Who
is Jill Scott
by Arthur
Muhammad
 Originally
a poetess from Philadelphia, the Temple University English Literature
graduate landed a role in the touring production of the award-winning
Broadway play, "Rent," and saw a good portion of the world.
Soon after, she was approached by drummer/producer Ahmir Thompson, a
member of the rap group The Roots, about collaborating on a song for
their recent album, "Things Fall Apart." The result was the
Grammy award-winning, "You Got Me," which originally featured
Ms. Scott�s vocals, but was replaced by Erykah Badu�s for the final
version. To compensate, The Roots took Ms. Scott with them on their
national tour to perform the song live. Her brief appearances garnered a
major buzz about her vocal talent, and an album was soon to follow.
"Who Is Jill Scott?" is a very satisfying debut that shows off
not only Ms. Scott�s vocal range, but her personal, yet accessible,
writing style. She took time out to talk with Arthur Muhammad for The
Final Call during a Chicago stop on her promotional tour. Jill Scott
will not be appearing as scheduled on the Okayplayer Tour due to an ear
infection
Arthur Muhammad (AM): I first heard you on the
Roots� tour singing the hook to "You Got Me." I wondered why
people would be that interested in the author of a song�s chorus that
Erykah Badu sang on a record. Is that what broke you out? Is that what
led to the album?
Jill Scott (JS): I would have to say yes. Before,
I wouldn�t agree because the poetry began first. I had acquired a name
for myself as a poet in Philly, New York and D.C., and was content with
that. The Roots asked me to write something for "You Got Me"
and I guess that�s what did it. It was very much a surprise for me. I
hadn�t expected it to "blow up" the way that it did. I�d
listen to the radio, and when they played "You Got Me" they�d
say "The Roots, featuring Erykah Badu, and the writer is ...
." Normally when you hear a song they don�t say who wrote it, but
every time I listen to the radio it was like "The writer is Jill
Scott" I was like, "What�s happening here?"
AM: So when you were doing your poetry, is that how
you met Ahmir (Thompson of The Roots)?
JS: I met Ahmir through one of my girlfriends who
sang on one of their albums. He asked me if I wanted to write something
special for one of their songs. So I went in and hung out with them for
a couple of hours, just talking. Then after sitting down to write for 5
or 10 minutes we wrote "You Got Me." Later, Ahmir called and
was like, "I love it! I love it!"
AM: Was it always your plan to be a singer and
release an album, or was "You Got Me" the catalyst for that
happening?
JS: The song was always there, but I kept it to
myself. The words in my poetry grew into melodies, and the melodies grew
into songs. And somewhere in between came the acting. The path was all
squiggly and upside down and around and about just to get right here,
and it�s been a great ride. That�s how I feel, like I�m still on
the ride.
AM: How do you feel about being in a class of
"organic" singers who are very different from those who are
packaged and sold in a way to appeal to an audience that in a year from
now, won�t be listening to them anymore? But today, the
"packaged" albums are flying off the shelves, while the more
"organic" music takes awhile to catch on?
JS: I don�t believe "blowing up" is a
good thing. I think "stepping up" is a great thing. My career
has gradually been "stepping" and moving, not staying in one
space. I think that music has done the same. Those acts have something
to offer. Not everybody is looking for something spiritual, or even
intelligent. A lot of folks are just looking for something to shake
their butts to. But I think there are folks that are looking for
something more tangible, something that moves your soul. That�s what I
like.
Related site: A
Sound, a style, a state of mind
|
