When LaTavia was eight years old, she auditioned to be a rapper and dancer in a local girl group and was one of many girls selected. She met Beyoncé Knowles at this audition, and the two became best friends. Singing and dancing with other young girls, LaTavia and Beyoncé made a video for a song called "One Time" which almost led to them becoming a duo. LaTavia then met Kelly Rowland in elementary school. After hearing Rowland sing, LaTavia told her to try out for the group, which she did. Initially, due to her duties as a rapper and dancer, LaTavia did not sing; subsequently she had vocal lessons and began singing at local events. LaTavia got her break when she entered the singing competition TV show "Star Search", alongside Beyoncé, Kelly, Tamar Davis and LaTavia's cousins Nikki and Nina Taylor. The group, then named Girl's Tyme, were heartbroken after losing the competition to Skeleton Crew. Beyonce's father Mathew Knowles began managing the group and changed the line-up, reducing it to a quartet, consisting of LaTavia, Beyoncé, Kelly, and Beyoncé's elementary school friend LeToya Luckett. The group also underwent several name changes: The Dolls, Something Fresh, Cliché, and Destiny.