Kandi
Vocalist and songwriter Kandi Burruss first
caught the public's attention when she was
only 15 years old. Her first major appearance was the Teen Summit Showcase on
BET.
What might have been a highlight for some artists proved to be little more than
a stepping
stone for this young singer. In 1990 Kandi became one of the sensual foursome
known as
Xscape. Other members were Tameka "Tiny" Cottle and sisters LaTocha
and Tamika
Scott. During the time Kandi was with Xscape, the group earned a number of gold
and
platinum records and in 1996 walked away with Album of the Year from the Soul
Train
Music Awards.
Kandi wrote a couple of the group's first big hits, like "Feel So
Good" and "Can't Hang."
When she took her writing and singing career solo, she continued to please fans
and
surprise others. One of her first successes outside the group was the hit
number, "No
Scrubs," that she co-wrote for the hot female team TLC. Kandi's next
effort, "Bills, Bills,
Bills," written for Destiny's Child, did nearly as well, landing on the
Billboard charts. In
2000, Kandi won the Rhythm & Soul Music Award for Songwriter of the Year
from the
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. That was a big enough
deal for
any artists, but what topped it off was that she was the very first female to
ever win this
award. Kandi has written for a number of other artists, including Mariah Carey
on "X-
Girlfriend" and Boyz ll Men on "Good Guy." Kandi has also worked,
as a singer or
songwriter, with N'SYNC, Da Brat, N-Toon, Sole, and MC Lyte. She even added her
talents to the soundtrack for the movie Big Momma's House. In 2000 Kandi's solo
full-
length debut album for Columbia Records, Hey Kandi, hit the stores.
Year of release | Album title |
2000 | Hey Kandi... |