If you’re excited that XSCAPE is getting back together to record and perform, you’ll be real thrilled to learn that the group is set to appear at this year’s ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans.
That’s right. It’s official. Time Inc.’s 2017 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola®, now among the largest consumer live events in the nation, announced today that beloved R&B quartet XSCAPE will kickoff its comeback tour at the Festival, for the group’s first full live show in over 15 years.
The group is slated to perform on Sunday, July 2 – a night headlined by Festival first-timer Chance the Rapper, along with Master P, Solange and more – at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the return of Xscape than in New Orleans with our fans at the world famous, Essence Festival,” the group said in a statement. “Essence Fest is so much more than a music festival, it’s a celebration of culture, music and entertainment. We are excited and honored to be included in an incredible line up of artists and performers, including the living legend, Diana Ross!”
XSCAPE, who recently announced the reunion of all four original members Kandi Burruss, LaTocha Scott, Tamika Scott and Tameka “Tiny” Harris, will perform a full set from their chart-topping portfolio of classic R&B staples in one of the Festival’s four intimate Superlounges.
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As far as their reunion is concerned, Essence reports that at one point, it seemed only an act of God would see fans’ wishes of an XSCAPE reunion come to fruition, but it was actually word of an outside party looking to profit off of their legacy that reignited the flame.
“We caught wind that somebody was doing an unauthorized movie about us and we felt it was important for us to tell our own story, instead of somebody else telling it,” Kandi tells ESSENCE. “Tamika [Scott] and I hadn’t communicated in a long time but, when I was expressing to Tiny how I felt about our story not being told right, she relayed the message to everybody else and it turned out that we were all on the same page.”
While the ladies believe the lack of guidance in the midst of their growing pains as young women trying to navigate the music industry is what eventually caused the group to part ways, it was a long overdue conversation between Kandi and Tamika that ultimately led to them getting back on track.
“When we came into the business, we were learning, our parents were learning and….we were young,” Tamika says. “So, we had to figure out a lot through trial and error.”
Check out MORE of Essence’s exclusive interview with Xscape HERE and in the video player above.
To view the full 2017 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola® night-by-night musical lineup, click here.
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