XSCAPE (BAND)

'Xscape' 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 ("Meatball") (born October 2, 1973) and Tamika Scott ("Juicy") (born November 19, 1975), along with Kandi Burruss ("Kandi") (born May 17, 1976) and Tameka Cottle ("Tiny") (born July 14, 1975).

Contents

Background

Music career

Solo careers

Tamika Scott

LaTocha Scott

Kandi Burruss

Tameka "Tiny" Cottle

Discography

Albums

Singles

Awards/Nominations

References

External links

Background

The Scott sisters' father, Rev. Randolf Scott, was 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.

Music career

The quartet debuted singing at producer Jermaine Dupri's birthday party in 1991, and were later signed by Dupri to his label, So So Def Recordings. They released their debut album, ''Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha'', in October of 1993. The first single, "Just Kickin' It", reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The singles, "Tonight", "Understanding", and '"Love on My Mind'" were also released.

In July of 1995, Xscape released their second album, ''''Off the Hook''''. It featured the song "Who Can I Run To" (a cover of the song originally recorded by The Jones Girls), which also reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.^[1] Three singles, "Feels So Good'", "Can't Hang", and "Do You Want To", followed. During the three years, the group occasionally appeared on soundtracks, and made cameos on MC Lyte's ''Keep On Keepin' On'', and Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby (So So Def Remix)".

In May of 1998, Xscape released their 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". After the release of this album, the group parted ways.

After a five year hiatus, sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott reunited with Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and added a new member, Kiesha Miles, to release a new album entitled, ''Unchained''. They released the single, "What's Up".^[2] The group recently opened for Alicia Keys in Houston, Texas, and just performed on 100.3 The Beat’s 15th Anniversary Birthday Bash at the Universal Amphitheater.

Solo careers

Tamika Scott

Tamika released the single, "Day & Night" in Japan. She also appeared in the 2004 Tyler Perry play ''Meet the Browns'', as Millet Jenay Baptiste-Brown. Tamika has written, produced, and arranged four songs for and is featured as a solo artist on the Tyler Perry movie soundtrack, ''Daddy's Little Girls''. The soundtrack was released January 16, 2007, on Atlantic Records. She currently has the following tracks out: "Why Do I", "Dance 4 Me", and "Sweet Love". Tamika is said to have a three-octave vocal range.

LaTocha Scott

Currently resides with son Ja'Mon and his father Rockey Bivens. She recorded a solo album, titled ''Solo Flight 404'', and made appearances on Jermaine Dupri's "All That's Got To Go", J-Shin's "One Night Stand", Cha Cha's "Dear Diary", and Trick Daddy's "Thug Holiday". She is said to have a three-octave vocal range.

Kandi Burruss

Kandi has the most solo success as a singer and songwriter. She has written for artists such as Mariah Carey, TLC, Destiny's Child,
★ NSYNC, Boyz II Men, Faith Evans, and Alicia Keys. 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. In 2006, she released "I Need", featuring Eightball & MJG from an upcoming solo album UpFront Records. She is also featured on E-40's hit "U and That", and performs under the name "Kandi Girl." Kandi has a daughter name Riley. Kandi is said to have a four-octave vocal range.

Tameka "Tiny" Cottle

Nicknamed "Tiny" because of her 4'11" height. She, along with Kandi, wrote TLC's 1999 mega hit, "No Scrubs", in which Tiny lends her vocals, singing the hook of "No Scrubs". Tiny also sings background vocals to 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 involved in a new project with Keisha Miles, called The Ga.P Girlz. Tiny is said to have a five-octave vocal range.
Cottle resides in Atlanta with her daughter Zonnique Jailee Pullins, and a son, Clifford Harris III (known as "King"). "King"'s father is rapper T.I., who Cottle has dated on and off for the last 6 years. On March 18, 2007, despite being six months pregnant with the couple's second child, T.I announced that the two had again mutually decided to end their relationship.^[3] On March 21, 2007, Cottle gave birth to a stillborn baby girl. The couple named the child Llayah Amour.^[4]

Discography

Albums

★ 1993: ''Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha''

★ 1995: ''Off the Hook''

★ 1998" ''Traces of My Lipstick''

★ 2005: ''Unchained''

Singles

Year	Title	Album	US	US R&B
1993	"Just Kickin' It"	''Hummin' Comin' At Cha''	2	'1'
1994	"Understanding"	''Hummin' Comin' At Cha''	8	'1'
1994	"Tonight"	''Hummin' Comin' At Cha''	-	59
1994	"Love On My Mind"	''Hummin' Comin' At Cha''	46	16
1995	"Who Can I Run To"	''Off The Hook''	8	'1'
1995	"Feels So Good	''Off The Hook''	32	8
1996	"Can't Hang"	''Off The Hook''	50	9
1996	"Do You Want To"	''Off The Hook''	50	9
1998	"Arms Of The One Who Loves You"	''Traces Of My Lipstick''	7	4
1998	"My Little Secret"	''Traces Of My Lipstick''	9	2
1998	"Am I Dreamin'"	''Traces Of My Lipstick''	-	-
1999	"Softest Place On Earth"	''Traces Of My Lipstick''	-	28
2005	"What's Up"	''Unchained''	-	-

★ ineligible^ to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Awards/Nominations

American Music Award


★ Nominated: Favorite R&B/Soul Duo or Group (1999)
Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards


★ Nominated: Best R&B/Soul Single by a Duo or Group for "What's Up"

★ Nominated: Best R&B/Soul Album by a Duo or Group for ''Traces of My Lipstick'' (1999)

★ Won: Best R&B/Soul Album by a Duo or Group for ''Off the Hook'' (1996)

★ Won: Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video for "Keep On Keepin On" (Shared with MC Lyte, 1996)

★ Nominated: Best R&B/Soul Single by a Duo or Group for "Who Can I Run To?" (1996)

References

1. http://www.geocities.com/xscapefans/page2.html
2. http://www.s2smagazine.com/content/content.asp?issueid=200503&listid=01
3. http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2007/03/rapper_ti_split.html
4. http://rhymeswithsnitch.blogspot.com/2007/03/sandra-rose-gets-word-from-tinys-mother.html

External links

★ Xscape Official MySpace Page

★ Xscape Sightings Blog

★ Xscape Unofficial Fan Site