Xscape

Xscape is an Atlanta vocal quartet who became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. The first act signed to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def label, they released three platinum albums and five top 10 pop singles, including the #1 R&B hits “Just Kickin' It” and “Who Can I Run To.”

The group consisted of Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, and sisters LaTocha Scott and Tamika Scott. They’re known for their relatable lyrics about love, as well as tracks that fuse hip-hop and R&B. While all four members took turns singing lead, Kandi Burruss' contralto is the Xscape’s best known voice.

While still in high school, Xscape was discovered by Jermaine Dupri in 1991 at an Atlanta talent show. They released their debut album, Hummin' Comin' At Cha, in the fall of 1993. The lead single, “Just Kickin' It,” spent four weeks on top of the R&B singles chart, reaching no. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It remains their biggest hit.

The album’s second single, “Understanding,” spent two weeks at the top of the R&B chart, and peaked at no. 8 on the Hot 100. Hummin' Comin' At ‘Cha was certified platinum in early 1994.

Unlike their debut, Xscape’s second album, Off The Hook (released in the summer of 1995) was largely co-written by the group itself. The lead single, “Feels So Good,” reached no. 8 on the R&B chart.

The second single, “Who Can I a Run To"—a cover of a 1979 track by The Jones Girls—hit no. 1 on the R&B chart and no. 8 in the Hot 100. The third single was a double A-side of “Can’t Hang” and “Do You Want To” that reached no. 9 on the R&B chart. Off The Hook was certified platinum.

Xscape collaborated with hip-hop icon MC Lyte on her 1996 single “Keep On, Keepin' On.” The track hit no. 10 on the Hot 100, making it Lyte’s biggest hit. In 1997, they collaborated with Keith Sweat protégés Ol Skool on the song “Am I Dreaming,” which became a no. 5 R&B hit.

In 1998, Xscape released their third and final platinum album Traces Of My Lipstick. The lead single, “The Arms Of The One Who Loves You,” hit no. 4 on the R&B chart and no. 7 on the pop chart. The second single, “My Little Secret,” peaked at no. 2 on the R&B chart and no. 9 on the Hot 100.

The group took a hiatus in the late ‘90s to focus on solo work (Kandi Burruss released the minor hit “Don’t Think I’m Not” and co-wrote the no. 1 hit “No Scrubs” for TLC with Tiny) before reuniting briefly. In 2000, Xscape sang the hook on Lil' Bow Wow’s debut single, the no. 1 R&B hit “Bounce With Me.”

By 2001, Xscape had broken up. In 2005, a reunion without Kandi Burruss was attempted (with new member Kiesha Miles), but the group’s planned album, Unchained, was never released.