Ranking the Best Xscape Albums

So, I haven’t watched this new SWV/Xscape reality show everyone is loving right now but I’ve seen a lot of anti-Xscape chatter on the dreaded bird app lately.

Listen, I can’t judge the show, or the current state of Xscape or how allegedly evil LaTocha Scott is because, unlike the rest of the universe, I don’t comment on shows/movies/music/anything that I haven’t seen for myself.

I know that seems like common sense, but sense ain’t very common in 2023.

What I HAVE experienced and, therefore, can judge, is Xscape’s music and I can’t let y’all play in my girls’ faces. I don’t care what they have going on now, they had HITS.

Surprisingly I haven’t ranked Xscape’s discography yet so it’s time to show them some overdue love. Since they only had a trio of LPs I decided to branch out and add their brief reunion EP, as well as all the solo records I could find. If I missed one, let me know.

(Not sure why I’m even stating that, y’all CAN’T WAIT to tell me when overlook something.)

Drama or not, Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle and LaTocha and Tamika Scott are R&B royalty. Let’s look back at their best (and not so best) efforts.

9. Solo Flight 404 (2004)

Soul in Stereo rating: 1.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Lord help me, this is gonna hurt but I’ve gotta be Unbiased Music Reviewer, even when it comes to my faves. First off, I didn’t even know this was available until I was scouring Da Innanets while researching this post. Tocha was always my favorite member of the group and I loved her solo efforts with artists like Trick Daddy and J-Shin in the 2000s so I was quite disappointed when her solo album was shipwrecked. After hearing THIS, though, I now know why. This thing sounds horribly dated even by 2004 standards – generic writing, boilerplate production and sis ain’t even SANGIN like we know she can. I understand wanting to evolve from the Xscape sound – especially since her voice was so prominent in it – but this ain’t the way. It doesn’t sound like a debut record from an established, platinum-selling R&B superstar, its sounds like a demo from your homegirl who did the Easter Sunday solo that one time. Her upcoming solo effort HAS to be better than this.

Forgotten favorites: “You Make Me Feel” is OK I guess

8. Fly Above (2009)

Soul in Stereo rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Fly Above was the prelude to Kandi’s Kandi Koated album and … that’s about all I can say for this one. Essentially it’s a bunch of album outtakes, dassit. There are some interesting features from guys like Gucci Mane and Rick Rawse I guess but otherwise there’s nothing memorable on this set. It only exists to be the answer to a question at Obscure R&B Trivia Night.

Forgotten favorites: “I Just Know”

7. Here for It (2018)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3 stars out of 5

Edd said: If you blinked you probably missed Xscape’s reunion in 2018. 20 years in the making! Well, sort off. Kandi apparently had something better to do (a little thing called a “Broadway musical,” no big deal I guess…) so we get Three-scape instead. I thought “Memory Lane” was a great comeback single but nearly everything else ventured too far out of their comfort zone. Several tracks have square peg/round hole syndrome. Not much to this one but the best stuff worked well enough.

Forgotten favorites: “Memory Lane,” “Dream Killa”

6. Hey Kandi (2000)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: By 2000 Kandi was THAT GIRL when it came to cranking out hits – as she helpfully points out on the album intro. Therefore, Hey Kandi was pretty anticipated when it dropped … but it doesn’t live up to that hype. It’s a very 2000s album – nearly ever song is about some dude cheating and women raiding his bank account out of revenge. The singles “Cheatin’ on Me” and “Don’t Think I’m Not” are still the brightest spots – the tempo switch on the former is what bops are made of. A lot of the rest is very hit or miss, especially the interchangeable 2000s bouncy cuts. Not a horrible effort but falls way short of Kandi’s hit-making reputation.

Forgotten favorites: “Can’t Come Back,” “I Won’t Bite My Tongue,” “Easier”

5. Family Affair (2019)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: Here’s another effort I bet most of y’all missed. Tamika Scott finally got to shine on her own with this 2019, and I was here for it. She always felt like the least-featured woman of the group so it was cool to see her get the spotlight. And she does pretty well! Family Affair is a great balance of gospel-leaning efforts and strong midtempo cuts in the same vein as Xscape’s hits. The ladies have always had a tough time adjusting to more trendy sounds so it’s no surprise that those are the weakest efforts here. But overall, it exceeds expectations.

Forgotten favorites: “Go Outside in the Rain,” “All of Me,” “What Was I Thinking”

4. Kandi Koated (2010)

Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Edd said: I brushed this album off in 2010 – back in those halcyon days when were still getting decent R&B albums somewhat regularly – but it’s aged a lot better than I remembered. Kandi’s pen and creativity always makes for interesting moments. The Outkast tribute “Me & U” is fun and “Lucky” is so freaking shady that it comes off as downright sinister. I feel like this is what Ursula was singing in Eric’s ear when she stole him from Ariel. Sorry, all those Little Mermaid trailers got me on one. There are some really solid songs to be found but, like Kandi’s previous LP,  lesser cuts drag down the overall presentation. But hey, it’s a lot better than I remembered.

Forgotten favorites: “Me & U,” “The More I Try,” “How Could You…Feel My Pain”

3. Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha (1993)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: Yes, we’re finally at the proper Xscape albums, and their debut still hlds up today. Xscape’s soulful harmonies and street appeal instantly made them stars in the early 90s, helping to reimagine the sound for the next decade. Sure, we remember the hits but it’s the hip-hop infused album cuts that made this one such a fave in the bedroom and on the block. A very successful debut – and the ladies only got better from here.

Forgotten favorites: “With You,” “Is My Living In Vain,” “Love on My Mind”

2. Off the Hook (1995)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: Pretty sure I’ve told this story before but I’m an old head and we’re known for repeating ourselves. The year is 1995 and I’m riding on a bus during a class field trip. A very cute young lady sitting across from me whom I’d never seen before was listening to her discman (shout out CDs) and I struck up a convo with her. I asked what she was listening to and she said “oh you wouldn’t like it.” She popped open the disc and it was this album. I replied “I love Xscape! Haven’t heard this album yet, though.” So she let me borrow it and I spent THE ENTIRE BUS RIDE listening to this album, basically ignoring her. I was a shady playa even at 15 years old.

Oh wait, you wanna know about the album? It’s fire, duh.

Forgotten favorites: “Love’s a Funny Thing,” “Work Me Slow,” “Do Like Lovers Do”

1. Traces of My Lipstick (1998)

Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5

Edd said: I’ll never accept the narrative that Xscape “fell off.” They dropped three albums, each one better than the last, each one achieving platinum status, and then they bowed out. They didn’t fall off, they went out on top. And their final true album to date is still their best. As always, the singles get most of the love – and with tracks like “My Little Secret” and “Softest Place on Earth,” it’s easy to see why. But the true appeal of this album are the album cuts that serve as the set’s connective tissue, keeping the momentum flowing throughout the set. Pretty much every song here could have seen mainstream success. If Traces of My Lipstick really is the last Xscape album, what a way to go out.

Forgotten favorites: “The Runaround,” “Your Eyes,” “All I Need”

Which Xscape album is your No. 1 pick? Let us know below.