Kandi Burruss

Kandi Burruss
Born	Kandi Leniece Burruss 5/17/1976
Birthplace	College Park, Georgia, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress, television personality, producer
Known for	Xscape, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, songwriting for "No Scrubs" and "Bills, Bills, Bills"
Awards	Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (2000), Tony Award nomination (2023)
Website	http://kandionline.com/

Kandi Leniece Burruss (born May 17, 1976), known professionally by the mononym Kandi, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, television personality, and producer whose career has spanned more than three decades across multiple entertainment industries. She first rose to prominence in 1992 as a member of the multi-platinum R&B vocal group Xscape, and went on to establish herself as one of the most accomplished songwriters in contemporary popular music, earning a Grammy Award in 2000 for her co-writing work on TLC's hit single "No Scrubs." Beyond music, Burruss has built a significant television career, most notably as a cast member on the Bravo reality television series The Real Housewives of Atlanta from its second through fifteenth seasons, making her one of the longest-serving cast members in the franchise's history. Her creative reach has extended to Broadway, where her production work on a 2022 revival of The Piano Lesson earned her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play in 2023. With writing credits on songs by Destiny's Child, Pink, Ariana Grande, and Ed Sheeran, Burruss has maintained a distinctive presence across the landscape of American entertainment.

Early Life

Kandi Leniece Burruss was born on May 17, 1976, in College Park, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. She grew up in the Atlanta metropolitan area, where she developed an early interest in music and performing. As a teenager, Burruss demonstrated considerable musical talent, which led to her involvement in the local music scene at a young age.

At the age of 15 in 1992, Burruss joined the R&B vocal group Xscape, which also included members Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, LaTocha Scott, and Tamika Scott. The group was discovered by Jermaine Dupri, who signed them to So So Def Recordings, his label distributed through Columbia Records. This early entry into the professional music industry shaped Burruss's career trajectory and provided her with foundational experience in songwriting, performing, and the music business while she was still a teenager.

Burruss attended Tri-Cities High School, a performing arts magnet school in East Point, Georgia, which served as an incubator for her artistic development. The school, known for its emphasis on the performing arts, provided Burruss with formal training that complemented her natural abilities. Her time at Tri-Cities coincided with the early formation and rise of Xscape, meaning she balanced the demands of a burgeoning music career with her high school education.

Career

Xscape (1992–1998)

Burruss's professional career began in 1992 when she became a member of Xscape, an R&B group that would go on to achieve multi-platinum commercial success throughout the 1990s. The group's debut album, Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha (1993), was produced by Jermaine Dupri and released on So So Def Recordings. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and established the group as a significant act in the R&B genre.

Xscape released a total of three studio albums during their initial run together. Their second album, Off the Hook (1995), continued the group's commercial momentum, and their third album, Traces of My Lipstick (1998), further demonstrated the group's vocal abilities and commercial appeal. Throughout their time together, the group scored numerous R&B chart hits and developed a devoted fanbase. The group disbanded in 1998, with internal disagreements contributing to the split, after which Burruss pursued a solo career and focused increasingly on songwriting.

In 2017, Xscape reunited, and the group's comeback was documented in the Bravo television series Xscape: Still Kickin' It. The reunion brought renewed attention to the group's legacy and catalog.

Songwriting Career

Following Xscape's disbandment, Burruss transitioned into a highly productive career as a songwriter, penning hits for some of the biggest names in popular music. Her most celebrated early songwriting achievement was co-writing "No Scrubs" for TLC, released in 1999. The song became one of the defining singles of the late 1990s and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. For her work on the track, Burruss won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000, establishing her reputation as an elite songwriter.

Burruss also wrote "Bills, Bills, Bills" for Destiny's Child, which became the group's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999. She contributed "There You Go" to Pink's debut, which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. These credits demonstrated Burruss's versatility and ability to craft commercially successful songs across different R&B and pop styles.

Her songwriting influence has extended well into the 21st century. Burruss received a writing credit on Ariana Grande's 2019 hit "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored," and on Ed Sheeran's global smash "Shape of You" (2017), due to the song's interpolation of elements from "No Scrubs." These credits have ensured that Burruss continues to earn recognition and royalties from some of the best-selling songs in modern pop music history.

Solo Music Career

In addition to her songwriting for other artists, Burruss pursued a solo recording career. Her debut solo single, "Don't Think I'm Not," was released in 2000 and reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a moderate commercial success and showcased Burruss as a capable solo vocalist in her own right.

Burruss also made notable guest appearances on other artists' singles. She was featured on "4, 5, 6" by Solé, and on E-40's "U and Dat" alongside T-Pain, both of which reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. These collaborations further broadened her profile as a performer and kept her visible in the music industry beyond her songwriting work.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2009–2023)

Burruss joined the cast of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta beginning with the show's second season, which premiered in 2009. She remained a full-time cast member through the show's fifteenth season, making her one of the longest-serving Housewives in the entire Real Housewives franchise. Her tenure on the show spanned more than a decade and significantly expanded her public profile beyond the music industry.

On The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Burruss's storylines encompassed her personal relationships, business ventures, family dynamics, and music career. The show documented her engagement and marriage to Todd Tucker, a former line producer on the series, as well as the growth of her various business enterprises. Burruss was known on the show for her candid personality and entrepreneurial drive.

Her association with the Real Housewives brand also led to multiple spinoff series. The Kandi Factory (2012) followed Burruss as she mentored aspiring music artists. Kandi's Wedding (2014) documented the preparations for and celebration of her marriage to Tucker. Kandi's Ski Trip (2015) followed a group vacation, and Kandi & the Gang (2022) centered on Burruss's restaurant business, Old Lady Gang, and its staff. Burruss also appeared as a guest on Kim Zolciak's wedding special Don't Be Tardy for the Wedding (2012). All of these spinoffs aired on Bravo.

Burruss departed The Real Housewives of Atlanta following the fifteenth season, ending her long-running association with the series.

Acting Career

Burruss expanded into scripted television, taking on a recurring role as Roselyn Perry in the third season of the Showtime drama series The Chi. The role represented a departure from her reality television work and demonstrated her interest in pursuing acting.

She also competed on the Fox competition series The Masked Singer, appearing in the show's third season. Burruss won the competition, becoming the show's first female champion — a notable achievement that brought her to the attention of a broader television audience beyond the Bravo network and R&B music fans.

Additionally, Burruss competed on the second season of Celebrity Big Brother on CBS, where she placed fifth. Her participation on the show further underscored her versatility as a television personality and her willingness to take on diverse entertainment challenges.

Broadway and Theater Production

In 2022, Burruss served as a producer on a Broadway revival of August Wilson's play The Piano Lesson. The production earned her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play in 2023, marking her entry into the world of legitimate theater and adding another dimension to her already multifaceted career. The Tony nomination placed Burruss among a small group of entertainers who have achieved recognition across music, television, and theater.

Business Ventures

Beyond entertainment, Burruss has been involved in various business ventures. Her restaurant, Old Lady Gang, which is based in Atlanta and specializes in Southern cuisine, became a focal point of her Bravo spinoff series Kandi & the Gang. The restaurant, named after her mother and aunts, has been a significant part of her brand and public identity. Burruss has also been involved in other entrepreneurial endeavors, reflecting her broader business interests outside of music and television.

Personal Life

Burruss's personal life has been publicly documented in significant part through her appearances on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and its associated spinoff series. She has a daughter, Riley, from a previous relationship. In recent years, Burruss has spoken about the advice she has given Riley, who is now 23 years old, regarding life in the public eye and reality television stardom.

Burruss became engaged to Todd Tucker, a former line producer on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, in January 2013. The couple married on April 4, 2014, in a ceremony in Atlanta. Their wedding was documented on the Bravo special Kandi's Wedding.

Together, Burruss and Tucker welcomed a son, Ace Wells Tucker, in January 2016. In 2019, they welcomed a daughter, Blaze Tucker, via surrogate.

In late 2025, Burruss and Tucker announced their separation. Burruss revealed in a February 2026 appearance on Watch What Happens Live that she decided to pursue a divorce after a "specific situation" the previous summer. In March 2026, it was reported that the couple had finalized their divorce settlement approximately four months after publicly announcing the split. The settlement included resolution of a custody matter related to their children.

Recognition

Burruss's most prominent industry recognition came in 2000, when she won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for her co-writing work on TLC's "No Scrubs." The award cemented her status as one of the leading songwriters in R&B and pop music at the turn of the millennium.

In 2023, Burruss received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play for her production work on the Broadway revival of The Piano Lesson. The nomination represented recognition of her expanding creative portfolio beyond music and television into theater production.

Her victory on the third season of The Masked Singer in 2020 earned her additional public recognition, as she became the first female champion of the Fox competition series. The win introduced her to a wider mainstream audience and underscored her vocal abilities outside the context of her established music career.

Burruss has also been recognized for her contributions to Atlanta's cultural landscape. Essence magazine included her in a feature on famous Atlanta women, acknowledging her role as a prominent figure from the city's entertainment community.

Her songwriting credits on major hits spanning multiple decades — from "No Scrubs" (1999) and "Bills, Bills, Bills" (1999) through "Shape of You" (2017) and "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (2019) — have resulted in continued recognition within the music industry and ongoing commercial relevance. The interpolation credit on "Shape of You," one of the best-selling digital singles of all time, brought renewed attention to her earlier songwriting work.

Legacy

Burruss's career is notable for its breadth and longevity across multiple sectors of the entertainment industry. Beginning as a teenage member of a successful R&B group, she transitioned into one of the most commercially impactful songwriters of her generation, contributing to songs that have collectively sold tens of millions of copies worldwide. Her Grammy Award for "No Scrubs" and her writing credits on songs by Destiny's Child, Pink, Ed Sheeran, and Ariana Grande place her among the most accomplished songwriters in contemporary popular music.

Her thirteen-season tenure on The Real Housewives of Atlanta made her one of the most enduring figures in reality television, and the multiple spinoff series she generated demonstrated her ability to build and sustain audience interest across different formats. The transition from reality television personality to Broadway producer, culminating in a Tony Award nomination, represented a further expansion of her creative scope that few reality television figures have achieved.

As a businesswoman, Burruss built a portfolio of ventures including the Old Lady Gang restaurant, which became a recognized brand in Atlanta's dining scene. Her entrepreneurial activities, combined with her entertainment career, have made her one of the most commercially successful figures to emerge from the Real Housewives franchise.

Burruss's career trajectory — from a teenage R&B group member in suburban Atlanta to a Grammy-winning songwriter, reality television mainstay, competition show champion, actress, and Tony-nominated Broadway producer — reflects an uncommon ability to evolve and remain relevant across changing entertainment landscapes over more than three decades.