Music was only the beginning for Jill Scott. From singing, acting,
and published poetry to an upcoming tour, this superstar has no limits!
Jill Scott was born in North Philadelphia in 1972 and was raised by her mother Joyce
Scott and her grandmother Blue Babe. She was an only child and,
as she explained to Jet, she received no shortage of love from her family.
The love that Scott felt as a child may have contributed to her success
as she got older. Scott told the publication,
"I really do believe that makes all the difference in the world. Whether you are
rich or poor, you know that there are people who love you whether you succeed
or fail. It makes you stronger and makes you willing to try."
Even in the beginning, Jill Scott was a performer. In
an interview with Rolling Stone, her mother said:
"She would read stories to my friends and act out the characters. [...] She
learned at a very early age to be the center of attraction and accept it."
Many parents will tell you that their kids love to be the center of attention, so Scott's theatrical
behavior as a child may not seem all that unusual. However, according to her mom, other people around
Scott noticed she had a spark that other kids didn't possess. She recalled to Rolling Stone,
"Once, a principal told me, 'Jill is a little butterfly and the other kids are flies.' I
was insulted by his wording but at the same time he, too, knew that she was different."
As Scott got older, her unique talent became all the more apparent,
and eventually, her fame would prove this. With three Grammys under her
belt — not to mention a successful acting career — it's clear to see that what her
family and her principal saw in her as a child was indeed something special.
Sometimes, famous singers and actors will do interviews talking about their lives
and saying they've always wanted to be a performer or an artist. But this wasn't
exactly the case for Jill Scott — she planned on becoming an English teacher.
According to Rolling Stone, Scott studied at Temple University in Philadelphia for
three years with aspirations of becoming a high school teacher.
The goal made sense considering she had an appreciation for literature,
but she also had a deep affinity for music. As she explained to O, The Oprah Magazine,
"I could hear music playing in the background of works by certain authors,
like Poe and Shakespeare. And I discovered Nikki Giovanni when I was in eighth grade.
Her writing has a musical energy with pulse and rhythm, almost like jazz or hip-hop."
When it came time for her to teach children,
Scott utilized songs and melodies to help the students learn. She told Rolling Stone,
"That's the way that I learned how to spell. I made a melody out of the words."
While the children appreciated her approach, the other teachers didn't,
calling Scott "young and idealistic." It wouldn't be long before she abandoned her plans to teach
and embarked on an entirely new journey — with outcomes she couldn't have ever predicted.
According to Rolling Stone, she quit college and
teaching in the same day. She explained to the publication,
"I was like, 'I don't know what I'm-a do,
I don't know where I'm-a go.' But by the time I got home the phone was ringin'."
As it turned out, her impulsive choice paid off! A friend of hers offered her
an apprenticeship at a theater that allowed her to learn the ropes and get acting gigs. She said,
"One minute we'd be in the basement diggin' holes, tryin' to build a new theater,
and an hour later, I'd have on a dress, welcoming the people into the theater company, filthy."
Her work at the theater led to more acting opportunities, and she was eventually hired
for a role in Canada's successful TV special "Rent." Around this time,
she was also discovered by The Roots' band member Questlove at a slam poetry event. Questlove asked
Scott if she wrote songs, and — thinking on her feet — she said "yes." As All Music explains,
she later admitted this was a lie. But stretching the truth seemed to be worth it in this instance
because she was invited to join The Roots in the studio and became a co-composer on "You Got Me."
With three Grammy wins on top of 14 Grammy nominations,
to say Jill Scott has had a successful music career is an understatement. Her work took
off soon after she dropped her first album "Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1"
in 2000. The album earned Scott her first three Grammy nominations and popularized her soulful,
poetic voice in the R&B genre. But this was only the beginning.
Over the years, she's released a total of seven critically acclaimed albums.
Fellow R&B star Erykah Badu told Rolling Stone:
"Her music takes me back to the grass roots. It's simple,
whimsical, very dreamy. [...] She makes me cry. She makes me feel me."
Rapper Tyler, the Creator also expressed his appreciation for
Scott and her first album when he tweeted in 2020:
"20 years ago this album flooded my ears, being the soundtrack for that summer and
shaping my ears into what they are now. I hold this body of work very close to me."
In addition to being a successful musician, Jill Scott became a prolific actor,
with one of her first roles being Donna Williams in the hit series "Girlfriends." Some of her most
well-known works include "Why Did I Get Married?" in 2007 and the 2019 TV series "First Wives Club."
Despite it all, Scott has stayed humble. In fact, she doesn't identify much with fame at
all. In an interview with Jemele Hill, she insisted she wasn't a celebrity, saying,
"I know what I've done. But I don't, I don't feel that way in my heart. I feel like I'm an artist."
Jill Scott had her son Jett Hamilton Roberts with her then-fiancé, drummer
Lil John Roberts. According to Scott, having her son was a happy accident,
as she didn't think she could have children. She told People,
"It [sort] of throws you for a huge loop, especially since I was told I could never
be pregnant. This was a shock, a complete and utter shock to me."
In 2011, when Jett was 2 years old,
Scott reflected on motherhood and her baby boy, telling O, The Oprah Magazine:
"We're both super in love right now, just nuts about each other. He gets on my nerves,
he aggravates me — I think I aggravate him, too — but still, he's pretty incredible."
Though Jett is older now, it appears he and his mom are still as close as ever.
On Scott's Instagram, there are many pictures showing the two of them hanging out and going
to events together. And when the two aren't together? Scott told O, The Oprah Magazine,
"I turn on a little slideshow of photos of my son, family,
and friends on my computer. It helps me settle in, wherever I am in the world."
After Jill Scott had her son in 2009, she spent the next two years focusing on her
health — and it was her son who inspired her to become healthier. Scott told Us Weekly,
"There's a world of discovery in his eyes, and I want to be around to enjoy it!"
Scott made some lifestyle changes to support her health. Every day,
she ate three low-fat meals and two snacks. She also committed to
three hour-long workout sessions per week with LA trainer Scott Parker.
Jill Scott has really enjoyed some of her exercises, like kickboxing, boxing,
and outdoor biking. She even brought her son along for some of the workouts.
"The Moments, the Minutes, the Hours: The Poetry of Jill Scott" was published
in 2005 and is comprised of Scott's personal writings and poems that she
had compiled since 1991. The book of poems presents more of what Scott's music offers:
soul, honesty, sensuality, and a down-to-earth vibe. As she explains,
"It's music. It's experiences. It's vulnerability. It's honesty. It's being a woman — an African
American woman. Being a daughter, a sister, a grandchild and a Godmother. It's life. It's deeper
than what I know. It's bigger than what I can see. I guess it's a dive into the human spirit."
It's safe to say that Scott's poetry collection is a similar deep dive into
humanity. The book has a 4.3 rating on Goodreads,
and many reviewers have nothing but positive things to say about her poetry.
Some may look at Jill Scott's life and see only blessings,
and though she would probably agree she's had a charmed life,
she's also had her challenges. According to Rolling Stone, when she was a child,
her mother married a man who ended up being violent, which led to Scott's mom escaping with
her. Her mother's decision to leave the marriage impacted Scott tremendously. She told EURweb,
"I think that that was the most powerful, powerful thing that's ever happened in my life."
As an adult, she's had some ups and downs in her relationships — particularly with her ex-husband
Mike Dobson, whom she divorced after a year of marriage for, quote, "inappropriate marital
conduct." Despite it all, she remembers to keep her head up. She explained to Rolling Stone,
"Positivity and peace is not a bus stop you get
off at. You gon' have to work on it every day for the rest of your life."
On February 28, 2023, Jill Scott will embark on a tour for her debut album
"Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1," celebrating 23 years since the album's
release. Scott had planned a 20th-anniversary tour for her first album back in 2020, but the
coronavirus pandemic put a stop to those plans. In a statement shared by Billboard, Scott said,
"My band and I were so excited three years ago, but [...] COVID shut us down. Now we
outside! Come see me. Come feel again. Relive your favorite moments. [...] It's a lot of love here."
Scott will be performing across the country from February to June, and the tour will
feature all major hits, including "Gettin' in the Way" and "A Long Walk." On social media,
she put out a video acknowledging all the requests she received from fans to add
more cities and countries to her upcoming tour. With a gleaming grin on her face,
Scott described the response to her tour as "completely overwhelming." She wrote,
"Thank you so much. I'm going to do it. We are going back on the road."
"I'm bringing the show where you want me to. I can't wait to see you."
Even though it's been over 20 years since she became a household name,
Jill Scott proves that up until now was only the beginning, as more success awaits her!