By Stanley Joseph

Date : 12-07-98

Xscape, one of the best R/B girl groups of the nineties, arrived on the scene six years ago with songs like "Just Kickin' It" and "Off the Hook." They've recently released their third album, "Traces Of My Lipstick," and the girls are still going strong-on the top of the charts again with "My Little Secret." So you know I was excited when I got the okay to interview Xscape member Tamika Scott. With so many girl groups making it big, such as SWV, TLC and the Spice Girls, I ask Tamika what she thinks makes Xscape different. "We are all lead singers," she points out. "We have that gospel type style in our music. We have that soulful, heartful type of singing. The chemistry fits perfectly."

That chemistry isn't just about the group's musical connections. Tamika, her sister LaTocha, Kandi Burruss and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle were all childhood friends, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Another thing that makes the group unique is the singers' perspective as working mothers. Tamika has a four-year-old daughter; Tiny's daughter is two; and LaTocha's son just turned one. "It's really hard leaving [our kids]," Tamika confides. "We have good parents that help us, and our babies' fathers. They make it a whole lot easier." The average life span of an R/B artist is usually two albums, and Xscape is still selling strong after their third. So what's next for the group? "We're all going to venture off into doing our own thing," Tamika says. "We're trying to act, trying to produce. LaTocha is doing a solo album. I'm doing a gospel album."

Many gospel artists have begun to cross over into the mainstream, including Kirk Franklin, Karen Clark and The Winans family, so I wasn't surprised to hear that an R/B artist like Tamika would be interested in singing gospel. As it turns out, she was ordained as an evangelist a year ago. She now desires to preach the word through her music. "I want to let people know that there's another way," she explains. "Like people who commit suicide. If they would wait one day, the next day would be their bless day."

Tamika went through some tough times in the beginning of her career. "When we started Xscape I got pregnant by my husband (then boyfriend). The group was saying I should have an abortion. Either have my abortion or don't stay in the group. I chose to have my baby," she testifies. "God blessed me. He allowed me to stay in the group and to have my baby. It was very hard because instead of me having help, everybody was against me. I could turn to no one but to Him. He blessed me even more."