Jill Scott

I must confess that I didn't know Jill Scott until last Sunday 23rd March 2008 when she appeared in the BBC1 Drama "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" at 21:00GMT, directed by Anthony Minghella*, a television adaptation from the novel by Alexander McCall Smith.
Athough the time slot later coincided with Match of the Day 2 (BBC2), I tried as much as I could to follow the drama.
In fact I enjoyed it, it is funny, educating, entertaining etc. But I don't think it is in DVD yet!
I hope BBC will plan a repeat of the drama in the near future.
So who is Jill Scott? I have visited the wikipedia websute to findout more about her!

*It is sad that the director Anthony Minghella died almost a week before the drama was to be shown on the 'beeb'!
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Background information
Born April 4, 1972 (1972-04-04) (age 35)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Genre(s) R&B, soul, neo soul, jazz, quiet storm, spoken word soul
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, poet, actress
Years active 2000–present
Label(s) Hidden Beach Recordings
Website www.jillscott.com
Jill Scott (born April 4, 1972) is a three-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B, soul, and jazz singer, songwriter, actress and poet. In 2007, Scott made her theatrical debut in the films Hounddog (as Big Mama Thornton) and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That same year her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on September 25, 2007.

Biography
Early life
Scott grew up an only child in the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was raised by her mother, Joyce Scott, and her grandmother. She indicated in an interview with Jet Magazine that she had a happy childhood and was "very much a loved child". 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.

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.

Personal life
Scott recently divorced her husband Lyzel Williams who is a graphic artist and DJ, after five years. (Scott wrote and recorded the song "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)" about Williams.) Scott has said they were together for twelve years, seven of those they dated.

Music 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 "?uestlove" 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". 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 for "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.

Scott continues to write poetry; a compilation volume of her poems, The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, was published and released by St. Martin's Press in April 2005. In early 2007 Scott was featured on the George Benson & Al Jarreau collaboration "God Bless The Child", which earned Scott her second Grammy award, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, at the 2007 Grammy Awards ceremony. Scott shared the win with Benson & Jarreau. Recently, Scott was prominently featured on hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco's 2006 single "Daydreaming" which also appearred on a new Scott collection called Collaborations on January 30, 2007.

The Collaborations collection served as "an appetizer" for her next studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 released September 25, 2007. A clip of the title track was released on a bonus disc from Hidden Beach Records and included with Collaborations. The lead single "Hate on Me", gained airplay in May 2007 with a video released in mid-July. In advance of the album's release, Hidden Beach released a 17-minute album sampler through their forums. Interspersed between the dozen songs previewed on the sampler was a personal explanation from Jill for the inspiration behind some of her songs.

Other appearances and song-writing
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. UK dance duo Goldtrix covered Scott's song "It's Love", re-naming it "It's Love (Trippin')" with singer Andrea Brown taking over vocal duties. The song became a top ten hit in the UK, peaking at number six.

Vocal profile
Scott is a vocalist who infused jazz, R&B, spoken word, and hip hop among other genres 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 Scott's vocal ability stated, 'Scott draws on her upper register recalling the artistry of the late "songbird" Minnie Riperton and Deniece Williams'. 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". Scott has "a very rare facility to hit notes in the sixth and seventh octave, as displayed on songs such as 'Gimme' where she hits a D6 with full vibrato, and on 'Spring Summer Feeling' where she hits a C7 in the background".

Film and television
On advice of her good friend, director Ozzie Jones, she began pursuing a career in acting in 2000. She joined a fellowship at a theater company in Philadelphia. For two years, she took small, menial, jobs in exchange for acting lessons.

In 2004, Scott expanded her resume by appearing in several episodes of season four of UPN's "Girlfriends", playing Donna, a love interest to main character, William Dent. She also appeared in the Showtime movie Cavedwellers, starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, She stars as Precious Ramotswe in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and also in a 13-episode television series co-funded by HBO and the BBC.

In 2007, Scott appeared in Hounddog (as Big Mama Thornton) and in Tyler Perry's movie, Why Did I Get Married?.


Charity work and advocacy
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".

In the spring of 2003, the Blues Babe Foundation made a donation of more than $60,000 to the graduating class of the Creative Arts School in Camden, New Jersey. Any student who maintained a 3.2 GPA received a yearly stipend for the next three years that was put toward his or her college education.

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".

On Sunday 23rd March 2008 Jill Scott appeared in the BBC Drama "The No. 1 Ladie's Detective Agency", directed by Anthony Minghella, a television adaptation from the novel by Alexander McCall Smith.


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 826+ 38 7 — Gold
2004 Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 3 1 27 Gold
2007 Collaborations 11 3 — —
The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 4 2 — Gold
(542,670 copies so far)[18]


Singles
Year Song U.S U.S R&B Hot Adult R&b UK Album
2000 "Gettin' In the Way" 115[19] 28 — 30 Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1
2001 "A Long Walk" 43 9 — 54
"The Way" 60 15 — —
"Shining Through" (Fredro Starr featuring Jill Scott) — — — — Save The Last Dance (Soundtrack album)
2002 "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)" 125[20] 46 — — Experience: Jill Scott 826+
"Gimme" — 107 [21] — —
2004 "Golden" 110[22] 31 — 59 Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2
2005 "Whatever" 112[23] 34 — —
"Cross My Mind" — 38 6 —
"The Fact Is (I Need You)" — 63 19 —
2006 "Daydreamin'" (Lupe Fiasco featuring Jill Scott) — 83 — 25 Food & Liquor / Collaborations
2007 "Hate on Me" 107 24 9 —1 The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3
"My Love" — 43 12 —

1 notes that "Hate On Me" failed to chart in the official UK Singles Chart, but reached #16 on the Official UK R&B chart


Awards and nominations

Grammy award history
Category Genre Song Year Result
Best Urban/Alternative Performance R&B "Daydreamin'" (Lupe Fiasco featuring Jill Scott) 2008 Won
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance R&B "Hate On Me" 2008 Nominated
Best R&B Album R&B The Real Thing: Words & Sounds Vol. 3 2008 Nominated
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance R&B "God Bless The Child" (George Benson & Al Jarreau featuring Jill Scott) 2007 Won
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 Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat) (Movement I, II, III)" 2003 Nominated
Best Female R&B 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

Award history
BET Awards
2005, Best Female R&B Artist[Nominated]
2001, Best Female R&B Artist [Nominated]
2001, Best New Artist [Nominated]
Image Awards
2008, Outstanding Actress In A Motion Picture: Why Did I Get Married [Nominated]
2008, Outstanding Female Artist: The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 [Nominated]
2005, Outstanding Music Video: "Golden" [Nominated]
2005, Outstanding Song: "Golden" [Nominated]
2005, Outstanding Female Artist: Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 [Nominated]
2002, Outstanding Duo or Group: "Kingdom Come Theme Song" [Nominated] w/ Kirk Franklin
2002, Outstanding Album: Jill Scott-The Experience [Nominated]
2002, Outstanding Song: "He Loves Me" [Nominated]
2002, Outstanding Female Artist: Jill Scott- The Experience [Nominated]
2001, Outstanding New Artist: Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 [Nominated]
2001, Outstanding Song: "Gettin' In the Way" [Nominated]
2001, Outstanding Female Artist: Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 [Nominated]
2001, Outstanding Album: [[Who is Jill Scott? Words nnd Sounds Vol. 1 [Nominated]
Lady of Soul Awards
2005, Best R&B/Soul Album, Solo: Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 [Nominated]
2001, Best R&B/Soul Single, Solo: "A Long Walk" (Winner)
2001, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist: "A Long Walk" (Winner)
2001, Best R&B/Soul Album, Solo: Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 (Winner)
MTV Video Music Awards
2001, Best R&B Video: "Gettin' In the Way" [Nominated]
Soul Train Awards
2005, Best R&B/Soul Female Single: "Golden" [Nominated]
2005, Best R&B/Soul Female Album: Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 [Nominated]
2001, Best R&B/Soul Female Single: "Gettin' In the Way" [Nominated]
2001, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist: "Gettin' In the Way" (Nominated)
2001, Best R&B/Soul Female Album: Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 [Winner]
Vibe Awards
2004, R&B Voice of the Year [Nominated]

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)