Singer Tamika Scott says she’s included self-care into her busy life following the public drama involving her sister, LaTocha Scott, and mother, Gloria McFarlin.
Over the past year, one of the most talked-about family feuds involved the unfortunate fallout between Xscape vocalists and sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott.
Their highly publicized back-and-forth seemingly began back in 2022 after LaTocha attended the Soul Train Awards in a dress drastically different from those worn by her group members. In addition to the Scott sisters, Kandi Burruss and Tameka “Tiny” Harris are also prominent members of the successful girl group.
Although many pinpointed the award show fiasco as the start of their drama, it was revealed during their 2023 reality TV show, “SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B” that LaTocha and Tamika’s rivalry dated back further than that.
During the season premiere, the “Tonight” songstress accused her older sister and LaTocha’s husband, Rocky, of stealing $30,000 worth of royalties from her and also claimed that their mother failed to hold LaTocha, 50, accountable for the alleged act.
While LaTocha instantly denied Tamika’s claim and has since appeared to move on from the accusation in an unbothered fashion, Tamika, 48, is still dealing with the negative impact on her mental health stemming from their heated argument.
“It broke me,” Tamika told Atlanta Black Star during an exclusive interview. “Sometimes you the strong person, and sometimes the strong person gets weak, and when you do you try to, you try … you’re like, ‘I can handle this.’”
After filming the series, Tamika stated that she needed to take a “step back” from everything and find healthy outlets that would put her in a positive space.
“It was time for self-care,” she admitted. “So, I take walks in the park or I’ll go get my feet done or get massages.”
While Tamika noted typically fitting mani-pedis in her schedule, she confessed that she’s more present during the treatment compared to how she used to be. “Now, I turn that phone off and I’m like ‘Let me just relax and just get my mind together.’ So I get a massage,” she said.
Tamika has also found other ways to tap into herself emotionally, such as creating a “prayer closet” in her Atlanta home, which she uses as a safe space where she can receive a sense of solitude. She told us, “That’s a place where I can go and I can just pray. And cry out to God. And I promise you every time I leave out of that closet whatever it is I prayed about God always hear my prayer.”
Despite her and LaTocha’s tumultuous relationship, the mother of two still manages to show love to her sister and encourages listeners to enjoy LaTocha’s new Christmas album, “This Christmas Wrapped with Love.”
“I would love for everyone to go and support my sister and her venture,” Tamika said.
When asked about the current status of their sisterhood, Tamika stated that LaTocha is doing her own “thing” while she continues to sell out concerts with her Xscape sisters Burruss and Tiny Harris. However, she did not provide an update on where she stands with her mother.
Come Saturday, Dec. 9, the Xscape trio of women will be performing at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, for the “R&B Music Experience: Hollywood Edition” concert tour. A few other performers include male R&B groups like Bell Biv DeVoe, Silk, and 112.
