Even though you may have the tuition, you may not be able to eat. Silly things that will stop you from doing your best! Books could be $80.00 a pop in college, and that can stop you. I realized that there were kids like me that could go to school because they had good grades, but couldn’t necessarily afford transportation. Putting a roof on and fixing the pool and putting a new basketball court down and some lights up and one thing led to another. And I ended up donating some money to that cause. Just a place to play, maybe meet with friends, maybe study, learn some things, you know, something outside of the box. So I just I thought, some kids are just like me who need a safe haven. It needed a new roof, it needed a new basketball court, it needed a whole list of things. I found out that they were closing the community center for lack of funds. At the time it was called Connie Mac, and you know, it was safe, the drug dealers weren’t allowed to come on the premises, and I swam and had fun. I grew up in North Philadelphia and I went to the camp around the corner from my house. You founded the Blues Babe Foundation that assists students in underserved communities or programs or that promote leadership and academic excellence. As much I may end up educating someone, I’m always educated. Just being able to communicate emotions and fears and triumphs to others makes them accept themselves, accept their fears and triumphs. As an artist do you still consider yourself an educator?Īnytime you share life stories with other people, you know, you are acknowledging their humanity and kind of accessing some things about yourself, and other people start to expect things about themselves. You studied secondary education at Temple University before breaking into the music industry. I just invited my favorites and I just wanted people to have a really, really good time. My favorite beat box is Dougie, my favorite R&B band is Mint Condition, my favorite soul singer is Anthony Hamilton. I invited all my favorites, I invited my favorite everything. What inspired the lineup for your recent tour, Jill Scott’s Summer Block Party? And I happen to love it, and I do work really hard at it when I have the opportunity so you know acting, writing, directing, yes! Writing scripts and plays, absolutely! You know, I’m going to do as much as I can with this life and then I’m going to make sure to take some time off and be simple and ride my bike and hang out with friends. It’s a real job and if you don’t love it, don’t do it. I’d like to continue that of course….I don’t want to play with acting, acting is a real craft. It feels good on my skin, I’d like to continue that. I’ve been acting for almost 20 years now and it suits me. I’ve directed a video with a very limited budget I’d like to continue that would be awesome. Do you have plans to continue acting or branching out into directing or producing? You’ve also been acting in film and on TV, including ‘The Number One Lady’s Detective Agency’ on HBO. I like that energy, I like the spontaneity of it all. If I’m going to be in the studio, that’s who I want around me.
You know I realized it took me only four albums but I realized that I like to be around musicians and DJs and emcees pretty much.
JILL SCOTT LOVE RAIN HER SKIN A CANVAS FREE
Musically, I’m more free because I’m running my life you know which feels really great. I’m more free than I’ve ever been in general. How do you feel that you’ve evolved as an artist over the last decade? I think that the songs keep coming, because I keep learning and growing and falling and getting back up, you know.
It’s kind of hard to pinpoint myself in one place. Can you single out any songs or poems in particularl that really let the world know, “Who is Jill Scott?” Your music career began as a spoken word artist and your lyrics are deeply personal.
She also started the Blues Babe Foundation to support students in under-served communities with college-related expenses.Īrt Beat talked to Scott by phone in Los Angeles. Moore Community Center was in need of fundamental repairs and updates to remain open, Scott donated resources to keep the center functioning. Growing up in the late 1970s, Scott relied on her local community center as a place of refuge and a source of support. This summer, singer Jill Scott has been busy promoting her fourth studio album, “The Light of the Sun,” and wrapping up a critically acclaimed tour with Mint Condition, Anthony Hamilton, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Dougie Fresh.īut she’s also been an active supporter of her North Philadelphia neighborhood.