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Revision as of 17:33, 7 January 2007
Template:Infobox musical artist 2
Jill Scott (born April 4 1972) is a Grammy Award-winning jazz, rhythm and blues, and neo-soul singer and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Biography
Scott grew up in San Antonio, TX, and was raised by her mom, Joyce Scott, and her grandfather the great Jerry Nolan. She indicated in an interview with Jet magazine that she had a happy childhood and was "very much a loved child".[1] Scott attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls and after graduating attended Temple University while simultaneously working two jobs. She studied secondary education for three years and had planned on becoming a high school English teacher, but after spending time as a teacher's aide, Scott became disillusioned with the teaching profession and dropped out of school. [2]
Prior to her breakthrough in the music industry, Scott worked at a variety of jobs, including a number of retail positions and stints at a construction site and an ice cream parlor. She remains close to her mother and grandmother, nicknamed "Blue Babe", and currently resides in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, a Philadelphia suburb, with husband Lyzel Williams, who is a graphic artist and DJ. (Scott wrote and recorded the song "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)" about Williams.)
Career
Scott began her performing career as a spoken word artist, appearing at live poetry readings to perform her work. She was eventually discovered by Amir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots. Questlove invited her to join the band in the studio and the collaboration resulted in a co-writing credit for Scott for the song, "You Got Me." In 2000, Erykah Badu and The Roots won the Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for "You Got Me." [1] Subsequently, Scott collaborated with Eric Benet, Will Smith, and Common and broadened her performing experience by touring Canada in a production of the Broadway musical Rent.
Scott was the first artist signed to Steve McKeever's Hidden Beach Recordings label. Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 was released in 2000. She experienced some chart success and notice with the single "A Long Walk", which eventually earned her a Grammy nomination in early 2003 for Best Female Vocal Performance. Scott lost that award, but won a 2005 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance, in recognition of her song, "Cross My Mind." The live album Experience:Jill Scott 826+ was released November 2001. Scott's second full-length album Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 followed in 2004. Recently, Scott was prominently featured on hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco's 2006 single "Daydreaming" which will also appear on a new Jill Scott collection called Collaborations on January 30, 2007. The set will serve as "an appetizer" for her next studio album entitled The Real Thing which will release in summer of 2007.[3] [4]
Scott continues to write poetry; a compliation volume of her poems, The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, was published and released by St. Martin's Press in April 2005. [5]
Vocal Profile
Jill Scott is a talented vocalist who infused Jazz, R&B and Hip hop among other genre to create a distinct style that many refer to as Neo soul. Her vocal capabilities are so rich that a reviewer on Pop Matter, referring to Jill Scott's vocal ability stated, 'Scott draws on her upper register recalling the artistry of the late "songbird" Minnie Riperton and Deniece Williams.' [2] The same reviewer in another article stated, 'The song evokes the artistry of Minnie Riperton as Scott sings in the upper register that makes its only appearances on Who is Jill Scott? on the teasing "I Think It's Better" and "Show Me." [6] Jill Scott has "a very rare facility to hit notes in the sixth and seventh octave, as displayed on songs such as 'Gimmie' where she hits a D6, and on 'Spring Summer Feeling' where she hits a C7 note with full vibrato." [7]
Other appearances
Her live performance in 2004 with members of The Roots, which also included backing a performance by Erykah Badu, is featured in Dave Chappelle's 2006 concert film, Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
In 2004, Jill expanded her acting resume appearing in several episodes of UPN's Girlfriends playing Donna, a love interest to main character William Dent. She also appeared in the Showtime movie Cavedwellers, starring Keven Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. [3]
Other activities
Blues Babe Foundation
Scott has established the Blues Babe Foundation, a program founded to help young minority students pay for university expenses. The Blues Babe Foundation offers financial assistance to students between the ages of sixteen to twenty-one, and targets students residing in Philadelphia, Camden, and the greater Delaware Valley.
Scott donated USD$100,000 to help start the foundation. The foundation was named after Scott's grandmother, known as "Blue Babe" because of the bluish tint in her brown complexion.
On the foundation's website, it defines its mission statement as one where it "seeks to provide financial support and mentoring for those students who have shown the aptitude and commitment to their education, but whose families may not have the resources to ensure completion of their undergraduate degrees." [4]
In the spring of 2003, the Blues Babe Foundation made a donation of over $60,000 to the graduating class of the Creative Arts School in Camden, New Jersey. Any student who maintains a 3.2 GPA will receive a yearly stipend for the next three years that will be put toward his or her college education.
Advocacy
- At the Essence Music Festival in July 2006, Scott spoke out about how women of color are portrayed in the lyrics of rap songs, and in rap music videos. Scott criticized the content for being "dirty, inappropriate, inadequate, unhealthy, and polluted" and urged the listening audience to "demand more". [5]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | US | US R&B | UK | RIAA certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 | 17 | 2 | 69 | 2x Platinum |
| 2001 | Experience: Jill Scott | 38 | 7 | - | Gold |
| 2004 | Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 | 3 | 1 | 27 | Gold |
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 | US R&B | UK singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Gettin' In the Way" | - | 28 | 30 | Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 |
| 2001 | "A Long Walk" | 43 | 9 | 54 | Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 |
| 2001 | "The Way" | 60 | 15 | - | Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 |
| 2002 | "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)" | - | 46 | - | Experience: Jill Scott 826+ |
| 2004 | "Golden" | - | 31 | 59 | Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 |
| 2005 | "Whatever" | - | 34 | - | Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 |
| 2005 | "Cross My Mind" | - | 38 | - | Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 |
| 2005 | "The Fact Is (I Need You)" | - | 63 | - | Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 |
| 2006 | "Daydreamin'" (featuring Jill Scott) | - | - | 25 | Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor |
Grammy Award history
| Category | Genre | Song | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best R&B Album | R&B | Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds Vol. 2 | 2005 | Nominated |
| Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | R&B | "Whatever" | 2005 | Nominated |
| Best Urban/Alternative Performance | R&B | "Cross My Mind" | 2005 | Won |
| Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | R&B | "He Still Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat) (Movement I, II, III)" | 2003 | Nominated |
| Best R&B Female Vocal Performance | R&B | "A Long Walk" | 2002 | Nominated |
| Best New Artist | General | N/A | 2001 | Nominated |
| Best R&B Female Vocal Performance | R&B | "Gettin' In the Way" | 2001 | Nominated |
| Best R&B Album | R&B | Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds Vol. 1 | 2001 | Nominated |
References
- Footnotes
- ^ Waldron, Clarence (August 20, 2001). "Jill Scott: SINGER KEEPS IT REAL WITH SOULFUL, DOWN-HOME SOUND - Interview". Jet.
- ^ Touré (April 26, 2001). "Soul Sister Number One". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (December 26, 2006). "Hidden Beach Rounds Up Jill Scott's 'Collaborations'".
- ^ "Jill Scott". Hidden Beach Recordings.
- ^ "Who is Jill Scott? Now she's a poet too". NPR. April 27, 2005.
- ^ Neal, Mark Anthony. "The Isley Brothers Featuring Ronald Isley aka Mr. Biggs: 'Eternal' (DreamWorks)". Pop Matters.
- ^ "Book Jill Scott". 1-800-4ENTERTAINMENT. Retrieved January 2, 2007.
- Other References
- Harris, Isoul (2004). "Beatifically Human" www.alternet.org (accessed August 7, 2006)