Kandi Burruss is a revered star in Bravo’s reality sphere, and she has graced TV for over a decade. However, before Kandi joined the Real Housewives franchise, she joined her music group Xscape in dominating the 90’s R&B sphere.
Kandi Burruss has been a Georgia peach for the past decade and counting, and in all those years, her fame has become more profound. Burruss handles reality TV alongside her other business ventures, and she keeps forging ahead.
However, before the days of taking trips around the globe and displaying content alongside other famous Atlanta housewives, Kandi was a music pacesetter in the ‘90s with her R&B group, Xscape.
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Who Is Kandi Burruss?
Kandi was born in 1976 in Atlanta to Reverend Titis Burruss and her RHOA-famous mom, Joyce Jones. Kandi also had an older brother, Patrick, who passed on in the early 2000s due to a car crash.
She started her entertainment career with a stint on BET’s “Teen Summit.” However, during high school, Kandi got in tune with her love for music. She formed Xscape as a teenager with her friends, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, and sisters, LaTocha and Tamika Scott.
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Inside Kandi’s Music Career
The group was signed by Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Recordings Label, and in 1993, the girls released their first album, “Hummin’ Comin’ at Cha.” The body of work spun Xscape to the spotlight as it went platinum and was top three on the R&B chart.
Kandi’s songwriting skills were prominent in the group, and it also extended outside it. She became known for writing for stars like Mariah Carey, TLC, and Destiny’s Child. Kandi co-wrote TLC’s grammy-winning hit song, “No Scrubs.”
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Kandi’s love life in the music sphere resulted in an affair with Dupri, and she has confirmed in interviews that it was brief. Xscape disbanded in 1998 as the members moved forward with solo careers. However, as of 2017, fans witnessed their reunion.
Following the split, there seemed to be a rift, and Tamika shared in an old-time interview that Kandi’s affair with Dupri was why the group separated. However, Kandi has refuted the claim several times.
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Kandi On RHOA
Shortly after her exit from Xscape, the 44-year-old joined “Real Housewives of Atlanta ” on its second season. Once speaking about her reality TV career, the mom-of-three shared that she never envisioned being there for so long.
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Kandi noted that being in that space was strange compared to her music fame, so all she thought of was having fun for one season and moving to the next big thing. However, she became a regular, appearing for over 12 seasons.
Kandi was first friends with Kim Zolciak, with whom she explored more music, before becoming friends with Phaedra Parks. That friendship crashed in the ninth season.
Outside showbiz, Kandi has other business ventures, like her Old Lady Gang restaurant and other lifestyle brands. She married Todd Tucker, whom she met on RHOA, and they run a blended family of four children.