In 1993, the new jack era had the ladies of Xscape Hummin’ Comin’ at Cha (which was the title of their debut album). The group recorded three albums spawning numerous hits over the next five years then went their separate ways. Sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott have since released solo projects. Tiny is now a reality TV star as well as a wife to rap icon T.I. However, Kandi has enjoyed paramount success writing hit songs for Whitney Houston, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Pink, Mariah Carey, N Sync, Usher, Boyz II Men, B2K, and Alicia Keys (just to name a few). After the disappointment of her solo debut Hey Kandi back in 2000, she has returned to music with her sophomore project aptly-titled Kandi Koated to be released on December 14th. UPL had an opportunity to speak with Kandi about her new album and life in general…

UPL: So how did you officially start songwriting?

Kandi: When the group started falling apart, Tiny and I decided to do a duo. So I was telling her that going forward after Xscape, anything else we ever did in our lives we need to have creative control over it. So I was like the only way we can do that is when we go to the label to present them our project…the songs we present need to be songs we wrote ourselves. “No Scrubs” was one of the songs we did for our demo. It got in the hands of L.A. Reid so from that point…it was on from there. I got on all kinds of projects.

UPL: You did stuff for Whitney, Faith, and a lot of my favorite singers…

Kandi: I worked with some of everybody…a lot of my favorites too (lol)...Fantasia, Alicia Keys, Pink…all kinds of people.

UPL: Do you have a favorite writing experience?

Kandi: I really enjoyed working with Alicia Keys. [Kandi penned “Jane Doe” for Alicia’s debut album Songs in A Minor.] That was a good experience because she was just really cool. That was before she blew up. We were just having fun in the studio. They were trying to teach me how to work the drum machine. It was just cool!

UPL: Yes, I’ve always heard great things about Alicia. Bouncing back to your Xscape days, I was a huge fan! I was very disappointed when the group broke up after only three albums. But I understand how things go. [According to previous accounts, the group disbanded because one of the members wanted to go solo after their second album was released.] Were all of you comfortable with being known as the female Jodeci?

Kandi: Oh well we were cool with it! We knew where Jermaine was going with it. He was trying to get that tag of the ghetto En Vogue or the female version of Jodeci…that what he was going for when he signed us. And he came up with the image. He would say, ‘yall need to dress like this…baggy clothes and bandanas.’ So creatively, he was the one who came up with our image.

UPL: As the ‘90s went on, your image of the baggy clothes and bandanas changed.

Kandi: (LOL) yup…

UPL: You all got a bit more glamorized?

Kandi: Yeah, we were growing up…

UPL: Were you all comfortable with that shift or was it more of what Jermaine wanted?
[Slight background interruption from Toya from the BET reality series Tiny & Toya…]

Kandi: I’m sorry. Toya is treating me out to lunch today. What was the last question?

UPL: Actually let’s switch gears a bit. Since you have a close relationship with Tiny, how do you feel about T.I.’s situation with him having to go back to prison?

Kandi: I’m sad for them. I hate that it happened, but they know they have to accept the consequences for their actions so they’re going to be alright. It’s not the most ideal situation, but they’re a strong couple. And Tiny is on my album! We have a song together called “Superwoman.”

UPL: Did you two write it together?

Kandi: Yeah definitely…we’re talking about being single parents and doing everything possible to keep a smile on your kids’ faces. There are different reasons for why people become single parents. In my situation, my daughter’s father and I were never really on the same page from the beginning. But with Tiny, especially now, Tip [also known as T.I.] is going to prison. She has to hold down the fort until he comes back home so that’s what her version is about. In the end, the hook is uplifting.

UPL: And how did the first single “Leave U” come about?

Kandi: I got with Jazze Pha and the writers I collaborated with on that song…we just really wanted to do a real R&B soul song…like a throwback. And I wanted my album to sound like something Xscape would’ve done today. Still have that bottom…that 808 and ladies’ anthems.

Check out the music video for “Leave U” with a cameo appearance by Pooch Hall from The Game…

UPL: How does this new album compare to your debut album Hey Kandi?

Kandi: It’s totally different. Hey Kandi was influenced by everything I was writing at the time so it was a lot of pop music…a lot of trendy sounding stuff. If I listen to it now, it sounds dated…because it was a product of its time. This new album is classic. It’s real R&B music. There are songs on this album that people ten years from now will still be able to play. And then vocally I’ve grown a hell-of-a lot. I really showed my range. I’m hitting the deepest of deep notes and the highest of high notes on this one.

UPL: Honestly, you’ve always been my favorite voice from Xscape.

Kandi: Oh thank you!

UPL: It’s a different sound and I like different things…however, after going through the Youtube comments for the “Leave U” music video, a lot of people don’t have that same appreciation for your voice. Has that ever been a challenge for you?

Kandi: (LOL) No! Unique voices stand out. There are a million girls you get out the church to do a million riffs. That doesn’t mean they are going to sell records. That’s why I can’t wait for this album to come out. I think some people really need to listen and evaluate because I think they’re sleeping. I heard somebody say, ‘she can’t sing’ and I was like ‘really???’ (LOL) I’m not trying to brag or anything, but there aren’t many women who have the same range that I do…who can sing as low as I can sing and sing as high as the notes I can hit. So that’s why I said this time around I have to really show these people I can sing.

UPL: How do you feel about your fellow “Housewives” making music and putting albums out?

Kandi: I personally think a lot of them are doing it because they have somebody paying attention right now. I don’t want people to get my music confused with theirs. I am a singer/songwriter who just so happens to do reality TV on the side. They are reality stars who just so happen to do music on the side. Music is not my hobby. It’s my career.

UPL: Now on your new album Kandi Koated, do any of the songs address your ex-fiancé? [In 2008, Ashley “A.J.” Jewell became romantically involved with Kandi and the two eventually became engaged. Tensions began to rise during the second season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta when Kandi’s mom took issue with A.J. having six children by four different mothers. The couple’s relationship ended soon after, but they remained friends. Tragically, in October 2009, A.J. was killed in a fight outside of an Atlanta strip club he co-owned.]

Kandi: There are a couple of songs inspired by him on this album.

UPL: Considering all of the drama you two had to face being on the show with him being referred to as a scrub, did you ever at any point regret writing “No Scrubs”?

Kandi: No sir! (LOL)…no way in hell do I regret writing that song. That was one of the biggest songs of all time. We made history with that record. I have no regrets.

UPL: Now bouncing down to the ATL, congrats on the 1-year anniversary of your Tags boutique. [Tags specializes in high-end fashions for affordable prices.] How does it feel?

Kandi: I’m definitely glad I made it this far especially since there were so many people hatin’ in the beginning. So it’s just like ‘ha ha’! I’m just one of those types of people where I can show you better than I can tell you.

UPL: With all of the adversity and everything you’ve gone through and still continue to go through, your attitude seems to never sour. Where does that come from?

Kandi: I personally feel like I went through one of the worst points in my life when I was 15. My brother passed away. That was a very devastating moment for me and my family. To make it through that, you know you’ll be okay. If you can make it through the worst then everything else is minor. So I don’t let anything stress me out to the point where I feel like I’m just going to totally breakdown and fall apart. It can’t rain forever. Even if you’re in Seattle (LOL), it may rain a lot, but it can’t rain forever. So I just continue to look for the day of sunshine.

UPL: Great message! And the song “Easier” you recorded with Faith Evans is about your brother, right?

Kandi: Yeah it was.

Take a listen below…

UPL: Will that song be on the album?

Kandi: Nah it was recorded long before. I wouldn’t do that.

UPL: Now since you got your start in a girl group, what are your thoughts about there being a lack of singing groups nowadays? No one even seems to appreciate groups anymore.

Kandi: I was just talking about this to somebody the other day. It’s time for another girl group to come around. I don’t know. I might have to bring one out on y’all (LOL). I was just telling my background singers – ‘man y’all look like En Vogue back in the day. I’m going to have to put y’all in the studio.’

UPL: Lastly, UPL is a very gay-friendly blog. With everything that’s going on nowadays with gay bullying and teen suicides, do you have any words of encouragement to share?

Kandi: Like I was saying before, it can’t rain forever. To be honest, when I was a kid, I let (suicide) cross my mind. Now I think about how dumb that would’ve been to do that. Think about all of the things I would have missed out on – the success with my group, the success as a writer, my daughter, just all of the wonderful things that have happened. I wish some (suicidal) people could get a fast-forward to their lives so they can fast-forward to the good parts and realize it really wasn’t that bad.

UPL: Which is the purpose of the It Gets Better campaign that a lot of celebrities are involved with now…it definitely gets better!

- uhkeem