SWV has finished the first season of its reality series “The Queens of R&B” and, if there’s one takeaway fans can gather from the show, it’s that it was never about social media hype for the Sisters With Voices.
After its March debut, a series that began as a chance to capitalize on the female empowerment of SWV and Xscape’s clash transformed into a social status competition, as the two groups went toe-to-toe for the title of headliners. The added drama of Xscape’s internal issues also took center stage as fans attempted to keep up with the building tension between sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott.
The season concluded Sunday night, as the groups finally came together to perform in Ontario, Calif. Despite being on a time crunch with several issues unresolved, the two sets of singers put together a performance that left their audience and each other satisfied.
However, the fate of Xscape remains up in the air as the group continues to perform without LaTocha. In the finale, tension came to a head as Tamika confronted her sister about questionable business dealings. LaTocha recently released her solo gospel album, “The Invitation: A Conversation With God,” on April 7.
As the group continues to tour, now in the 30th year after releasing their debut album “It’s About Time” (1992), the three women opened up about the series and how online fan conversations pushed a diva riff between the two groups.
There seems to have been a lot of fallout since the show began airing. What did you all make of the fans reactions and everything that went down?
Coko: I honestly was not expecting all that. People are so disrespectful, but we did get a lot of love as well. I definitely was not expecting to be hit the way that we’ve been being hit lately. It’s just crazy.
This whole show started with female empowerment. There were so many people who loved both SWV and Xscape. For it to end like this, where are you thinking that that comes from?
Taj: It came from interaction. When whatever happened on the show, if both groups had stepped back and let the fans talk, that would have been fine. But when you engage the fans, you give them reason to talk and you make them believe the things that you say because you spoke. That’s just unnecessary. I know I’m not gonna spend all day sitting on social media arguing with somebody that I don’t know, who ain’t paying my bills.
Lelee, I noticed you have been pretty active on social media, especially after the show. Where did your “Twitter fingers” come from?
Lelee: One thing I hate is a bully. I feel that about me most of the time because people will poke me. Sometimes that monster in me will lie dormant for a long time and it’s scary when it finally comes out. It really is bad. So I just got tired. I said, “Okay, I was told to engage, just talk about the show, whatever.” Then I get all this crazy stuff, like now it ain’t about the show? Now it’s me and you. This is personal now so I don’t like to get to that point. But I’m not gonna let you just say what you want to say about me and I’m just gonna sit there like a Chia Pet because this is not that at all.
Then the crazy thing is when the smoke clears, you find out that they was just doing internet shit. But I have to just kind of get off of it for a minute because I’m not on that. I’ll be 50 years old. I ain’t got time to be fighting no kids. At the same time, I’ll call the kid up. Don’t get it twisted. Like, I’m gonna take the high road. It’s just how you respond. But listen, we are here. We got real careers. We ain’t got no business going back and forth with no one and nobody.
Throughout the season, SWV and Xscape clash over issues like co-headlining and deciding who would close the final performance. Can you tell me where some of the tension came from and why the conversations seemed to upset you all?
Taj: When we were approached about doing this show, we were told SWV and Xscape would do an extension of Verzus. Going off Verzus, which there was no headliner, we were co-headlining on the show. That’s what we were told going into this show. We never said we had to headline. We never said that. We said co-headline and that’s when it went left, I guess. Because co-headlining is just unacceptable, apparently.
Fns were reminded of the sheer magnitude of sales that you have accomplished as a group. How do you all feel about people coming to this realization now?
Coko: They’re speaking about our numbers that we sold, but it’s still like we’re less than because we don’t have millions of followers on social media. That’s what it’s being turned into. I didn’t even know that was a thing.
Taj, you seemed to play a peacemaker role between SWV and Xscape. Where does that come from?
Taj: Being mature. I had no intention of arguing with nobody over some dumb shit. That was not in my plan. I told everybody, the producers, I’m not arguing over nothing that doesn’t pertain to my family. I’d rather go in and sit back and be the mediator than sit in there arguing because somebody said my booty’s too small or because I can’t get the headliner here. That’s just unnecessary. All of those things can be worked out with a conversation. As a 52-year-old woman, I refuse to argue about some dumb shit.
Coko, you also brought your son on the show. How did that affect you all’s relationship?
Coko: It hasn’t affected our relationship at all. He’s still my baby. He’s going to be my baby and that’s just it.
Is he still pursuing music?
Coko: He’s still pursuing music. It’s doing well. He’s got invited to a lot of prides here. He’s doing well with it. I’m proud of him, but I still want him to stay in school.
You’re one the few groups that’s managed to stick together and continue to perform after decades. What can you tell us about this anniversary tour?
Lelee: This is a celebration, for not only us as SWV and and our accomplishments, but it definitely will be for the fans too. We have so many amazing fans that have stuck in there with us. They’ve held us accountable for a long time and they’ve just been at it. They love our music. Even when we didn’t do music anymore, we would just go and do shows and when we come on or their favorite song, it kind of took them to a certain place that they were at at that particular time in their life.
So we’re celebrating them for being there for us. We dedicate everything that we do from this point on to the fans. We don’t know how long we’re gonna be here. We’re so grateful that people even want to be bothered with us because we haven’t done a lot of new music, but they love our earlier offerings, which is “Weak” and “I’m So Into You,” so you know just continue to support us.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
