Xscape‘s LaTocha “Tocha” Scott denies the receipts her sister Tamika Scott shared on YouTube to prove she is telling the truth about money allegedly stolen from her.
The sisters of the R&B girl group Xscape are at the height of conflict concerning Tamika’s royalty checks she alleges were stolen by her sister and brother-in-law, Rocky Bivens. Friday, during the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, an unexpected interview with Tocha happened so she could respond to her sister’s claims. Talk show host Smiley asked the singer how the drama unfolded.
“Once we started to film, everything started to go crazy, you know,” the 49-year-old began. “Like I tell people, I signed up to be celebrated, all of us to be honest. … 30 years in the game; that’s what it should’ve been. There’s so many things that I don’t understand about editing, and just how everything has kind of transpired. So, all I can say is I signed up to sing. I signed up for good stuff, and it ended up not being that. I just wish I never would’ve signed up for this, to be honest.”
“And with my sister, she’s always going to be my sister; that’s my family. We go through highs and lows, and everyone got peaks and valleys. It’s just right now we’re going through it in the public eye. I just ask people would allow us to do that without judgment,” she added.
When talk show host Gary “Gary With Da Tea” Hayes chimed in and asked why her sister would accuse her of taking money, she said she was unsure. In addition, the singer said some of Tamika’s statements weren’t true, but she wants to do whatever she can to fix the relationship with her sister.
“I never said give something back. I said I wanted my sister back. And I said if it takes $30,000 to bring us back, then I would,” she said. “But no, we didn’t steal anything from her,” she responded.
Rapper Da Brat, who is also a host on the morning show, jumped into the conversation to share her perspective on the situation since she was a So So Def labelmate and toured with Xscape during their early years in the music industry. She sided with the other group members, Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris and Tamika.
“Let me interject and say what I’ve been saying the whole time, even when Kandi, Tamika and Tiny came on Dish Nation. I’ve been around y’all since I was kids, and what I do know to be true is no matter what you did or said when we was little, your sister would definitely take your side whether you was right or wrong,” the mom-to-be said.
She continued, “And I guess that’s how sisters do, you know what I’m saying, so that made it like two against two. To me, you always seem like the person everybody had to listen to, I guess cause you was the oldest, but Kandi always seemed to be the one that was hurt and slighted.”
Tocha claims she never knew Burruss was hurt by decisions made in the past concerning the group. She also said she never intended to make someone feel like an outcast.
“Well, at the end of the day, that’s my sister. And most times, when you have a sibling, that’s the bond you have. It’s not so much trying to bully anybody,” she said.
When asked if she believes Xscape can turn over a new leaf and start fresh, outside of requesting prayer, she said, “All of us have to be held accountable for the things that we’ve said and done. Just communicate.”
During this segment, her groupmate Burruss was tuned in and had some thoughts about what Tocha said.
“I was tripping. That interview was very interesting,” the Real Housewives of Atlanta star said when she called in to the show. “She actually did an interview the other day calling Tamika a liar and basically saying if it’s true she took the money, post the receipts. And that is why Tamika posted the full video of her on YouTube showing receipts of where they had changed Tamika’s address, signed the back of Tamika’s checks and deposited them.”
“I hate when people do things and then they want to come back and play victim. You’re the one that’s saying some things and then people respond,” Burruss added.
The songwriter shared that the group supports Tocha’s solo career and new gospel album, The Invitation; they don’t like how she went about it, similar to how she moved in the past when wanting to release a solo album.
Burruss shared, “I don’t even think it’s anything wrong with her wanting to do a gospel record. It’s just for us. … Every time she wants to do a solo project, it’s the attitude that comes.”
The “Legs, Hips, Body” singer admitted the group is in a bad place right now, and it would take time to get to a better one. Still, Xscape has upcoming performances with her, Tiny and Tamika.
“Xscape got a lot of shows coming up. It’s just the three of us without Tocha,” Kandi told the radio show hosts. “We got shows coming up all across the country over the next few months. And unfortunately, right now, we’re just not in a place where Tocha will be performing with us.”
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As for Kandi’s thoughts on how the group can start to mend their 20-year-old problems mixed with the new issues social media and their reality TV show SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B has brought to the forefront, she said time heals all wounds.
“I think it really starts with the sisters. It starts with them. They have a lot to unpack or whatever between them. Then conversations after that can be had.”
