Xscape (group)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Xscape | |
|---|---|
 R&B group Xscape
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Genre(s) | R&B |
| Years active | 1993-2005 |
| Label(s) | So So Def/Columbia/SME Records |
| Former members | |
| Kandi Burruss (1993-1998) LaTocha Scott (1993-2005) Tamika Scott (1993-2005) Tameka "Tiny" Cottle (1993-2005) Kiesha Miles (2005) |
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Xscape (a pun on the popular mispronunciation of the word "escape") was a female American R&B quartet that had a string of hit songs during the early and mid 1990s. The original lineup of the group consisted of sisters LaTocha Scott ("Juicy") (born October 2, 1973) and Tamika Scott ("Meat Ball") (born November 19, 1975), along with Kandi Burruss ("Kandi") (born May 17, 1976), and Tameka Cottle ("Tiny") (born July 14, 1975).
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[edit] Background
Sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott's father, Rev. Randolf Scott, were part of the 1970s R&B group Scott Three. The sisters sang at church throughout their childhoods while being trained by their father. In 1990, they met the other two members, Burruss and Cottle, in College Park, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Cottle's father, Charles Pope and her uncle, Joseph Pope (1933-1996), formed the R&B group, The Tams.
[edit] Music career
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 its debut album, Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha, on October 12, 1993.[1] The first single, "Just Kickin' It", reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[2] The singles, "Tonight", "Understanding", and '"Love on My Mind'" were also released.[3]
In July 1995, Xscape released its second album, Off the Hook [4], which featured the song "Who Can I Run To" (a cover of the song originally recorded by the Jones Girls) and also reached #1 on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs singles chart[2]. Three other singles, "Feels So Good," "Can't Hang," and "Do You Want To," were released from the album. [3]. During those three years, the group occasionally appeared on soundtracks and made cameos on MC Lyte's Keep On Keepin' On, which appeared the Sunset Park soundtrack and Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby (Mr. Dupri Mix)"[5] . Correction: Feels So Good was the first single released from the Off the Hook album.
On May 12, 1998, Xscape released its third album, Traces of My Lipstick, and released the singles, "The Arms of the One Who Loves You," "My Little Secret," "Am I Dreamin'," and "Softest Place on Earth."[3] After the release of this album, the group began to part ways. Rumors circulating the relationship between Buruss and Dupri became more of a topic than record sales. The Scott sisters were the leads on the first Xscape album and primarily the lead vocalist in the group. But as time went on, Kandi Buruss' role in the group changed. She was starting to be more in the lime light. On the last two albums, Buruss was given more solo and lead parts, and more creative control. Due to the relationship between Buruss and Dupri. Declining record sales, and the rap era, Xscape as a collective unit decided to split. They all remain friends, but realized that they could never be one again.
After a five-year hiatus, sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott reunited with Tameka "Tiny" Cottle. They replaced Kandi Burruss with Kiesha Miles to record a fourth album, Unchained, that was never released. However they did release one single, "What's Up" [6].
[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 as 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?[7].
Scott also wrote "You're the Only One" for Eric Benet in 2008. Scott has produced songs 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 "All That's Got to Go," J-Shin's "One Night Stand," "Liar, Liar" from the soundtrack of The Best Man, Cha Cha's "Dear Diary," and Trick Daddy's "Thug Holiday" [8].
[edit] Kandi Burruss
Kandi Burruss has the most success solo music career of all the members of Xscape. As a singer-songwriter, she has co-written song for artists such as Mariah Carey 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 Sole's debut album and was also in a video for the album, 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 its final album, LSG2 (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 MC Rasheeda [9][10]. 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. Cottle also sang vocals on the chorus of the song.
Cottle also sings background vocals on Lil' Kim's song "I Know You See Me", on Lil Bow Wow's single "Let's Get Down", and on 8Ball & MJG's "Things We Used to Do."
Cottle is currently married to 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 Gap Girls, with former replacement Xscape member Keisha "Babi" Miles[11].
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. The Atlanta-based show airs Tuesdays at 10PM/9C.[12]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions[2] | U.S. Certifications[13] |
Record Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | UK | |||||
| 1993 | Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha | 17 | 3 | — | Platinum | Columbia | |
| 1995 | Off the Hook | 23 | 3 | 127 | Platinum | So So Def | |
| 1998 | Traces of My Lipstick | 28 | 6 | 181 | Platinum | ||
| — | Unchained (unreleased) | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2009 | Super Hits | — | — | — | — | CMG | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart, was not released, or was not certified | |||||||
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions[2] | U.S. Certifications[13] |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 |
U.S. R&B |
UK | ||||
| 1993 | "Just Kickin' It" | 2 | 1 | 54 | Platinum | Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha |
| 1994 | "Understanding" | 8 | 1 | — | Gold | |
| "Is My Living in Vain" 1 | — | 47 | — | — | ||
| "Love on My Mind" | 46 | 16 | — | — | ||
| "Tonight" | — | 59 | — | — | ||
| 1995 | "Feels So Good" | 32 | 8 | 34 | Gold | Off the Hook |
| "Who Can I Run To" | 8 | 1 | 31 | Gold | ||
| 1996 | "Do You Want To" | 50 | 9 | — | — | |
| "Can't Hang" 2 (featuring MC Lyte) | — | — | ||||
| 1998 | "The Arms of the One Who Loves You" | 7 | 4 | 46 | Gold | Traces of My Lipstick |
| "My Little Secret" | 9 | 2 | — | — | ||
| "Softest Place on Earth" | — | 28 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | "What's Up" | — | — | — | — | Unchained (unreleased) |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart, was not released, or was not certified | ||||||
- 1 "Is My Living in Vain" did not chart on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts (Billboard rules at the time prevented album cuts from charting). Chart peak listed here represents Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts data.
- 2 "Can't Hang" was released as a double A-side single with "Do You Want To" in the U.S.
[edit] As featured performer
| Year | Single | Chart Positions[2] | U.S. Certifications[13] |
Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 |
U.S. R&B |
U.S. Rap |
UK | ||||
| 1996 | "Keep on, Keepin' On" (MC Lyte featuring Xscape) | 10 | 3 | 2 | 27 | Gold | Sunset Park (soundtrack) |
| 2000 | "Bounce with Me" (Lil' Bow Wow featuring Xscape) | 20 | 1 | 1 | 19 | — | Beware of Dog |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart, was not released, or was not certified | |||||||
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Song or album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Nominated | American Music Award | Favorite R&B/Soul Duo or Group |
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| 1996 | Nominated | Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards | Best R&B/Soul Single by a Duo or Group | "Who Can I Run To?" |
| 1996 | Won | R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video | "Keep on Keepin' On" (Shared with MC Lyte) | |
| 1996 | Won | Best R&B/Soul Album by a Duo or Group | Off the Hook | |
| 1999 | Nominated | Best R&B/Soul Album by a Duo or Group | Traces of My Lipstick |
[edit] References
- ^ "Xscape: Hummin' Comin' At 'Cha". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=120517&aid=148096. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ a b c d e "Xscape Chart History". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=120517&model.vnuAlbumId=298305. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ a b c "Xscape Discography". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/more.jsp?tp=singles&pid=120517&aid=298305#artAlbumMoreContainer. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Xscape: Off the Hook". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=120517&aid=169710. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Recurrents Keep On, Keepin' On (From Sunset Park)". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=365&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+R%26amp%3BB%2FHip-Hop+Recurrents&ci=3025446&cdi=7135203&cid=12%2F07%2F1996. Retrieved on 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 on 2008-08-04.
- ^ "LaTocha Scott". awdealrecords.com. http://www.rawdealrecords.com/latocha_scott.htm. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Peach Candy: Best Of Both Worlds". ballerstatus.com. 2007-09-27. http://www.ballerstatus.com/article/features/2007/09/3146/. Retrieved on 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 on 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 on 2008-08-04.
- ^ Tiny and Toya: Official BET Page
- ^ a b c "Xscape Certifications". riaa.com. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS. Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
[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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