KeKe Palmer And Kandi Burruss-Tucker Talk Success, Motherhood, And More On The Mainstage

If you ever wondered what happens when two cultural icons get together at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, then wonder no more. On day three of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, the incomparable KeKe Palmer takes over the ESSENCE Stage for a live edition of her hit Wondery podcast, “Baby This is Keke Palmer,” with entertainment mogul and fellow multi-hyphenate queen, Kandi Burruss, as her special guest.

The conversation takes place just hours before Palmer and Burruss both hit the main stage for the ESSENCE Evening Concert Series to celebrate 30 years of the classic Waiting to Exhale soundtrack and honor late music icon, Quincy Jones, respectively. Before diving into the juicy conversation, the 31-year-old actress gives fans in attendance an exclusive sneak peek into her upcoming film, The Pickup, starring Palmer alongside Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson and set to premiere Aug. 6 on Prime Video. Following the never-before-seen teaser, the legendary link-up between the two multi-hyphenate queens commences.

Seated like the bosses they are, the live podcast begins with the two almost quite literally gagging over each other’s limitless success. “You’ve been in the game since you were a teenager, and you’re still reinventing yourself. I’ve enjoyed watching every era of you,” Palmer tells the RHOA veteran. Burruss responds, “I know you’re not talking, KeKe! I actually feel like we are alike in a lot of ways. Some people get too big for certain things…but we don’t mind trying new things. We like being creative.”

“We’re going to get to the bag…and have fun doing it,” Palmer adds.

Explaining where her business mindset comes from, the Xscape singer says, “I don’t want to stay in one lane. I like being behind the scenes just like I like being the one on the stage sometimes. So as long as I can do both, I’m going to do both.”

“It does get boring too when you feel forced to do it,” the One of Them Days star says in agreement. “As a creative, I love doing different things because I want to express different things about myself. You’re not going to get the same vibe when I’m the main character in a movie. You have to keep things exciting for yourself.”

Palmer, mother of two-year-old son Leodis, jumps straight into seeking advice from the hard-working mother of four on how she balances motherhood with being a boss.

“I feel like it’s kind of important to put our kids to work early,” Burruss shares. “Even with [my nine-year-old] Ace, he’s already been acting at an early age. I just feel like if they are also busy and doing things, then they respect what we do. They don’t have to grow up to do what we’re doing, but at least we already put them in a position where they’re able to establish themselves. Because that’s the thing – you want to set your kids up to greatness. And then we have that mom guilt, so when you bring your kids to work with you and put them to work, then it’s all good.”

Although Burruss says her kids don’t have to follow in her footsteps, her daughter Riley seems to be doing that, starring in the new Bravo series, Next Gen NYC, one year following her mother’s departure from The Real Housewives of Atlanta. “When I first started [RHOA], Riley was only six years old. She’s 22, and now she’s on her own show.”

While the reality TV veteran shared 15 years of her life’s ups and downs, she says there are still “a lot” of misconceptions about her that remain today.

“I really don’t like to talk a lot,” Burruss shares. “I have to be in a mood to want to talk. And I know people are probably shocked because I do all ‘this’ [talking on a stage in front of a jam-packed crowd], but on a normal basis, I’m very laid back and chill.
If I have to go somewhere I don’t really know a lot of people, I always feel weird and awkward.” 

“I think that’s a misconception people have about me too,” Palmer reveals. “I always feel a little bit of weirdness around people, but that’s why I end up being extra.” 

Even with that, the 49-year-old restaurateur says the most challenging part about reality TV was how much she overshared, only for people to still create their own narratives. 

“I’m an open book. You ask me something and I’ll just say it. My mama [Joyce] will be like, ‘Why did you have to say that? You just have to tell everybody everything!’ But I just feel like if I say it myself, I don’t have to worry about anybody else trying to put me on blast. I always spill my own tea. Now what I don’t like is that I pretty much have been an open book about anything and everything. I hate when people make up something about me. I already told you…why are you adding stuff?’”


While Burruss is no longer part of RHOA, fans can catch her alongside both Riley and Mama Joyce on Amazon Live’s Season 16 controversy between housewives veteran, Kenya Moore, and newcomer, Brit Eady. As a close friend of Moore, Palmer ends her Q&A asking Burruss her opinion of how the situation was handled, which she has been open and outspoken about.

“Here’s my thing: people are like, ‘Why are you upset?’ I’m supporting my friend. That’s my girl,” Burruss shares. “I think people don’t understand friendship. Y’all don’t understand that my friend can be wrong…but I can still have a conversation with her separately and not drag her publicly about something she did.” 

Burruss clarifies though, that she believes both parties were at fault and the situation was ultimately mishandled. “At the end of the day, after seeing how it played out, it was wrong on both sides. I feel like you can’t take one off [the show] and not take the other off. I feel like that was wrong, and y’all can disagree with me, but that’s how I feel. And I’m definitely going to support my girl and say they didn’t even give her the opportunity to come back and apologize. Everybody else got chances to come back and apologize, you know? So why doesn’t she get that chance?”

You can check out more episodes of “Baby, This is KeKe Palmer” featuring Palmer and other special celebrity guests on YouTube, audio streaming platforms, or wherever you listen to other podcasts.

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