Jaguar Wright

Among Philadelphia's roster of neo-soul voices, Jaguar Wright now stands alongside Grammy award-winning rap band The Roots and multi-platinum hitmakers Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild. Her background vocals at Jay-Z's MTV Unplugged performance in December 2001 drew widespread critical praise, and by February 2002 she appeared in a national Coca Cola television commercial. Live performances earned positive notices from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone.

On her Motive/MCA debut Denials Delusions and Decisions, released January 29, 2002, Wright pays tribute to fellow Philly singer Patti LaBelle by covering the hit "Love, Need and Want You." Production credits include members of the Roots, James Poyser, Richard Nichols, Scott Storch, Pino Palladino, Larry Gold, and Vikter Duplaix. The resulting set blends raw soul with sharply observed, life-drawn lyrics that carry an unmistakably autobiographical edge, especially on the uncensored edition that features salty language. Reviewers drew parallels to Mary J. Blige, R&B/rap-roots mother Millie Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone, yet the album ultimately presents a singular, compelling portrait of a young woman navigating life's turns through tracks that hold attention whether they sting or soothe.

Wright's childhood home banned secular music, so her first exposure arrived via church functions, social events, and weddings where her father performed. She absorbed Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Minnie Riperton by slipping into parties, playing records while her parents were out, and tuning a radio in the garage at midnight. Early on she rapped with the group Philly Blunts; four years after its breakup she supplied background vocals for acts across Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey.

In early 1999, while employed at a New Jersey convenience store, Wright followed her vocal coach's urging and committed to music full time. At the release party for the Roots' Things Fall Apart she connected with Leslie Arnette-Pina and Scott Storch, which led to a slot in the Black Lily showcase at Philly's Five Spot and a spot on the Okayplayer Tour. After contributing to The Roots Come Alive on "The Lesson, Pt. 3 (Its Over Now)" and to the single "What You Want" from The Best Man soundtrack, she signed with the band's Motive imprint.

Denials Delusions and Decisions received favorable coverage in Vibe, Entertainment Weekly, and Rolling Stone. Standout tracks include the tender "Country Song," where Wright sings, "I'd watch a fuzzy screen with you/as long as I gotcha, boo." Her own experience as a teen mother informs the weary, hefty funk of "Same Sh*t Different Day, Pt. 1." "I Can't Wait" pairs her with fellow Philadelphian Bilal for a sly, bubbling bedroom duet. Black Thought appears on both "I Don't Know" and "Ain't Nobody Playin'." "Lineage" serves as an ode to family, rendered in vivid detail, while the clavinet-driven "2 Too Many" echoes the groove of Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" from Talking Book. The nearly ten-minute introspection of "Self Love" closes the set on an uplifting note.