Xscape (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Xscape | |
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 R&B group Xscape. Left to right: LaTocha Scott, Tameka Scott, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and Kandi Burruss.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, Contemporary R&B |
| Years active | 1993–2005 |
| Labels | Columbia (1992-1994) SME Records(1992-1994) So So Def (1995-1998) |
| Former members | |
| Kandi Burruss (1993-1998) LaTocha Scott (1993-2005) Tameka Scott (1993-2005) Tameka "Tiny" Cottle (1993-2005) Kiesha Miles (2005) |
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Xscape, often referred to mononymously as the word "Escape", was a female American R&B quartet that had a string of hit songs during the 1990s. The original lineup of the group consisted of sisters LaTocha "Juicy" Scott and Tamika "Meatball" Scott, along with Kandi Burruss and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, while Kiesha Miles was an replacement later.
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[edit] Background
LaTocha and Tamika Scott's father, Rev. Randolf Scott, were part of the 1970s R&B group Scott Three during the early '70s. The sisters sang at church throughout their childhoods while being trained by their father at an early age and atempted talent shows around the area. In the early '90s, they met the other two members, Burruss and Cottle, in College Park, Georgia at Tri-City High School, a suburb of Atlanta in church in 1990. Cottle's father, Charles Pope and her uncle, Joseph Pope (1933-1996), formed the R&B group, The Tams.
[edit] Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha (1992-1994)
The quartet was discovered by Jermaine Dupri while singing at an annual Martin Luther King Jr. festival in Atlanta. Dupri immediately signed the group to his up and coming So So Def label. He debuted the quartet at his birthday party in 1991. The group released their debut album, Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha, was released in on October 12, 1993.[1]. The album peaked at number seventeen the U.S. Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B Albums chart. It was a critical and commercial success, being certified platinum within a year and launching two top ten single. The debut single, "Just Kickin' It" and second single "Understanding" both entered the top 10 of the official Hot 100 and became platinum and gold certified number-one hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The follow up singles, "Love on My Mind" and "Tonight" don't receive the same success.
Xscape lyrics, chiefly written and produced by Jermaine Durpi, had strong, female-empowering, soulful, and powerful vocals with harmonization. The musical formula was augmented by the girls' baggy and cool down-to-earth Atlanta style.
The group later appeared on The Mask soundtrack.
[edit] Off the Hook (1995-1997)
After much success, Xscape released their second studio album Off The Hook in 1995. The lead single "Feels So Good" reached the top 40 of the US Hot 100, while "Who Can I Run To" peaked at number 8. The follow up singles "Do You Want To" and "Can't Hang" was a double A side single which featured rapper MC Lyte. It barley made it half-way to reached number 50, but peaked at number 9 on the "Hot R&B/Hip Hop" charts. The album eventually when platinum.
In 1996, the group was featured on MC Lyte's single "Keep On, Keepin' On", which appeared on the "Sunset Park" soundtrack. The single reached the top ten on the "Hot 100" and number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
In 1997, the girls popularity was growing and fool appeared on the soundtracks to "Love Song" and "Soul Food"
[edit] Traces of My Lipstick (1998-2001)
In early 1998, Xscape was featured on the Keith Sweat-production by R&B new-coming group Ol' Skool on the single "Am I Dreamin'". The single was a success in North America, peaking at #31 on the "Hot 100". The single would later be featured on their third album "Traces of My Lipstick".
The third Xscape album,Traces of My Lipstick, debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard 200 and at No.6 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop album chart; over a million copies were sold in the U.S. The album featured the top ten hit "The Arms of the One Who Loves You", which reached number 7 on the "Hot 100" chart, and "My Little Secret," which reached number 9. Although there wasn't an official third single released, "Softest Place on Earth" reached number 28 on the "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs" chart.
The group also made appearances on the "Big Momma's House" and "Hardball" soundtracks. They later disbanded.
[edit] Unchained and present (2003-present)
After a five-year hiatus, sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott reunited with Tameka "Tiny" Cottle. They replaced Kandi Burruss with Kiesha Miles to sing background to record a fourth album, Unchained. The new single "What's Up" was released on a mixtape and later got some airplay in hometown Atlanta.[2]. However, the album wasn't released due to lack of promotion from the record label. It was once rumored that singer Tamar Braxton, sister of singer Toni Braxton, would join Xscape as a fifth member but it was never confirmed.
[edit] Solo careers
[edit] Tamika Scott
Scott released the single "Day & Night" in Japan. She also appeared in the 2004 Tyler Perry play, Meet the Browns originating the role of Millet Jenay Baptiste-Brown. She has written, produced, and arranged four songs for and is featured as a solo artist on the movie soundtrack of Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls, which was released January 16, 2007 on Atlantic Records. She also appeared on the soundtrack of Perry's film Why Did I Get Married?[3].
Scott has produced songs for artist such as Johnny Gill, Rahsaan Patterson, Donell Jones, Mario and others. Scott wrote "Ooh Na Na" for Donell Jones' fourth album Journey of a Gemini which was released June 20, 2006.
[edit] LaTocha Scott
Scott, who graduated from Tucker high school, recorded a solo album, titled Solo Flight, and made appearances on Jermaine Dupri's song "All That's Got to Go" and J-Shin's "One Night Stand", which was Scott's first solo R&B single. She also appears on "Liar, Liar" from the soundtrack of The Best Man, Cha Cha's "Dear Diary," and Trick Daddy's single "Thug Holiday"[4].
[edit] Kandi Burruss
Kandi Burruss is a singer-songwriter, she has co-written song for artists such as Mariah Carey, P!nk, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. Also written songs for artist like TLC, Destiny's Child, *NSYNC, Boyz II Men, and Faith Evans. In 1999, she appeared on Solé's debut album and was also in a video for the single, titled 4, 5, 6. In 2000, Columbia Records released her solo debut, Hey Kandi, which featured the hit song "Don't Think I'm Not." She is also responsible for discovering male R&B quartet Jagged Edge. She sang backup on LSG's "Wide Open" on there final album, LSG2 in 2003. In 2006, she released "I Need", featuring Eightball & MJG from an upcoming solo album on UpFront Records. She is also featured on E-40's hit "U and Dat" and performs under the name Kandi Girl. In 2007, she formed a duo, Peach Candy, with Atlanta female rapper Rasheeda [5][6]. In 2009, Burruss joined the hit Bravo reality show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She will be showcasing a new artist QT Jazz.
[edit] Tameka "Tiny" Cottle
Tameka Cottle wrote TLC's 1999 hit "No Scrubs" with Burruss, which singing vocals on the chorus of the song and on Lil' Kim's "I Know You See Me", Lil Bow Wow's "Let's Get Down", and on 8Ball & MJG's "Things We Used to Do."
Cottle is currently in a relationship with rapper T.I. She has been in the studio working on tracks for a future album and has been producing more tracks for her new group, the Ga.P Girls, and the OMG girls which contain's Tiny's oldest daughter, Zonnique, Lil Wayne's oldest daughter, Reginae, & the girls' two friends, with Xscape member Keisha "Babi" Miles[7].
Tameka is still in the music business, and is branching out to TV. She stars in BET’s reality show “Tiny & Toya” which follows Tiny and her life as a mom, fiancee, and friend of Toya Johnson Carter, the ex wife of rap artist Lil’ Wayne.[8]
[edit] Discography
- 1993: Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha
- 1995: Off the Hook
- 1998: Traces of My Lipstick
[edit] Compilation albums
- 2002: Understanding
- 2009: Super Hits
[edit] References
- ^ "Xscape: Hummin' Comin' At 'Cha". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=120517&aid=148096. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Xscape breaks the chains by Jamie Foster Brown with the assistance of Ericka Boston and Calvin Terrell". s2smagazine.com. http://www.s2smagazine.com/content/content.asp?issueid=200503&listid=01.
- ^ Omisore, Adeniyi (2007-03-27). "Tamika Scott: High Definition". singersroom.com. http://www.singersroom.com/interview/artist-v-59.asp. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "LaTocha Scott". awdealrecords.com. http://www.rawdealrecords.com/latocha_scott.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Peach Candy: Best Of Both Worlds". ballerstatus.com. 2007-09-27. http://www.ballerstatus.com/article/features/2007/09/3146/. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Kandi: From Songwriter To Artist". billboard.com. 2000-09-07. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1314648. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "T.I. visits S2S and he brings his crew and Tiny with him". s2smagazine.com. 2006-08. http://www.s2smagazine.com/content/content.asp?issueid=200608&listid=15. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ Tiny and Toya: Official BET Page
[edit] External links
- Xscape at the Internet Movie Database
- Xscape at MySpace
- Xscape at Allmusic
- Xscape at Discogs
- Xscape at Yahoo Music Groups
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