Jermaine Dupri is responsible for producing some of the biggest hits and helping many southern artists rise to fame. One of those artists is the group Xscape who’s songs like “Just Kicking It” became a fixture in the ’90s.
With such mega success, however, the group didn’t last and there were a lot of drama that followed their breakup. On tonight’s episode of TV One’s “Uncensored,” Jermaine Dupri finally shares his theory as to why the group didn’t survive.
The year was 1998 and the album was “Traces of My Lipstick,” and the group who consists of LaTocha Scott, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, Tamika Scott and Kandi Burruss shortly broke up after its release.
(from left) Tamika Scott, Kandi Burruss, Jermaine Dupri, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, LaTocha Scott visit the SiriusXM Studios on September 12, 2018. Jermaine Dupri explained why Xscape broke up. (Photo: Getty Images, Astrid Stawiarz)
Fans were confused as to why the group split and rumors began circling around. Tamika Scott, for example, chalked it up to the members being young and not knowing much when they signed a deal with Jermaine Dupri‘s So So Def Recordings. Meanwhile, her sister LaTocha Scott said the group lacked a strong female mentor to guide them.
But Dupri gave his own take as to why the four ladies parted ways, which he said had to do with LaTocha Scott and Burruss vying for the lead singer position.
“I feel like my songs actually broke Xscape up,” he explained. “Because Xscape was Tocha’s group. Whoever’s group it is that means they think they’re the lead singer. They meet Jermaine Dupri and Jermaine Dupri writes a song and he gives the song to Kandi, because Kandi’s voice sounds like mines … That created friction from jump without me even knowing.”
Dupri then explained that he kept giving Burruss songs because they were successful, which caused more tension. Then something happened between he and Burruss that made things even worse.
“Then a relationship happens between me and Kandi,” he said.
And the others thought he gave Burruss those songs because of that relationship, which he denied.
“I wasn’t even thinking like that,” stated Dupri. “Like I said, I was thinking about the sound I heard in my head.”
For years, some of the members weren’t on speaking terms, but finally in 2017, the group reunited and performed at the Essence Music Festival and eventually went on tour together.
Jermaine Dupri clears up the Xscape rumors and more on his episode of “Uncensored” which airs tonight on Sunday, March 24, at 10:00 EST.
