Jill Scott

Jill Scott emerged early in the new millennium as a commanding R&B vocalist equally at ease with languid, intimate ballads and exuberant declarations of confidence and identity. Her arrival came via the 2000 release Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1, a multi-platinum effort that reached the Billboard 200’s Top 20 and earned four Grammy nominations, one of them for Best New Artist. Subsequent entries in the Words and Sounds series, Beautifully Human (2004) and The Real Thing (2007), both entered the Top Ten and achieved gold status, the latter yielding a Grammy victory for the track “Cross My Mind.” Scott later claimed the top spot on the Billboard 200 with her fourth and fifth studio albums, The Light of the Sun (2011) and Woman (2015).

Her guest contributions have produced three additional Grammy wins: a co-writing credit on the Roots’ “You Got Me,” featured vocals on George Benson and Al Jarreau’s rendition of “God Bless the Child,” and another vocal appearance on Lupe Fiasco’s “Daydreamin’.” Parallel to her recording career, Scott has accumulated notable screen credits, among them repeated collaborations with Tyler Perry, leading roles in the series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and Black Panther, and an NAACP Image Award for her performance in Sins of the Mother.

Raised in North Philadelphia, Scott once intended to teach high-school English. She abandoned those studies at Temple University in favor of theater, performed with a local ensemble, and secured a part in a Canadian staging of Rent. While reciting poetry at Philadelphia’s October Gallery, she drew the notice of Questlove, who inquired whether she composed songs; Scott answered affirmatively, later admitting the reply had been untrue, and soon co-wrote the Roots’ “You Got Me.” Although MCA insisted on replacing her with Erykah Badu for the studio cut, Scott joined the group for live renditions preserved on The Roots Come Alive, issued in November 1999. The single, released that January, reached the pop Top 40 and captured the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, an award category that did not extend to songwriters.

Two weeks after The Roots Come Alive appeared, Scott’s voice surfaced on Will Smith’s Willennium, where she sang the chorus on the DJ Jazzy Jeff-produced closer “The Rain.” Jeff’s endorsement helped her obtain a contract with Steve McKeever’s Hidden Beach imprint. Following further sessions with Jeff, the Roots, and Philadelphia collaborators Dre & Vidal and Carvin Haggins, she issued her solo debut in July 2000. The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart; lead single “Gettin’ in the Way” climbed to number three on the Adult R&B chart, prompting Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Follow-up “A Long Walk” nearly breached the pop Top 40, entered the R&B Top Ten, and earned Scott another vocal-performance nomination. November 2001 brought the live-and-studio double set Experience: Jill Scott 826+, whose extended, three-part treatment of “He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)” produced her third consecutive nomination in that category.

Beautifully Human and The Real Thing arrived in August 2004 and September 2007, each landing inside the Billboard 200’s upper five. The former spawned the Adult R&B Top Ten ballad “Cross My Mind,” which won Best Urban/Alternative Performance and accompanied further nominations for Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Whatever.” Preceding The Real Thing, Scott shared in another Grammy when “God Bless the Child” took Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance; the album itself generated contrasting Adult R&B hits “Hate on Me” and “My Love,” plus nominations for Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Lupe Fiasco’s “Daydreamin’” also won Best Urban/Alternative Performance. During the same span she appeared at Dave Chappelle’s Block Party; the original Roots version of “You Got Me” surfaced on Home Grown! The Beginner’s Guide to Understanding the Roots, Vol. 1; and Hidden Beach assembled Collaborations, a collection spotlighting her work with the Isley Brothers, Kirk Franklin, Mos Def, and others.

Scott remained away from new studio albums until 2011, concentrating instead on acting. Hidden Beach filled the gap with Live in Paris+. Supporting turns in Hounddog and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? preceded leading parts in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Black Panther, and Sins of the Mother, the last of which earned her the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special after more than a dozen prior nominations across music and acting categories. She also guested on Chuck Brown’s Grammy-nominated go-go tribute “Love.”

The Light of the Sun, released through Warner Bros. in June 2011, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Adult R&B Songs chart, propelled by the Anthony Hamilton duet “So in Love” and the follow-up “Blessed,” both chart-toppers. Four years later, Atlantic issued Woman, Scott’s second Billboard 200 leader, supported by the Adult R&B Top Ten singles “Fool’s Gold,” “Back Together,” and “Can’t Wait.” Hidden Beach continued issuing archival material, including the 2015 and 2018 anthologies Golden Moments and By Popular Demand, while Scott’s featured appearances expanded to include tracks by Dr. Dre, Pusha T, De La Soul, and Big K.R.I.T.