Xscape - Tonight

What this video is

Released in 1994 as a single from Xscape's debut album Hummin' Comin' At 'Cha (So So Def/Columbia, 1993), 'Tonight' arrived during a pivotal transitional moment in Black popular music when Atlanta was asserting itself as a dominant force in R&B and hip-hop. Xscape — consisting of Kandi Burruss, Tameka 'Tiny' Cottle (later Harris), LaTocha Scott, and Tamika Scott — represented the new Atlanta girl group paradigm…

Why it matters

Historically significant as an artifact of the early Atlanta R&B girl group wave that would define the genre's mid-decade commercial trajectory. Xscape's debut era directly prefigured the mainstream dominance of Atlanta-based acts and the So So Def label sound. The video represents the…

The director

Philadelphia-born director; graduated Temple University with a B.A. in Communications (1984). Began career directing early rap videos before joining the Directors Guild of America in 1988. Directed 125+ music videos across hip-hop, R&B, rock, and country —…