The year was 2009. BET’s “106 & Park,” with hosts Rocsi and Terrence J, was a staple in Black households. Barack Obama was sworn in as the first Black president. Michael Jackson died. A 15-year-old Justin Bieber released his debut EP.
And, in Atlanta, a group of girls ranging in age from 11 to 13 with colorful hair and edgy outfits were primed to make their stamp on pop culture.
Formed by R&B singer and reality star Tameka “Tiny” Harris in 2009, the OMG (an acronym for Officially Miss Guided) Girlz initially included a quartet of childhood friends: Harris’ daughter, Zonnique Pullins, Reginae Carter (the daughter of Lil Wayne and Toya Johnson) and sisters Bahja and Lourdes Rodriguez. The following year, Carter and Lourdes Rodriguez left the group and Breaunna Womack was added to the lineup.
In 2011, Harris signed the newly formed group to her Pretty Hustle record label, building a loyal fan base with catchy pop-R&B songs like “Gucci This (Gucci That)” and “Where The Boys At?”
In 2015, the group disbanded to pursue solo music careers.
“I think, ultimately, we had a goal of just wanting to be a positive role model at that time for Black girls,”r Bahja Rodriguez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about OMG Girlz’s legacy. “We just wanted to be our true author of self. And even with the color pieces that we were doing and the way that we dressed, a couple of people didn’t understand it, but I think it opened up the floodgates for little Black girls to be able to do and be who they want to be.”
Credit: Raymond Hagans, Special to AJC
Credit: Raymond Hagans, Special to AJC
Today, the trio (still signed to Pretty Hustle) is back in action. Its first solo headlining tour, titled The Name Stays, kicks off at Vinyl in Atlanta this weekend. The group will later stop in New York City, Dallas and Washington, D.C.
The Name Stays Tour was announced on the heels of a development in a lawsuit involving the group.
In 2021, Harris and her husband, Atlanta rapper T.I., filed a lawsuit against toy company MGA Entertainment, alleging that its line of L.O.L. Surprise! OMG dolls copied the name and likeness of the OMG Girlz.
After three trials, the Harrises scored a major legal victory in the case last year and were awarded $71 million in damages after a jury found MGA liable for infringing upon the OMG Girlz’s intellectual property rights. But in July, a California judge reduced the couple’s award to roughly $18 million.
With the latest development (the new ruling stating that the evidence didn’t support MGA “willfully” copied the OMG Girlz), the yearslong battle could head to court again, as the Harrises filed paperwork last month to recoup the slashed award.
Though the group (via a publicist) declined to comment on the case, the OMG Girlz reemerged around the same time as the first trial, with the release of 2023’s “Lover Boy.” Since then, they’ve dropped three more singles — including “Tea,” released in July.
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
The video for “Tea” dropped Monday.
“We started to record and create new music, and I think it was like, ‘OK, this feels good. This feels where we’re supposed to be,’” Rodriguez said of the group’s resurgence.
For the upcoming tour, the act has engaged in a rigorous schedule of eight-hour daily rehearsals. Practices often include cardio, strength training and vocal and dance lessons. Pullins said it’s like putting “a puzzle together,” and said that the group is “overly excited.”
In July, the OMG Girlz performed at the Essence Festival in New Orleans. Last year, they opened for Xscape — which includes Harris as a founding member — and SWV in the Queens of R&B Tour. Womack said the fan support from both shows made them want to embark on their own tour.
“We wanted to honor what (our fans) felt and what they wanted from us, and so I just think that this was the perfect way for us to do it,” Womack said. “Once we announced it, so many of our fans were like, ‘Why aren’t y’all coming here?’ So it might even be a second leg.”
The group is working on a full-length project, which would be its first official album. Although they didn’t share any details, they said they’re loving the creative control they now have.
Each member has dabbled in engineering their own music.
“It’s our first time coming in the studio having ideas, being able to tell producers and songwriters this is what this and this is who we feel we are going to sound like,” Rodriguez said. “When we were younger, there would be people kind of creating this sound for us.”
At the Atlanta show, the group promises to provide “an experience” for the fans who’ve yearned for their comeback.
“There will be a lot of high energy,” Pullins said. “A lot of nostalgia. We’ll be performing a lot of songs that our fans ask us about a lot. It’ll just be a good time, a party.”
IF YOU GO
OMG Girlz, 7:30 p.m. Saturday. $33-125. Vinyl. 1374 W Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta. 404-885-1365, centerstage-atlanta.com.
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