Xscape collectively received the Lady of Soul award at the 2022 Soul Train Awards. The ’90s R&B quartet sang a medley of their classic hits before accepting the honor on stage from the Grammy-winning producer who discovered the group, Jermaine Dupri.
Tameka “Tiny” Harris, Kandi Burruss and sisters, LaTocha and Tamika Scott have worked together on and off for nearly 30 years. Due to breakups, label drama and other matters, the ladies drifted into their lanes of success. But their latest drama resembles the issues that broke them up in the first place.
Xscape hit the red carpet during the pre-taped Soul Train Awards in Las Vegas earlier this month. However, LaTocha showed up wearing a visibly different dress from what Kandi, Tiny and Tamika wore. As previously reported, she wore an olive green gown, while the others wore champagne-colored dresses.
LaTocha suggested there was a miscommunication between her and her group mates in an Instagram post on Nov. 14. She said she “didn’t get the memo” before adding, “but everyone still looked amazing.” The mixup was later blamed on having separate stylists. But most fans know Xscape’s drama goes far beyond this dress debacle.
When the Soul Train Awards aired on Sunday, Nov. 27, the entire world could see the tension between the legendary singers. Kandi opened their acceptance speech by praising their early work with Dupri and noting their appreciation for supportive fans over the years.
In the midst, LaTocha stepped forward to thank God for their “gifts” and to encourage others to “shine their light” while helping others. Tiny then snatched the mic and turned away from LaTocha, while saying, “I want to say thank you to Soul Train of course, and thank you to my girls.”
Many noticed Tiny intentionally looked at Tamika and Kandi before taking a short glance at LaTocha getting emotional.
Blogs and fans ate up Xscape’s obvious drama at the Soul Train Awards, including with claims later surfacing that LaTocha’s husband, Rocky Bivens, fathered a child with someone else. The following day, a woman with the Instagram username Unykue, shared a photo of her and Bivens to announce they were expecting. For proof, she shared a second image of a sonogram with “Timeless Love Bivens” written over it.
The woman wrote in the caption, “The most f—–d up thing the universe can do to you is let you meet the right person at the wrong time I’m just tired of living a lie all these years and ready to live in my truth freely and in peace unapologetically. I have no beef wit Latocha, never interfered with any of his dealings with Xscape, never made him choose. Me and Rocky had our own situation.”
She continued, “I know this may be shocking news but this was a very complicated relationship that I couldn’t speak on for obvious reasons. Life can be a b–ch and ima make sure mines is beautiful either way. It Is what It Is.”
The animosity between the Xscape singers has been brewing for quite a while. Earlier this year, they agreed to take the stage for a few performances on the R&B Music Experience Tour, which began this month. But in the weeks prior, fans noticed LaTocha was missing from the group’s promotional ads.
Despite concerns, a source told TMZ that LaTocha made the final call to separate from Xscape. The 49-year-old reportedly declined to be a part of their upcoming shows. However, she gave the ladies permission to perform under the group’s name as a trio. According to the outlet, the promo ads were shot after she declined to participate.
The “Bad Timing” songstress apologized to fans and seemingly confirmed their separation in a lengthy post on her Instagram story. She said she turned down the tour after the promoter allegedly “threatened” her husband’s life, as previously noted. She expressed how hurt she was that the ladies wanted to continue.
“Would you have gone on tour with him?????” LaTocha wrote at the time. “If that was any of their husbands they definitely wouldn’t have done the tour either, which I would have supported!!!”
Afterward, LaTocha went back and forth with her group members, sharing seemingly shady posts. Fans believed Tiny took another jab at her former friend after sharing several posts for her sister Tamika’s birthday.
On Nov. 19, Tiny shared a video of her, Tamika and Kandi singing during their Nashville tour stop. In the caption, she explained how “emotional” LaTocha’s sister was while performing.
“When I say today is about @therealtamikascott that’s what tf I mean! With a lil bit of @officialxscape it was a very emotional night for my sis last night but she still sung her face off!! Held it all the way down!! Birmingham u ready! I think I wanna give away a couple of tickets, let me know if u in the area!! #TamikaSocttDay #Xscape #DoYouWantTo.”
Xscape’s breakup rumors began circulating following the release of their last album, 1998’s “Traces of My Lipstick.” Over the years, the former So So Def artists have accused each other of spreading heinous lies. A 2015 episode of “Unsung” revealed that LaTocha’s plans to go solo in 1997 are what to their initial breakup.
Kandi and Tiny embarked on their own solo projects and later became one of the most powerful songwriting duos in the game. Together and separately, they’ve written and produced Grammy-winning records for TLC, Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey, Pink and more. Meanwhile, Tamika pursed her own solo efforts from time to time.
Producer Dupri blamed the group’s demise on his songs and LaTocha believing she was the lead singer. On another episode of “Unsung,” he claims the tension was created after he began giving Kandi more leads.
After years of not speaking, Xscape attempted to reconcile in 2005, but Kandi believed their issues were not yet resolved. Another problem was a 2007 radio interview, where Tamika said the group broke up because Kandi was sleeping with Dupri, his father and other associates at his label, So So Def Recordings. Many assumed JD gave Kandi leads on songs because of their romantic relationship, which he later denied.
“I wasn’t even thinking like that,” said the “Confessions” producer. “Like I said, I was thinking about the sound I heard in my head.”
Tamika later apologized to the reality start from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” and what eventually followed was Xscape’s 2017 reunion at BET Awards and later the annual Essence Music Festival. Eventually, the four-person assemble went on tour and documented the entire experience on Bravo’s reality series “Xscape Still Kickin’ It.”
By 2018, producers announced a forthcoming biopic about the voices behind the hit “Who Can I Run To” after a number of requests from executives and fans. It has currently been delayed for unknown reasons.
