The four members of Xscape are ready to escape.
They’re in Chicago to promote their record, “Hummin’ Comin’ At Cha,” and they’re weary of being shuttled from place to place to smile and sign autographs.
“We haven’t had a spare second,” says LaTocha Scott, 20, the oldest, most composed member of the Atlanta girl group.
Since their song “Just Kickin’It” hit the top of the pop and R&B charts and took over MTV, Xscape has been going non-stop – the members even stopped at a McDonald’s on Chicago’s South Side to sign surprise autographs.
Now, they have the chance to get out for a walk with KidNews. First stop, Sound Warehouse record store.
Tamika Scott – LaTocha’s sassy 18-year-old sister – walks in and stops cold.
“Oh, my God!” she screams. She rushes over and plants her hands on a life-size cutout of Michael Bolton. “Oooh, bay-bee!” she says.
Her bandmates just shake their heads. Tamika has the most incredible crush on Bolton. “Can I have this?” she calls to the store manager, dragging the cutout toward the door. Bummer – he says no.
Meanwhile, Kandi Burruss, 17, and Tameka Cottle, 18, are dancing to tunes at the listening racks.
“Hey, here’s our record,” Kandi says, cocking an ear to one headset. “Right now, it’s on T’Understanding’ (the group’s second single).”
If the singers seem to hang together like old pals, it’s because they are. LaTocha and Tamika met Kandi at Atlanta’s Tri-City Performing Arts High School, where they all took church choir. “We sounded good together so we decided to form a group,” LaTocha explains.
Tamika asked her longtime friend, Tameka, to join, too. They started entering talent shows. Then they were spotted by Jermaine Dupri, the guy who discovered Kris Kross.
And now, here they are – in a record store hearing their own record being played on the speakers. Smooth!
