Jill Scott

Jill Scott is a multifaceted artist whose voice played a significant role in shaping the neo-soul movement. Scott began her performing career as a spoken word artist, appearing at live poetry readings. She was discovered by Ahmir Thompson of The Roots, who invited her to collaborate with the band in the studio, resulting in a co-writing credit on the song "You Got Me." Scott went on to work with artists including Will Smith and Common before launching her solo career.

Scott released her debut record, "Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. 1," a double platinum album that earned several Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. Rolling Stone recognized Scott as a leading voice of the neo-soul era. She performed with Aretha Franklin on VH1 and opened for Sting on his North American tour. Scott followed her debut with two albums, "Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds, Vol. 2" and "The Real Thing: Words & Sounds, Vol. 3," which garnered two additional Grammy Awards and led to multiple worldwide tours. Scott later achieved two No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 with her fourth and fifth studio albums, "The Light of the Sun" and "Woman." She released her sixth studio album, "To Whom This May Concern."

Scott is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Times best-selling poet, and actor. She authored "The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours," a compilation of poems that became a New York Times bestseller. Her poetry and music often explore themes of love, womanhood, and empowerment.

Scott's work extends beyond music and literature. She starred as the lead character in the HBO/BBC mini-series filmed in Botswana, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," a Peabody Award-winning show directed by Anthony Minghella. She has also starred in and executive produced Lifetime's "Highway to Heaven" reboot, plays Hazel in BET+'s "The First Wives Club," and hosts "J.ill The Podcast."

In addition to her artistic career, Scott is committed to philanthropy. She founded Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation supporting minority students pursuing college degrees. Through the Blues Babe Foundation, Scott has invested in communities by supporting educational opportunities, leadership development, and programming. She has also used her platform to address the portrayal of women of color in hip-hop songs and music videos, establishing herself as a prominent public voice in the music and entertainment industry.