Kandi Burruss (born May 17, 1976), better known by her stage names
Kandi
or Kandi Girl, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and
record producer. She is also a former member of the group Xscape from Atlanta.
Kandi was born on May 17, 1976 in Atlanta, Georgia to a single mother,
Joyce Jones. Her first major appearance was on BET's Teen Summit,
which introduced her to the public.
After the disbanding of Xscape, Burruss began to focus on production
and songwriting. In 1999, Burruss teamed with bandmate Tameka "Tiny" Cottle
to score the international number one hit "No Scrubs" for
TLC. The single received a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by
a Duo or Group with Vocal, MTV Video Music Award, Billboard Music
Award and Soul Train Music Award. That same year, Burruss scored
a hit for Destiny's Child on their second album, "The Writing's
on the Wall". "Bills, Bills, Bills", also topped the
Billboard "Hot 100" chart & was followed by their second
single "Bug a Boo", also penned by Burruss. Kandi would
go on to work with then newcomer Pink by penning her debut single "There
You Go" off Pink's debut album "Can't Take Me Home".
Burruss was the first African-American woman ever to win ASCAP's
Songwriter of the Year award in 2000. She won for Songwriter of the
year in the Rhythm & Soul category.[1][2][3][4] She won for songwriting
credits such as Destiny Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills" and
TLC's No Scrubs.
Kandi's writing credits continued to grow by penning for the likes
of Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men, Da Brat, NSYNC, N-Toon,
Solo, Usher, Fantasia, Mýa, Joe, MC Lyte and Whitney Houston.
Kandi has since rewritten and executive produced "Tardy For
The Party" for Real Housewives of Atlanta co-star Kim Zolciak's
debut album. The song was made available to iTunes on September 1,
2009.
[edit] Kandi Koated and Reality Television (2009-present)
In early 2006, Kandi began work on her second album. The first single "I
Need" was a promotional single only. It featured rap duo 8Ball
and MJG. Another song, "Keep It Gangsta" featuring rapper
Lil Scrappy, was also set to appear on the album, although it was
never released as a promo single.
Failing to generate any buzz, plans for the new album were temporarily
put on hold. Burruss then teamed with Atlanta female rapper Rasheeda
to form the duo Peach Candy, signed to D-Lo Entertainment. Their
first single, entitled "Bam," got little airplay and plans
for this album were also put on hold. PeachCandy EP was released
on iTunes with a 5-track lineup.
In 2009, Kandi joined the second season of the Bravo reality series,
The Real Housewives of Atlanta and went back to work on her second
album, then titled B.L.O.G.. Her debut EP, the Fly Above EP, was
released on October 29, 2009. The album will be released on her own
record label Kandi Koated Entertainment and possibly Capitol Records,
although the EP will only be released on Kandi Koated Entertainment..
The album is confirmed to feature appearances from artists such as
Rick Ross, Rasheeda, Gucci Mane and possibly Missy Elliott. Despite
speculation that the lead single would be either "I Like Him" featuring
Rick Ross and Rasheeda or "Trade Him In" featuring Gucci
Mane, the lead single, "Fly Above", was released on October
6, 2009. It was later dubbed a promo single. Kandi signed a record
deal with Asylum Records in early 2010[5] and released her second
album, Kandi Koated on December 14, 2010. The lead single "Leave
U" debuted at number 89 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. Kandi also made a cameo appearance along with Atlanta producer
Jermaine Dupri on the first episode in the new television series
Single Ladies
Kandi is now working on her music and Bravo has given her a greenlight
for her new reality show The Kandi Factory. "'The Kandi Factory'
will capture a unique look at her successful music career as Kandi
transforms two music hopefuls into the next big pop star."
[edit] Personal life
Kandi briefly dated Gerald Levert.
Burruss and ex-boyfriend Russell "Block" Spencer of Block
Entertainment had a daughter named Riley[6] on August 22, 2002.[7]
In late 2008, Kandi began a relationship with Ashley "A.J." Jewell
and after dating several months, the couple became engaged to be
married in January 2009.
Tensions began to rise between Jewell, also a part of the second
season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and Kandi's mother over
Jewell having six children of his own with four different mothers.
In June 2009, Burruss and Jewell called off the engagement and later
dissolved their romantic relationship completely, though Jewell was
quoted as saying they remained "good friends." Though he
moved out of Burruss' home, his 12-year-old twin daughters remain
in her care.
Less than four months after they separated, Jewell was killed outside
of a club's parking lot in a fight on the night of October 2, 2009.
He suffered massive head trauma in a heated argument at an Atlanta
strip club, the Body Tap Club. The police arrested a club manager
named Fredrick Richardson. He has been charged with voluntary manslaughter.[8]
However, sickle-cell anemia may have played a significant role in
the death. According to the medical examiner, it's most likely that
Jewell was worked up from the fight and because of his condition,
it's probable that he could not replenish the oxygen he lost during
the incident, which the doctor says could have fatal consequences.
Two days after Jewell's death, Kandi posted an open-letter expressing
her heartfelt grief over her loss. In late 2010, Kandi released Kandi
Koated. Her album includes tracks such as "Me and U," "Fly
Above," and "Haven't Loved Right." Many songs on her
album are inspired by her late ex-fiance AJ.
Kandi and three of her friends started a "sex and relationship" webshow
on Ustream. They have had numerous guests including Katt Stacks,
Tionna T. Smalls, Grand Hustle, Jazze Pha, Young Joc, and many more.
The show is turning into a series on television coming in 2011.[9]
[edit] Discography
Further information: Kandi Burruss discography
2000: Hey Kandi
2010: Kandi Koated