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Jamila Woods

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For the American politician, see Jamila Woods (politician).
Jamila Woods
Background information
Born (1989-10-06) October 6, 1989 (age 35)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • rapper
  • poet
Websitewww.jamila-woods.com

Jamila Woods (born October 6, 1989) is a Chicago-based American singer, songwriter and poet. Woods is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep and Brown University, where she received a BA in Africana Studies and Theater & Performance Studies.[1][2][3] Her work focuses on themes of Black ancestry, Black feminism, and Black identity, with recurring emphases on self-love and the City of Chicago.[4]

Career

Poetry

In 2012, Jamila Woods published her first chapbook, entitled The Truth About Dolls. Her work can be found in the anthologies The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (2015), Courage: Daring Poems for Gutsy Girls (2014), and The UnCommon Core: Contemporary Poems for Learning & Living (2013). Her influences include Lucille Clifton, Gwendolyn Brooks, Toni Morrison, and Frida Kahlo.[4]

Woods was also one of three editors of The Breakbeat Poets Volume II, entitled Black Girl Magic. The 2018 publication is an anthology of poetry by contemporary Black women, “exploring themes of beauty, unapologetic blackness, intersectionality, self-definition, and more.”[5] Woods is a member of the Dark Noise Poetry Collective with fellow creatives Fatimah Asghar, Franny Choi, Nate Marshall, Aaron Samuels, and Danez Smith.[6]

Community organizing

Woods is the Associate Artistic Director of Young Chicago Authors (YCA), an organization in the Chicago area dedicated to uplifting youth voices through arts, education, and mentorship. Through YCA, Woods helps to organize Louder Than a Bomb, the world's largest youth poetry slam festival. She also facilitates poetry workshops and creates curriculum for Chicago Public Schools.[4] While in Providence, Woods served as a volunteer at non-profit arts center New Urban Arts.[7]

Music

After completing studies at Brown, Woods and classmate Owen Hill formed soul-pop band Milo and Otis, or M&O, which released two albums: The Joy in 2012 and Almost Us in 2014.[8] The song "Lift Up" on the band's debut album features Chance the Rapper. M&O disbanded in 2014. Woods is widely known for her other collaborative works with Chance the Rapper on the hit song "Sunday Candy" from the album Surf as well as "Blessings" from Coloring Book. Woods is also featured on the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song "White Privilege II".[9] In January 2016, Woods signed to Chicago's independent hip-hop label, Closed Sessions.[10] In that same year Woods released her debut solo album titled, HEAVN. Following that album in May 2019, she released the album, Legacy! Legacy! Each song is named after a prolific black creator.

In early 2020, Woods performed as the opening act for the R&B singer Raphael Saadiq's Jimmy Lee Tour.[11]

Written Works

Poems

  • “Frida Kahlo to Diego,” or “the ways my body feels empty sometimes”, Muzzle Magazine, 2012,[12]
  • "Pigeon Man", Radius Lit, 2012[13]
  • "Daddy Dozens", Poetry Foundation, 2015[14]
  • "beverly, huh.", Poetry Foundation, 2015[15]
  • "coconut oil kind of woman", Winter Tangerine Review: Hands Up Don’t Shoot, 2015[16]
  • "bird's nest", Winter Tangerine Review: Hands Up Don’t Shoot, 2015[17]
  • "in security or on being touched without permission", Winter Tangerine Review: Hands Up Don’t Shoot, 2015[18]
  • "how our hair got this way", Winter Tangerine Review: Hands Up Don’t Shoot, 2015[19]
  • "Blk Grl Art", The Offing, 2016[20]
  • "Ghazal for White Hen Pantry", Poetry Foundation, 2015[21]
  • "Ode to Herb Kent", Poetry Foundation, 2015[22]

Plays

  • "theSHARK", Muzzle Magazine, 2012[23]

Anthologies

  • The UnCommon Core: Contemporary Poems for Learning Living (2013)[24]
  • Courage: Daring Poems for Gutsy Girls (2014) [25]
  • The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (2015) [26]
  • The BreakBeat Poets: Black Girl Magic (2018)[27]
  • The End of Chiraq: A Literary Mixtape (2018)[28]

Chapbooks

  • Monsters of Metal, 2010[29]
  • The Truth About Dolls, 2012[30]

Music videos

  • "Blk Girl Soldier" (2016)[31]
  • "Holy" (2017)[32]
  • "LSD ft. Chance The Rapper" (2017)[33]
  • "GIOVANNI" (2018)[34]
  • "ZORA" (2019)[35]
  • "EARTHA" (2019)[36]
  • "BALDWIN" (2019)[37]
  • "SULA (Hardcover)" (2020)[38]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Heavn
Legacy! Legacy!
  • Released: May 10, 2019
  • Label: Jagjaguwar
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

Singles

  • "Blk Girl Soldier" (2016)
  • "Holy" (2017)
  • "LSD" feat. Chance the Rapper [RP Boo Remix] (2017)
  • "Giovanni" (2018)
  • "Zora" (2019)
  • "Eartha" (2019)
  • "Baldwin" (2019)
  • "Zora" [Live] (2020)
  • "Sula" [Hardcover] (2020)
  • "Sula" [Paperback] (2020) [39]

Heavn

Woods released her debut album Heavn on her SoundCloud page on July 11, 2016 to critical acclaim. The album features collaborations with Chance the Rapper, Noname, Saba, Lorine Chia, Kweku Collins and Donnie Trumpet. Heavn was ranked as the 36th best album of 2016 by Pitchfork. Heavn features a variety of producers, including oddCouple, a fellow Closed Sessions signee who produced five of the album's 12 tracks. In 2017, Woods partners with Jagjaguwar and Closed Sessions to re-release the album.[40]

Legacy! Legacy!

Jamila released her second album Legacy! Legacy! via Jagjaguwar on May 10, 2019 to rave reviews. The album features collaborations with Nitty Scott, Saba, theMIND, Jasminfire, and Nico Segal. Legacy! Legacy! includes hook song "Eartha" that assists in displaying the history and lineage of a country obsessed with forgetting.[41] Released along with "Legacy! Legacy!" were videos for her songs "SONIA/FRIDA".[42]

References

  1. ^ "Jamila Woods releases powerful single, 'blk girl soldier'". suntimes.com. 24 January 2016. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Meet Hollis Wong-Wear And Jamila Woods, The Women Of Color Behind Macklemore's 'White Privilege II'". 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017 – via Huff Post.
  3. ^ Reader, Chicago (10 December 2015). "Jamila Woods". chicagoreader.com. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Woods, Jamila. "Home". Jamila Woods Writes. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  5. ^ Lewis, Eva (3 May 2018). ""Black Girl Magic" Editor Jamila Woods and Poet Safia Elhillo on Putting a Spotlight on Black Women". Teen Vogue. Teen Vogue. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  6. ^ Foundation, Poetry (2020-05-09). "Dark Noise: Fatimah Asghar, Franny Choi, Nate Marshall, Aaron Samuels, Danez Smith & Jamila Woods". Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  7. ^ "The 2011 Art Party". New Urban Arts. 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  8. ^ Terry, Josh. "Interview: Jamila Woods is one of Chicago's most multifaceted musicians". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
  9. ^ Forrest, Wickman (January 22, 2016). "Macklemore's "White Privilege II" Isn't a Great Song, But as a Think Piece It's Not Terrible". Slate. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Jamila Woods Signs Label Deal With Chicago's Closed Sessions, Releases First Single (Exclusive) | Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  11. ^ Trageser, Stephen (2020). "Raphael Saadiq w/Jamila Woods & DJ Duggz". Nashville Scene. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  12. ^ "Jamila Woods". MUZZLE MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  13. ^ "Radius: Kevin Young, Scott Woods, Jamila Woods …". radiuslit.org. 2012-12-07. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  14. ^ Foundation, Poetry (2023-01-21). "Daddy Dozens by Jamila Woods". Poetry Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  15. ^ Foundation, Poetry (2023-01-21). "beverly, huh. by Jamila Woods". Poetry Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  16. ^ "coconut oil kind of woman". Winter Tangerine. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  17. ^ "bird's nest". Winter Tangerine. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  18. ^ "in security or on being touched without permission". Winter Tangerine. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  19. ^ "how our hair got this way". Winter Tangerine. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  20. ^ Offing, The (2016-06-29). "Blk Girl Art". The Offing. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  21. ^ Foundation, Poetry (2023-01-21). "Ghazal for White Hen Pantry by Jamila Woods". Poetry Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  22. ^ Foundation, Poetry (2023-01-21). "Ode to Herb Kent by Jamila Woods". Poetry Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  23. ^ "Jamila Woods2". MUZZLE MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  24. ^ Falkner, Adam. "Uncommon Core: Contemporary Poems for Learning and Living (Foreword)". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  25. ^ "COURAGE: DARING POEMS FOR GUTSY GIRLS". Write Bloody. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  26. ^ The BreakBeat poets : new American poetry in the age of hip-hop. Kevin Coval, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Nate Marshall, Haymarket Books. Chicago. 2015. ISBN 978-1-60846-395-4. OCLC 899155665.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  27. ^ Green, Jen (2013). Collins my first book of the human body. Jean Coppendale (Second ed.). Glasgow. ISBN 978-0-00-752115-9. OCLC 827950145.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  28. ^ The end of Chiraq : a literary mixtape. Javon Johnson, Kevin Coval, Young Chicago Authors, sponsoring body Louder Than a Bomb. Evanston, Illinois. 2018. ISBN 978-0-8101-3718-9. OCLC 1012346577.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. ^ Telfer, Robbie Q.; Woods, Jamila (2010-01-01). Monsters of Metal: Poems. [Self-published].
  30. ^ "The Truth About Dolls, by Jamila Woods". Jamila Woods. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  31. ^ Blk Girl Soldier - Jamila Woods, retrieved 2023-01-22
  32. ^ Jamila Woods - Holy (Official Video), retrieved 2023-01-22
  33. ^ Jamila Woods - LSD (Official Video) ft. Chance The Rapper, retrieved 2023-01-22
  34. ^ Jamila Woods - GIOVANNI, retrieved 2023-01-22
  35. ^ Jamila Woods - ZORA, retrieved 2023-01-22
  36. ^ Jamila Woods - EARTHA, retrieved 2023-01-22
  37. ^ Jamila Woods - BALDWIN (Official Video), retrieved 2023-01-22
  38. ^ Jamila Woods - SULA (Hardcover), retrieved 2023-01-22
  39. ^ "Vocalo Jamila Woods Honors Toni Morisson with Her New Single "Sula (Paperback)"". 6 August 2020.
  40. ^ "Jagjaguwar | JAG312". Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  41. ^ "Jagjaguwar | JAG342". Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  42. ^ "Jamila Woods Breaks Down Every Song on Her New Album, LEGACY! LEGACY!".
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