Jill Scott is an American singer, songwriter, model, poet and actress from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is associated with contemporary R&B, neo soul, R&B and soul, and she is signed to Blues Babe Records. Born in 1972, she first gains recognition as a recording artist with her 2000 debut album, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1.

Early life and background

Scott grows up in Philadelphia as an only child, raised by her mother and grandmother. She traces part of her maternal ancestry to the Jola people of Guinea-Bissau and is raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. She attends the Philadelphia High School for Girls and later studies secondary education at Temple University, intending to become a high school English teacher, but leaves college after working as a teacher’s aide.

Career

Scott begins her career as a spoken word artist. Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of the Roots discovers her, which leads to a co-writing credit on the song "You Got Me". She becomes the first artist signed to Hidden Beach Recordings.

Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1, is certified platinum. Her next two albums, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 and The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, are both certified gold. She follows these with The Light of the Sun in 2011 and Woman in 2015. Woman is her first release with Atlantic Records and debuts at number one on the Billboard 200. Her sixth studio album, To Whom This May Concern, follows after a long gap in her album releases.

Her releases also include the live albums Experience: Jill Scott 826+ and Live in Paris+, both of which appear in the early part of her discography, and the compilation Collaborations. She also releases The Original Jill Scott from the Vault, Vol. 1 as part of a contract dispute settlement with Hidden Beach Records.

Awards and recognition

Scott’s debut single "A Long Walk" earns a Grammy nomination. She wins a Grammy in 2005 for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance for "Cross My Mind", and another in 2007 for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "God Bless The Child", a collaboration with George Benson and Al Jarreau.

Collaborations and other work

Scott works with artists including Eric Benet, Will Smith and Common. She is featured on tracks with Lupe Fiasco, Dr. Dre and Pharoahe Monch, and appears on The Hamilton Mixtape. Her song "Daydreaming" is a collaboration with Lupe Fiasco, and she also appears on "For the Love of Money" with Dr. Dre and "Still Standing" with Pharoahe Monch.

She tours in a production of the Broadway musical Rent. Her work appears in other media, including Goldtrix’s "It’s Love (Trippin')", South West Beats and the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. She also performs in live events documented in Dave Chappelle's Block Party and takes part in a 2020 live-streamed musical battle with Erykah Badu.

Acting

Scott makes her film debut in Hounddog and Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? in 2007. She later appears in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in 2008 and plays Lady Eve in Black Lightning in 2018. She also appears in Get on Up.

Tours

Scott promotes her albums through tours including the Maxwell & Jill Scott co-headlining tour and her Summer Block Party tour.