, because kids really look up to their sisters. Me and Raina were like the nerds and Lisa was the cool one. She had the Adidas outfit and the sneakers. She had all the fly gear and she was popular. She could draw, she could write and she could sculpt. She was da bomb! We knew that she was special then. We were raised in the church. When Lisa got into TLC, that is like the first change that we noticed. We never partied before; she was partying. SHe would use profane words at times. To other people, that was regular, but to me and Raina, we were in shock because we were the good, Christian, Lopes kids. Those are like the first changes.

Jamie: That's just when she got in TLC that it started?

Ronald: Yeah. That's when I noticed it, because we didn't see her a whole lot when she first got in the group. We were in Philadelphia and she was in Atlanta.

Jamie: And she started drinking? How did that start? I know that she was upset about losing your dad.

Ronald: Well, the drinking started when she was a baby because they used to put alcohol in her bottle.

Jamie: To make her sleep?

Ronald: No, I guess they thought it was funny.

Jamie: Who used to do that? Your mom and dad?

Ronald: No, not my mom. I am not sure if my dad did it, but it was people in the family. My dad used to always give her beer when she was little. They thought that it was funny. Raina said that she remembers them giving her beer and it was nasty.

Jamie: Was Lisa always drinking as she grew up then?

Ronald: When she was first in her teens, I don't really remember her drinking. When you start living more of the party life, you start to indulge in things that make the party life more fun. At the time, that is what she was doing. She was drinking and she was doing it to make pain go away.

Jamie: She seemed to be easy to get with different guys. Why was that? I know that she was looking for a mate. Did that bother you? Did you ever talk to her about that?

Ronald: Well, there are certain things about my life that my sisters may not know, my mom may not know. That is a part of Lisa that I didn't know about.

Jamie: I am so proud of you that you were able to take care of that situation after the accident. The family seems to be so strong. How did you all feel about your father?

Ronald: I love my father, but I wasn't sorry to see him go. Not to say I was happy...

Jamie: Now how did he die?

Ronald: His cousin shot him.

Jamie: They were arguing over what?

Ronald: I don't know. He was either in South Carolina or North Carolina. I was in New Jersey. I remember my uncle calling me to tell me that my father was dead. After I found out he was shot, I didn't ask too many details about what happened.

(Reigndrop Lopes, Ronald Lopes, their God Brother named Jim, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes at restaurant during The FanMail Tour in 1999)

Jamie: Were you all living together still?

Ronald: No, I was living with my Uncle Tony in New Jersey. Raina was with my mom and Lisa was in Atlanta at the time.

Jamie: She told me when she got the deal, she called her father up and she didn't know he had been killed. She didn't even get a chance to talk to him about her record deal.

Ronald: Right.

Jamie: Now, what is going to happen with Lisa's company, LeftEye Productions? Some of the guys said that they were going to continue to make the music and give the money to you guys. Do you know who is running LeftEye Productions?

Ronald: Well, right now nobody is running LeftEye Productions. That is a decision that my momwill have to make because everything that Lisa has will be left in my mother's name. It will be up to my mother if she wants to continue the business or not, but I am sure that she will sit down with me and Raina and see what we want to do, also.

Jamie: Now how come Lisa's holisitic doctor from Honduras, Dr. Sebi, wasn't at the funeral?

Ronald: I didn't know he wasn't at the funeral until you told me. There was a lot of people there that I didn't see because I wasn't focused on people.

Jamie: Maybe he was then. How is Wanda, your mom, holding up?

Ronald: She is very strong.

Jamie: I could see that. All of you are.

Ronald: Thank you.

Jamie: I am just really impressed with the family. Now what was your father's nationality?

Ronald: We are Black, but we are mixed with little things here and there. We are mixed with Portuguese and Mexican. My father was part Portuguese and my mother was part Mexican.

Jamie: You have a pretty family. Wasn't it amazing how Lisa looked like she was 13 or 14 years old in the casket? It looked like she was going to be baptized. What did you all do the night of the funeral?

Ronald: I was at my mom's house until about 10 or 11. Then I went to my apartment and got some snacks and then went to bed.

Jamie: I know that you all were exhausted. Then, today you went to Atlanta's radio station V-103?

Ronald: Yeah. I really wanted to tahnk the people that helped us. I know that they had a benefit for Lisa and we were invited to come out there, but I was tired and didn't feel like being in a party atmosphere.

Jamie: Have you all been able to eat?

Ronald: Yeah. I have been eating bad. I cleansed that whole month in Honduras and lost a lot of weight, but since I have been back everybody has been feeding us macaroni and cheese, chicken and collard greens.

Jamie: Is there anything that happened when you all were kids that stands out in your mind about Lisa?

Ronald: When Lisa formed her own club in Florida and was charging the little kids dues so that one day we could have a little event to do something. She was about 8 years old, Raina was about 6 and I was about 5. When we were little, I used to always remember Lisa's raps. To this day, I would recite raps to Lisa and ask her if she remembered it. She would be like, "I wrote that?" I was like, "Yeah, you wrote that a long time ago." Ever since she first started writing, I was remembering her raps and was just a fan of hers.

Jamie: Can you give me one of the raps that she wrote?

Ronald: One of her verses was like:

"You'll get higher and higher 'til you

reach the barbwire.

Stop or you'll be catching on fire.

My lyrics mean something.

They're not good for nothing.

The beat, it is ample.

Here's an example:

Life is just a brief moment in time.

Lengthen to strengthen the meaning of

being totally inclined.

That words can ease to believe in these

minds we receive

Then I ease to be pleased in this life we must lead."

(Reigndrop Lopes, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Ronald Lopes when they were children)