Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome back. My name is Questlove.
Last week we had this long overdue talk with our friend, our love, Jill Scott. Coming up without further ado, Part two of our exciting interview on Quest Love Supreme One and only Miss Jill Scott. This is like our first real extended conversation has lasted more than an hour in our twenty years of knowing each other.
Now I understand why she ended up working with Jazz Jail.
And even Ryan. I was trying. I called. I called James Poyser because I knew him from the Jam sessions. I called every producer that I knew of, every studio that I knew of, to find out if they needed a writer or a singer. And for six months, nobody said anything. And then one day I saw Jazzy Jeff on the street talking to Rich Mendena and I was like, what's up. I'm just annoyed, you know, heading to the theater, go sweep floors and clean toilets. And I walked away
and Jeff was like, who's that? And Rich told him, now, that's Jill Scot. He was like that's Jills guy. She calls my studio every day.
Wow.
And then they called me in to see if I could write a song, but I, you know, still lying. I was like, yeah, yeah, I write a song, and I tried it and it worked out. It just and it kept working out, and it just until album happened, and you kept working.
What was the first song that you wrote?
The first song at a touch of jazz? The first song that I ever wrote? Well, the hook I ever wrote was you got me?
Wait a minute, dog, that's what she said.
She said, she faked her.
I know that, but I still was hoping to get Claire that my song wasn't your first, got first?
But what you get?
Are you serious?
I am for all listening to this episode. That's a life lesson. You stepped into some ship, into an opportunity. I would have thought that by that point you, I mean, you handled it like you've been doing this ship for seven eight years.
You I've never once heard you say this is the first song I ever wrote? And wait? Also, how does it feel to be Drake famous? Did you like your shout out?
Yeah? This is this is his second one.
Oh I missed the first time.
Yeah?
Oh wait, we got to Drake icons on the line what do you say, Jill? What did he say to you?
He talked about his quest on Jill Scott on this new album.
Yeah, okay, I'll go listen to that sweet All the kids are listening to it.
It's very sweet, banging.
I mean, okay, yeah, she got thanks ma'am.
Thinks you yo.
But Joe, weren't you one of the one of the rare artists that actually got the whole touch of jazz involved in your record, because it's not like too many artists that have everybody right?
Yeah? What was it like at the point where they were together like.
As magic magic? I missed that, I think. I mean, that's the thing I missed the most. We had so much fun in every room. They were working every room, five rooms, four rooms or whatever it was at the time. You just walk out of one and go to the next a totally different energy, and then you go in the next room and laugh hysterically. Vidal of course was hilarious and still is, and and Dre is learning how
to play the guitar at the time. And Keith is straight out of church, so all of his stuff, everything that he puts his fingers to on the keys. It just feels like like old soul because the church that he was in his father was a pastor, and it just had felt old and rich and everything it was. We had fun. We didn't have any money. We shared cheese steaks, We cut out, cut out the McDonald's bags to go to great event not great adventures. All rolled
in Dre's car. It had a hole in the floor if you sat in the front seat, not fall asleep and let your feet fall in the hole because it was a rap.
Rap.
We were broke and it was fun and it was probably still the best time I ever had.
Or you were working, you were working on the album or what would become the album. This was before Hidden Beach even came into the picture.
Yeah. I had been calling Jeff and finally he'd seen me and he said, okay, you can come in. I called again and said why did you come down? And none of the guys wanted to give me any music, So I kind of hung around, stood around, hung around us, Well do you have anything that you know that I could take? And they were like, oh no, no, we're working with Will Smooth, working with you know, And I was like, uh, well, the studio. I gotta find a way to come back here. You know, the lobby, the
wood is exposed. Can I stand in Polly your thing the lobby? So to look at me seriously, I'm very serious, and Jeff was like, oh, that would look nice. And I said, well, you know, can I do it? And he was like all right, I'll give you. You know, I'll give you money for the supplies. And I stained in poly your thing the lobby and so Scott was going on in the other rooms, and you know, they would come out and leave the door open and let me hear sometimes or I would, you know, go in for
a minute and to say, oh, I like that. And then eventually they gave me a tape and they had seven songs on them, and those seven songs ended up being on who is Jill Scott?
And the Rain was after that? Right, I'm sorry, you said Will Smith. So I just automatically went to the rain. It happened later, okay, after.
After they started letting me write and then uh sing, because I had to let him know. I wasn't planning on singing, but I had to let him know how it went. And they were like, oh, yeah, that was that was good, Wait a minute you sing?
I was like, yeah, Joe was be ready in one of these seven songs.
Be Ready came later? Damn, Okay, be Ready came Later. I love that song.
But that's the most amazing story I've ever heard. Mom.
One thing we never talked about, like your voice. How did you develop your voice? You said you didn't like really sing in choirs or church or whatever.
How did you develop your style?
I did sing at Girls High, but we sang classical music primarily, and that just it just felt nice to me. And then they sent me on some school trip and I saw Kathleen Battle sing and was like, oh my god, I didn't even know there was such thing as a black opera singer, Like this is dope. And then I mostly honestly, I just started being a mimic. I mimicked Anita Baker, I mimicked philisheymon, Kathleen Battle mimicked her. That. I think that's just where it started. You know, I
didn't have any plans to sing at all. I'm still amazed. I'm still like, what you want me to? What? All right? Okay?
So yeah, Jeff, he said the same thing about he said, like when y'all first started working that and you can, you know, tell me for stort. He was saying that they kind of had to convince you, I guess, to sing, like you know, they were more so interested in doing the poetry, but.
He was like, yo, what the hell, Like, nah, you need to do that ship. You know what I'm saying. He was kind of pushing you to do it.
Yeah. Yeah, he was definitely a motivating force. And then I think when I when I started singing in front of people, this was before that. I mean yeah, this was before Hit a Touch of Jazz or Hitting Beach or any of that. Richmondina and I we were sitting outside my house and normally and things had gone real bad. I knew, all uk, it was anew all the crack kids. Nobody ever bothered me. You know, somebody would like try to run up on me or whatever, and then they
sing it like oh hey hey hey Jill. And if they were real hot to be like Jill, Jill, you know right, you know, they got to give you a double that's right, right, what's something or mayor then some guy pulled up on us and tried to rob us sitting in front of my house and shot at us. Actually, Richard pulled off and the guy shot at us, and everything I think was different. We had a poetry reading the next day and I went to it in my pajamas because I couldn't figure out how to put clothes on. Like,
my safety was gone. Everything I knew that was my own, this is my hood, these are my crackheads, this is my drug dealers, this is my block. You know, I'm safe was gone, and I instead of writing or reciting the poem I had written, I just started singing. And that was That was the beginning. It must have been two No, couldn't have been two thousand and probably ninety eight, ninety yeah, probably like ninety eight, gotcha. And that's when I was like, I think I could do this. You know,
I probably could do this. I'll just try to be a writer, because lord knows, I don't want to be famous.
Wow.
So what was that like? Well, first of all, there's a question I had about your block. The house that the video to Long Walk is connected to. Is that your childhood home? Yes, And the same house is getting in the way.
You're just sitting in front the.
One that I came out of for getting in the way. Is across the street from my house. I passed my house right and the one that I was sitting on the steps for a long Walk, that's a neighbor's.
I gotta say the intro to long Walk no fully strong, the intro yeah, well no, no, no, I don't even mean the video. Of course the video too, because you're smiling and all that stuff, But the ten seconds, the first fifteen seconds of long Walk, the song is probably like I have like my top five.
Half the adrenaline moments, like things I.
Have to hear if I need to like get in a mood of happiness or whatever.
Long Walk and Herb Albert's Root one oh one or those two songs, which is where don't look up Herb Alberts.
People associated that with the Dentist Office happy song, But yeah, man, it's something.
That like, do you ever get tired of.
People's fandom of because I feel as though they don't give your entire catalog a fair shot. Only because I think that sort of like your association with Wiz, I think the sentimental attachment to discovering you as an artist as a fan, discovering you as an artist and what the soundtrack of that album for everyone in two thousand, like it was perfect because no one saw it coming.
And to me, nobody saw it coming. Like literally on I'll say the soundtrack to the Voodoo Tour was like just playing it every twenty.
Four to seven.
If I'm not playing it, Anthony Hamilton's playing in the back. Even the you know, D'Angelo is so retro, like he wouldn't dare listen to anything older than like thirty years Like even he's rocking that shit because no one is expecting it. Like how how was it the first go round in your taste of celebrity and your relationship with your family, your relationship with your friends, and I might have to move out of this neighborhood like separation?
Can you come back?
Is?
What's Thanksgiving?
Like?
In Thanksgiving two thousand and one? Like what was it?
What was it like the first year and a half that after that album came out?
Well it, I could say there were a lot more people at the family re union then that ever showed up for sure. Yeah, man, I didn't expect anything, so I got way more than I expected because I wasn't expecting anything. But Lizella and I were living together and uh, and our little second floor walk up and people were riding by playing the music at three four o'clock in the morning, you know, just highest capacity, just so loud. And I at first, honestly, I was blown I just
was blown away. I didn't expect anything, so I was really didn't know how to take it, didn't didn't know what to feel about it either. Oh, it just started to hurt.
In what way?
In what way because people there were the presumption that they knew everything about me or who I was instead of just meeting me, and that hurt. It hurt me, Like I've got sense, right.
I heard, she heard, I know her from this to that.
She's like this, so she's like that, and I'm like, I'm still growing, I'm still figuring it out. I I don't know. I'm out here trying to live and you still have.
And they gave you the earthy label too, which for us at black radio, trying to play your radio, play your song, we were trying to make people understand the difference in earthy and neo soul people and regular old folks, in the fact that they were regular old folks.
She wrote a song about beating a bitious ass, like why can't she be.
There's nothing conscious about this now.
But they put you in that bubble.
Bubbles happened. You know. I didn't like that either. I just didn't like the world thinking that they knew who or what or why I was even here before I did. You know, I'm still figuring it out twenty years later. You know, who is Jill Scott? So much has changed, you know, it's way different than it was last year. You know, I'm a mother of eleven year old. Now that's way different from ten. I don't care who you talk to.
You talk now, aren't you them teaching in handy?
They have to? You know, we're in the middle of a pandemic. What does that mean? Who do I become in the middle of a pandemic? Or who does anybody become? You know, I'm I still like simple things, no matter how fancy my life may appear. I still hug trees. I think they're the bomb.
I do argument about you being earthy, but that's fine.
That's what I fart with them. You know, I'm still very very simple in these ways, and I treasure that about myself. I just take it all with with a grain of salt all the time, all the time. I don't need I don't. I don't need the athlete so much. What I need is to be able to pay all my bills. I need to be able to go on vacations and enjoy them. I need to be able to help my people where I can. I need to be able to not worry that I'm headed back where it came from because I don't want to go. I don't
want to be shot at. I don't. I don't want to have to fend off, you know, crackheads trying to shoot at me. I don't want that light.
So you have nightmares of one day this could be over and I'll be back at twenty third and blah blah blah.
I have nightmares of not having food in the pantry.
That is.
That's a big one.
I remember that.
It comes from quite some time where neighbors, Jehovah witnesses particularly, were coming by dropping off baskets of food because we didn't have any. And I'm you know, it's not like I'm really pulling out a violin for sad songs. This is my existence, this is my life, and these are
the things that keep me grounded. I know that it only takes one wrong phrase or one wrong song or one wrong role, or you know, to have to have a society cancel you or or shoe you away and not value you, know, what you bring to the table. I don't think that I'm the greatest singer. I think that I offer a lot of spirit. I think that whatever if it's passion or lust, if it's if it's fear or pain or happiness, simple joys, whatever they may be, thought process when I sing, you can hear that. And
that's my gift. I'm able to convey emotions well. And I'm aware.
Now you you do that well, and you I always wanted to tell you this, like you really played a big role, probably annoyingly for me. I was doing the session with Jeff like some years ago, and it was a little brother song and me and Pooh we were driving up the Delaware and we had in our mind, okay, it's rap the rap rap time.
We about to damn wrap this nigg under the table, you know what I'm saying.
And so we just like, all right, this rap the rap rap, And so we get to the to the spot and Jeff is just playing like all these kind of R and B records, you know what I'm saying, and they were dope. I mean, the shit was dope, but it was not what we expected, you know what I mean. And so we ended up doing the song where pooh rhyme, and I mean, I ended up singing
on it. And so I was just singing because Jeff had to touch your flight and stuff, and so I'm just kind of cutting vocals, not really thinking about it. And so I came out to booth and I was like, Jeff had this look on his face. I thought I had fucked up. I said, Man, what's wrong? He was like, man, you need to be singing all this time. You need to be singing. I was like, Jeff, Dude, I just kind of did it because that's what we had. I
don't really want to do it. He was like, man, you know who the same You know who else said that? You know who else said that same shit. I was like, who he said?
Jill?
And I was like, damn, like word and he said at that time that he told me, he said, man, sometimes people can see things in you that you don't
see in yourself. He was like, bro, you got something keep doing And that's something that I always always just want to share that with you you know you really When I when I heard when when he heard when I heard him say that Jill Scott didn't think she was a good singer, I said, well, nigga, God damn, everybody must hate they voice then, because I love your voice, you know what I mean?
But that was that was really that was really inspiring to me. Jill.
What is your preparation for acting and how different how does it differ to your preparation for singing and songwriting? Like what's your creative process? Are you meditation?
Is it? Like? What's what's your creative approach to it?
Probably terror is the first step for me, Like I just don't want to fuck up so bad. I don't want to be the weak link in the room. I don't that's I just don't want that.
What was the first one, Jie?
Was it?
Why did I get married?
Yeah?
Yeah?
And the first TV show was Girlfriends and Marlbrock I killed gave me an ARC. She had never even seen me act before and gave me an ARC. And I was like, come on, God, like, I'm just like out here blessed, like crazy, and it's like ridiculous, goodness, gracious, anyway, how do I prepare like versus it's terror. And then there's homework because so I could be prepared, and I
study a lot, a lot. I try to take walks where I can and be still where I can, and then I need to move my body, you know, so that I could feel that person you know in me around me. And then the famous line is to be that guy. That's it, Be that guy at all costs, whatever that means.
Who challenged you the most in his acting journey, like as far as like direction, Anthony Minguela, he was.
He he directed the talent in mister Ripley. Okay, I think in the Piano lesson Cold Mountain.
HBO. Serious, correct.
Yes, he auditioned me six times, Yes, for hours. It was the most gruesome experience. At some point I was like, fuck you either you want me or you don't, Like I can't keep coming here, or I need you to come tomorrow. Come to New York tomorrow, dude, like I have other things that I have to do. Seriously, you gotta know by now if you want me or not. And his auditions were brutal. Okay say the lines, and
now your your left rib is cracked. Go okay, say the lines and now you have something stuck in your right eyelash. Go now say the lines and you're you can't stop, you can't stop drooling.
Go Wow, that sounds good.
It was.
He had obstacle after obstacle after challenge after it was taken instruction or.
I don't know what he was doing, but being Anthony Miguela, the man won like eight oscars exactly.
And you were the first black woman to help to lead a HBO series, So shit, yeah it.
Wasn't going to be either. Yeah, welcome in Front.
I was. I was really hurt when I didn't win an NAACP image word for that role. I was really hurt because I shot that ship. I was. I left there seven months pregnant. We worked in one hundred and seventeen degrees casually and location, right on location in Botswana for seven months. And yeah, three months the first time, four months the next time. And I was just like, I shot a show about Africa, you know, even though it's fictional.
In Africa, and you lived it every birthday, and now you're playing them where they usually play us exactly.
Well, if they get the opportunity, which is a real treasures.
Did it take you to have that accent comfortably.
We they I had was studying an hour day every day for two months, and then when I got there, it was all wrong. They gave me a zim accent and not a Mutsuana accent.
Whoa.
So I had to unlearned everything and relearn it real fast. And the Mutswana women, the elder women would sit around. If I got something wrong, they go yeah ah, and I was like, that's not the sound that I wanted to hear. I did not want to let them down in any way. And then when I got stuff right, you hear them go, my gay, you're live for my guad?
What happened? What happened with the show? Why did they only do one passed away? Right?
Yes? He did, Yes he did. He was He was so brilliant, and I thought that he was a flirt. I didn't know what was going on. He was so touchy, like, stop touching me all the time. I don't like it. I smacked him because I was like this too much. I don't know what you're doing. And then his wife came and I had an opportunity to see them together and I realized, oh my god, he's not flirting he's Italian, he's just he's just he's just loving an Italian. And
then after that our relationship just you know, flew. You know, he was brilliant, and it was Sidney Pollack who was the executive producer, and Harvey Weinstein was ta Yeah. So Sydney passed away first and then Anthony passed soon after. You know, I tried to get the show to continue, but nobody was really interested. I don't know. I thought it was because the show was too positive. You know, there wasn't a bunch of disease and murder and you know,
war and and aids. You know, it's just people being people in Africa, you know what I'm saying. Like it was, it wasn't enough death in destruction. So you know, this sweethearted show couldn't continue.
Are there any ideas that you like to develop for.
Oh yeah, there's one light. No, But I've had my finger on one for quite some time at a few times trying to get somebody to pick it up. But it looks like I'm going to have to make a phone call to Yo, and I'm I'm working on it now, and I'm it's the right thing to do with all my heart it's the right thing to do. Wonderful story. How is it?
What was involved me?
She just told me it's involving you because I'm going to call you and ask you for some money. I'm also going to call you and ask you for some insight.
No, I didn't know some trust for money or something right now, trust.
It's it'd be a special said so, I don't know.
It's a very special project. And I know that I'm going to have to put in a lot of guts, A lot of guts.
Is ready? Is it? Is it TV? Is it movie?
Like?
What what kind of project? It's a film?
A film?
Yeah, A mer is ready. He's he's receiving well these days. Look at him.
He owes you for keeping you in parents in the hotel.
He left, You're.
Standing in a halfway house. They was at them, They was at the rich call and they had you in the loking to and ship.
And you know, for a year after that.
He was like, I'm trying to tell you, I was so scared. I was so scared. I was like, Oh, they.
Over charge that nigga for what he did to the phone crush year.
It all works out. It really does.
One thing. One thing I always wanted to ask you.
Some of my favorite songs of yours are always just your short kind of interlude songs like Crown Royal and hear My Hear My Call.
I think that's the right.
I just those are just gorgeous fucking songs like what's your thought process and just making them short versus like full you know, I guess verse, chorus, bridge, whatever kind of songs.
I think, when it's done, it's done. I just I just feel that way, like when it's done, it's done. Keep I could, you know, keep forcing the issue. But you know, when you bust it up, you did it alrey, you know necessarily you don't necessarily have to go back for more.
It could be like that's what it was, it all right? Can I ask for hear My Call specifically?
Is yeah, that was you? That was your idea?
Oh he was starting for cretic go, I get it.
No, not even is it still draining and emotional for you to sing it?
Or do you have a she's out of my life relationship with it now where it's like you can phone it in if you want to, Like what if there's a night where you're just not in the mood to rock that song, but you know that there's expectations to or I've just never seen a song in which people are boohoo crying anytime. And I'm seeing you probably like seven times in concert, yeah, and mostly in the back
row now because I'm sorry about that. Somehow they placed me like dead row, front row center, like Jill's first Philly show.
I'm sorry it is to see. No, I'm just saying I won't do that to you. I'll try to make sure that they don't do that to him for it.
No. No, I went to the back row because it was like, you.
Don't want to be in the front row.
I was in the front row, dead center, in front of you, and I was like.
Oh god, why am I?
My point is you're the reason why you're such an amazing performer is because it's it's it's heartfelt, and it's believable and it's authentic. That song, in particular, breaks people's hearts so much every time they hear it. Are there times where you're just like, Nope, no more, I'm not doing this anymore.
Like smells like teen Spirit.
They well, the audiences in Europe, they typically won't leave until I see it. They will not leave, no matter what I say, no matter how many lights come on. They're waiting for it. And I saw ridiculously I could barely finish the dance. You know, I those are the time? Why did you? Why did you write that? Why did you say that? Why damn it? And then record it and have the audacity to put it on a project so other people can hear it. But I feel like
that's the work. You know, you want people to smile randomly or you know, flirt or be or feel in love, feel it, you know, and if you need to to mourn you something, there should be music for that too. There's music for cooking, there's music for cleaning, you know, there's there's all this good music. Luckily for us, you know, humanity and music we're so connected. And I struggled with that. You know, I typically sobbed myself and then you know, it's a whole audience full of tears and it just
is what it is. And you know that means there's hugs to be given because I need to feel better and so to you, So you know, I typically come out and then you know, before COVID, you know, we held each other. It's just you know it's not my favorite to do the sad songs, but I'm here for it, and apparently the audience came forward to Man, I think it's well written. I have to give myself some credit on that. I think that my pen definitely poured out my heart at that time.
Can you only sing your songs, Jill?
You think I can't sing everybody songs? No?
I mean a song written by someone else.
Yeah, I can sing a song written by somebody else for me if it's for you, right, if.
It's something got gotcha?
Yeah?
Okay, Okay, I have a question. Okay, first, let me give your flowers for Rolling Heels. I love that song me to. I hope that's one. Maybe it'll be one of the ones for versus you know, we'll see, but I love that fucking song.
I love that.
It's so hard to choose because they're you know, they're asking me for twenty of my favorite songs, and I'm like, my my favorites are kind of obscure, sure, Like I don't.
Know'm going on the danger zone, the danger zone, just the danger zone when when the artist picks out all these songs and don't realize that these have nothing to do with people, love but the people, And then you realize the reason for the record label. You go, oh, yeah, I don't have one of those. I'm the saying, but what you're thinking, am I? Ah?
My masters, our masters?
Yes? Your masters? Wow? Dope? Yes, Okay, other question I had so hate on me.
About.
Yeah, forget shut up. We have confirmation.
The turmoil and danger I've brought to your life. Man, I'm sorry.
It's not true. It's not true at all.
That was Thompson.
That would be hilarious.
It wanted to be such a mild, like no seating version, that would be hilarious, surviving weird toms.
I'm just I'm just joking.
Got just what was her guitar player's name? We're in the hell?
That was Dan was the guitar player.
Wait minute, you're telling me she married Dan.
She's just not married Dan.
Somebody I believe you right now is in uh Brighton, Brighton, England.
Last time I spoke to her, she was dating all right, who's singing that duet with Nana Cherry seven seconds?
Uh? The African singer?
Yeah, like Nana Cherry's last big hit in like nineteen ninety eight.
Uh uh yas door. Oh that's what you're saying. Yeah, I said, used to endure. That was your caricature moment. I didn't know you're speaking of tugs. That was amazing, Yeah, it was. It was used to ending. Yeah, she was dating him. I don't know.
Like the last I heard, she was doing something with Spike, maybe a commercial with Spike.
But I don't care who she's dating.
Yeah, I haven't heard from I haven't heard from news probably since Rich died.
Now, the last time I talked to her.
Come on, man, what's the black Lily?
Now? We loved her, you know, we need one. That was a great experience. Black Lily was awesome. Why do you say black lily?
You just just need a sign that says all egos at the door, All ego at the door, same everything and all egos.
Yeah, it'd be great, dude.
I mean, if I know, I fucking Tracy knew, I mean Tracy Mercedes, like I see him all the.
Time, it can happen. It's just so great.
There's some lilyights that oh you know, they might wrap not saying okay, all right, I don't know.
I'll just be throwing names out there. I'm a slop. Yeah, Okay, Jasmine down though I don't know.
So were good, But we're talking about Black Lily. That's what I'm yeah, that's what I'm saying. Jasmine is Black Lily Asian forteen. That's Black Lily.
Yeah.
Agent performed the Black Lie.
Yeah, well you know they yeah, they they would have ones.
They really.
Asian.
Like by the time the first draft of Black Lily went on to like get record deals and stuff, they were like the they were like it was like toy story.
They were the broken.
Toys left behind and they all grouped up super powered and then became.
And I was like, yo, what the fun happened? Like they started kicking our ass.
They were who you look forward to singing every week and next thing, you know, yeah, they just thick up the kindred the family.
So they're amazing.
So we went.
And they went to Hidden Beach.
They did to be.
Forgot.
Yeah, so what happened with Hitten from your perspective, because just from a consumer side, they had you and like we were like, yes, Jill, like that was it was all jo Jo jail.
Then they did the it was Brenda Russell. They did that album.
They did The Brain.
Yeah, it was a Paris Rain and then Rock Volume yeah one through eight.
Yeah, So like, what was your experience with them?
How that relationship I guess kind of deteriorated on your side.
It did.
I thought that they had some really good artists on their Hidden Kendred being one of them. They you know, that's Kendred, and they're so talented and the songwriting is so good and their stage performance is so amazing. You need to put more money into Kendred. But I didn't have a say in what Hidden Beach did because they're the label. I'm not the label, and I didn't like that. I didn't like that, and that didn't feel good to me that I couldn't be of service in that way.
You know. I watched them sign a lot of artists and I was like, what are you doing? What are you doing? And I thought I thought that we had a friendship. I thought that we had this this family thing that was happening. So when I realized it was just business, you know, I was really disappointed. And then President Obama was I was working on being in office and and everything was about the election, and they weren't being supportive and I didn't feel like they were helping
me at all with radio. I didn't realize until later on how much everything that occurred had to do with my effort. So, you know, I'm coming up with the album, I'm working out the images, I'm you know, handing out flyers, I'm you know, I did a lot coming up with every idea. I designed the videos. The first you know, three videos, I was like, I'm dism what I do. I'm tired. Can somebody else, you know, like I can't
do it all? And then you know, go to these I had pneumonia I think like three times in two years because I toured that first two years without balance. That's one of the things with young artists. I'm like, yes, absolutely, go out there and do the hustle, but you have to have a balance or you will lose your mind and you will lose your health. And the goal is longevity. It's Frankie Beverly, that Middler longevity out here, and that's what I'm rich. That's what I'm saying, that's who I want,
that's what I want. And I thought I was killing myself trying to, you know, make it work for the label. And I was like, so I left, and you know, I think the last number was like they tried to see me for like nineteen million?
What under on what grounds that I left?
That I was leaving? And I had a couple of records too, left on the contract left on that Yeah, and yeah, I was like family, huh.
Yeah, because I saw Okay, yeah, okay, yeah, ni let's talk about it.
Okay.
So that ship they put out, the Jill Scott the duets and ship, Yeah, like what was I mean that felt kind of just as a fan, I'm like, yo, this feels a little shady, But what was the story behind it? The albums that they put out, the Hidden Beach records that they put out.
It certainly didn't feel good to me. And it wasn't like I had any thing to say, you know, I had no say so in them, you know, so you know, moving on.
So technically I'm.
Just saying I just want to know I'm doing this right. So technically, if I'm a real Joe Scott fan, I buy up into the live album and then the rest of.
The all right, yeah, okay, more, Okay.
I like this son anyway. I like like, yeah, Joe Hudson, that's my nigga. Like he's fucking dope.
That record.
Yeah, yes, you're talking about Crown Royal, Crown Royal Imagination. I love that song and the song I did with George Benson. Whenever you're around. I love that Like I'm gonna need somebody to call me because I just love what I love.
I can help you.
I can help you now I do. This is what I do. I mean, it's just battle rap, you know what I mean?
So what about the four Hero Songs? You all think she should include that in there, because I do.
I love that song.
I was about to ask you about that because Mark Mack that's my nigga. But I love that song. I love that song, man. I think that the way you plan your versus is, first off, you gotta think of what the other artist's biggest songs are and think counter that way what you're gonna counter it with.
Yeah, that's how you say. So y'all, if you already know her Haymakers. If you already know her Haymakers, then you know then what is what I can do?
And you got to think of your songs that you can use to.
To get her to drop some bullshit.
But you got to understand that I'm thinking about the my audience like my min the people that come to my shows like they they know ship, they oh shit and can't wait for that moment.
But you but this though, I say, you can't think about your audience. You kind of got to almost think of the demographic that's gonna be on I G Live and it may or may not be the same people. So it's like you got to think about it from the standpoint of like all right, because I was talking about this on Twitter the other day, it's like who picking a winner? And I put that in very loose quotation marks because I mean, we love both of y'all, and so there's no thank you.
I mean, no, no one loses.
I mean this is a celebration, you know what I'm saying.
Yeah, it's for the culture. Yeah, I know what.
I love the way the Riza and DJ Premier did theirs. I think that's my favorite one, being Teddy Riley at jail right now, it's all about not.
And so what I want to say to Jill because I don't know if she's aware, but you do know.
That Erica is up on her Techi ship right now, right like she's got her own streaming service.
She's performing in bubbles and ship like that.
Wait wait, wait, the energy you bring right now is like instigating.
No, no, no, no, no, this is fuck. I love both of them. I love both. I mean Jails my sister, but I love both of the music. Whatever.
What I'm saying is that I just want her to understand who she's playing against, because I don't know if she's been, you know, playing attention, she been in her COVID world. So I'm just saying that Erica's gonna come with technology. And do you think, Amir Fonte, Bill Steve, that Jill should fight back with.
Yeah, listen, all you have to do is, Jill, listen. Here's the thing about versus. All right, here's the mentality of versus. And all right, yeah, here's here's our unsolicited corner, your corner.
People. You need to come, so listen.
Here's the thing. The thing that makes versus work. Versus is all about Yo. These rich niggas are stuck in their crib looking at their phone, just like us.
That's what makes it work. Like that's the draw. The draw is.
We're looking at celebrities and people who have done all these great things. They're stuck inside their homes And this is entertainment for us just as it is for them.
I'm not fucking famous. I'm just I'm regular.
But anyway, So so that's the thing, so hold on, well, I certainly will. So the thing is you can take it to your car, like you can play records in your car if you want to. Anything that makes it look more intimate and makes it feel more like the audience.
You're like, yeah, on the mountaintop, So do it in your kitchen, and that ship.
Is gonna be like, Nigga, why are you in the bubble on the mountaintop?
I have I have another thing to add to it.
Sensing you might need a quasi haymaker that isn't below the belt, I would actually have.
This is bad. I say.
That when she hits you, I think when she hits you, she has three haymakers. Tyrone's one of them. I feel like on and one is one of them on the other side of the game.
Now okay, I would say, I don't think the other side. I think the other side is one. I would say more so next lifetime, Like that's probably the closest.
So my thing is when she hits with Tyrone, whatever you play next, I wish you had a TV track version of it, and you say it live.
Here you go, it's too much, too much.
Technical elements, right, you're doing too much. Paper Bill said it, Paper is do it.
You do it too much. People just want to see you drop the jams. They want to see you drop the jam.
Will say, if you pick up your judget teddy roddy guitar, just start saying things with your voice outside of adding technical thing, because but you will, Jill, that's a fucking haymaker.
Your voice is.
I'm saying, but that's the thing live.
If she just whatever device, if there's Fender Road, if there's a Fender off, Fender Road's version of He Loves Me, and she does that ship live, you think I will throw my phone.
No, because that's the thing because when I was doing I've kind of been doing like cards for all these battles.
The thing with Erica, Okay, Erica.
Has to survive Jill's first If she's survived Jill's first album and Golden, she might have a chance.
The only problem is that Jill.
Your first album, and I said this on Twitter, your first album is.
A fucking mind feeld. Anything you can drop, you can drop something off that ship. She can drop the entire album like real.
Strategically you can drop honey a lift and just be like, you know what I mean, like for real, for real, you know what I mean. So the thing is like the big ones, you have to worry about Erica. Yeah, mirrors right, Tyrone is her haymaker, h Tyro. I think Tyrone will be that on and on next slight Time and Badism as much as Badism is a classic and I love it and I still you know, Bism is very top heavy.
All the smokers on Satday like.
Side B is, I mean, there's nothing bad on it and it's remember that, remember nah nigga, say is that's where all the smoker is?
That's where at But who is Jill Scott like nigga? That album?
Nigga from one to god damn slowly, surely it ain't not one miss on that whole So.
She got damn.
Let me let me ask you this, what are the outside of album cuts that Jill should be including in the verse?
Okay? This d this day it Nah? No, don't they dream?
No, don't dream because because that because to the audience, one that wasn't like me, It wasn't a big record, like, so it's like this and then you got jams.
I'm listening the work best to stay out of all of this.
And you're in it now, so.
You're not jam all right, Listen, you better hit them niggas that got them Crown Royal.
Because because things here my hear my call, that could be a haymaker for you.
Like I think if we're talking haymakers like Golden, I think it's probably like the haymaker, like you ain't getting up from that whenever you drop that, because that's just that was a monster record. Don't waste Golden, don't know, don't waste it. No, no, no, So you gotta go hear my call. You got Crown Royal, you got rolling heels, you got damn. What's on the second album?
H Golden?
I like, no, no, no, but it's another. What's the one? I like spring summer feeling? I don't know if I would you. I like that one whenever yeah, my love sweeter tighter, like yeah, nigga, yeah you got that.
Better at Home.
Don't sleep on Better at Home?
I did like I love.
That terrible sweet yeah sweet summer feelings about your music right now?
You okay?
Oh God really, so that.
Here's the thing, here's the breakdown, and you can just use this information I have you. This is the thing with between like with Erica and Jail Battle. So like Erica is more so like your your career, Jill, you've kind of leaned more into like the adult like contemporary what would be like urban ac kind of lane Erica's records over the last couple of years, her last few records, she's kind of going deeper more just in the hip hop and kind of being I think a little more experimental.
But the thing with that is it just kind of depends on demographics. So to the contingent of people that I refer to as the Ascot battalions. The last two albums, yeah, the rolland Mard like them, the Boulet Niggas. Erica's last two records didn't really connect with them. They don't know like New America them niggas lost from the video. They know just but that's it. But that's it.
There were a lot of people in the world. There's a lot of people listening period. You don't know who's what.
Vers but for versus that's the thing, right, it's the It's one thing if we're fighting.
Yeah, jail niggas. I'm sorry, Bill. Even Steve doesn't make an attempt.
So anyway, that's our unsolicited advice. Yeah, we will give it Erica the same advice, just to be equal.
Yeah, because you like your catalog you got. I think you have more in the tank than she is. And if you can get her to play her big cards early, I think you're just gonna win just off being able to go the distance alone.
I think Erica would actually try to play her eccentric cards. I don't think she'll play the obvious cards. I bet you on and On won't even come until.
Like Light and Layton. Yeah, that would be smart. I mean, you know, but but then, but what she gonna play before that?
I mean, like she's gonna play Gone Baby, Don't Be Long, which I love that song.
But I mean, you're talking.
About one of my favorite artists.
Okay, but back.
It appears to be the case.
That's how norright.
Listen, this is the right attitude. I don't we don't want to. We don't even want to imply that we're leaning one way or the other. No, it's not a cat fight. I don't want to tell you.
I want to be an equal playing field, is all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying. That's what I'm gonna be.
It's gonna be a great We're here to celebrate both of y'all.
If you start to sing in line and ship is a when I'm just.
Gonna But the thing is, you know me, I'm I'm really organic about all the stuff that I do. You know what I mean, Like, I want to be honest, and if it comes to that and I feel like I feel like singing, then that's what's gonna happening. Yes, that's right.
Oh, I feel ever, you know, really be dirty, you know, really you're.
Singing Erica song?
Song?
Was going?
Which one? I mean, I'm trying today. What you think Erica would ever play the next lifetime?
She wouldn't.
If she's smart, she will better play that ship certainly, certainly. Oh you think Jill singing? Certainly?
Because that technically so you certainly it's not her song? Certainly.
Oh No, I don't know.
You can't.
You can't. I don't think I think that. I'm in the house with with with beams.
And saying when you said you made that suggestion, did she look at you crazy?
Y'all living for a war.
She's just speaking for a celebration, celebration.
I want to be clear.
It is a celebration we're celebrating, y'all, not a war.
You're hugging the tree right exactly. You hugging the tree right now.
You need help putting your playlist together, Jill, hit me up. I will gladly curate help you whatever, like just as a because because we all need it, like as a fan, as an artist, like we have our favorites, but then it's like, okay, what resonated with the people, and sometimes that may not be the same thing. So if you just need an outside perspective, I gladly offer my services.
As I.
Know that y'all are friends and sisters and whatnot, but that don't that don't mean that in this battle, we got to be like, sister, I love you, gir I love you to girl, I love you girl. I look, oh my god, please don't love me to call.
It a battle, Oh my god. We we just want one round of mutual respect.
Baby face, jail, baby face.
I don't baby face. Keep it. Baby face. So he's shady face. He had all the shade, all right, So That's that's it for our unsolicited advice. Yes, thanks, and we only do it because we love you and we don't.
It's not a shadows, it's a clebration.
Yeah, you said, one one, one round of mutual and then war.
You know, make sure make sure no one has their phones on using your Wi Fi when you do this. Make sure everyone goes into airport mode so that you're the only person using.
What about that that SoundBite of the Black Party when it goes Jill?
Are you saying you have to say I was a joking?
All right?
All right, Jesus Christ, all right, Jill, No I Jill, I'm glad that we had you know what, you know what it is weird. I wish you did have a new album coming out twenty years later called I Am Jill Scott.
That's a good idea.
I can't say enough how much you've literally changed my life, and you're in that was your first attempt. I'm never going to get over that. Like I have a whole respect. I just oh, I just the fact is I need you. I couldn't remember the second songs. The fact is I need you because you said staying probably your thing, nigga, you start with that comes over. That was that's that was a hard hitting hole right there, cause.
I didn't even have a baby, now what Yeah, you was doing things and make them. Yeah.
Anyway, the one in Paris is my favorite. Live in Paris, rasseaul in Paris, that's my favorite. Yeah, Yeah, I love there, I love I wanted. I wanted to go to Paris so bad. I had a residency there and at the Australian Opera House. It was it was happening. I was so excited, damn covid Nam that.
What you was going to do? What about movies?
Jill?
Were you gonna you was in the process of I mean, there's a there was plenty of things. This was a good working year. We'll see what We'll see what happens later.
But you know, on the other side of that coin, this is a refreshment.
You know, there's a chance to refresh and and get our creativity back and and and rest.
It's a big reset man.
Yeah.
I want to ask you your We didn't talk about your role in the James raw movie Get On Up so much?
M What about it?
Was it a positive experience? Was it in terms of your growth as an actress? Like, did you feel that it was something that you, you know, you had to rise to the challenge or did it kind of feel like none put his hands on you?
Yeah? Like that.
You didn't see it though, Wow, I didn't.
He didn't actually touch you. Didn't see him touch me. I just made you think he did. But damn that that that movie actually is. I'm just the one I wish I could do over. I wish I could do that one over.
Really.
Yeah, I learned after what I should have done, and I'm disappointed by that.
What do you think you did wrong?
I should have punched him in his mouth. I should have fought him. I should have fast fought him.
Is that what she did?
Yeah? Damn I went with I went with what was written and instead I should have I should have fought him, And I'm disappointed, Like, I really wish I could go back to do that over. So I learned again about homework and how important it is to to do the home work. You know, so even if nobody else understands it, well, you want everybody to understand it, but you have to be be that guy. If that's the generals, be that guy. I don't think I was that guy as much as
I would want to be. So that's the only role I've had started like disappoints me.
Did you think that not hitting him, do you think that made the character look weaker or like?
What was your what was your reasoning behind it?
I thought that she was so in love with him. In fact, Dedie Brown is still in love with James Brown today. She was so overwhelmingly in love with him that, you know, that's the part that I highlighted. She was just almost obsessed with him. But she did have some spunk and some fighting her And I wish he had punched him in the mouth. I wish I had allowed her, you know, in the film to punich him in the mouth. He deserved it, yeah, and it would have represented her a little better than what I did.
So so you talked an you went there and got to know her as to develop.
Yeah, beforehand and.
Encouragement of the director and.
The production that was that was on my own. I there was a young man working on set. I can't remember what he did, but he told me that that was his grandmother, and I was like, you gotta, you gotta get me in touch with your grandma, you know, because they were on the NEWLYWT game together. So I got a chance to see her ways, but I didn't get a chance to It's on it's online, it's on YouTube. I think, Yeah, they.
Want they used to the seventies.
They were real cute, They're real cute. They absolutely enjoyed each other. But they thought. They definitely thought, and he was whooping ass and I get I got it, like I got it. You could. I could see how someone could totally totally be like in love with this guy and enjoyably suppressed. He's powerful. He's a powerful man. That ain't for me to dam bushing your sleep.
Any for you any thoughts of writing your memoir?
I think about it often. I think people would be completely surprised of how I got here and how I am able to stay here. Yeah, I think about it often. There's a lot good.
Do you feel like the journey is still happening for you to even start writing your memoir?
If I just wrote the first fifteen years, if I just I remember being in the womb, If I could write I remember being in the womb, If I wrote the first fifteen years of this existence, it would be crazy. People would not leave any of it. It's half mythology and folkalore with these brilliant sprinkles of simple is crazy. My existence has been you gotta do.
You have to do it like James Taylor. James Taylor worked backwards. So he just released his life between.
Birth and twenty one, like maybe two months ago, but you know, started with the end of his life. Once he like rehabbed himself and got his life together. Then the project before is like the hell he went through as James Taylor, and then the real hell he went through from childhood to twenty one that got him to be a heroin Addict and all that stuff. Like him telling the story backwards almost is cinematically maybe telling your story backwards in that way from.
Zero to twenty one or I.
Mean, I am because I think people feel like the need to release their entire life story in one.
I could do it. I could do it like my own jelo okay pieces pieces at the time.
It's funny we're having that conversation when we try to get like somebody's whole life story on like an hour and.
Start so well, Jill, I thank you uh for doing this and thank you for having me your artistry, and we don't even have to call Jill anymore for that's right.
I still think she needs to do like a drunk Hollywood. I'm trying to say holiday episode or something like in person. I just a drunk holiday man.
Christmas, Jill Man, listen about cigarettes.
No more drunk, no more drunk.
I don't want no more drunk other things, you know whatever.
That's what we do too, that Christmas upside down.
I just forgot last music question. I know, Jill, okay, it's a shame record. The A Group, Yes, is that you under or is that another group of singers?
Aren't they amazing? Oh god, I can't remember everybody's name, it's been so long. I know one was Keisha ship. I feel bad. The A Group. They were singers that sang together all the time and uh Keisha Renee. And I heard them. I was like, would you mind playing with me? And they did? They were I just loved them. They were incredible. I can't believe I've forgotten all of their names. It'll hit me later.
And three four three.
Yeah, they just were amazing. They reminded me very much of the the emotions. It's like, yes, and Aretha Franklin's background singers. You know that they had that which I needed.
Since spont circle back to shame.
I just want to say you and Eve, do y'all ever circle back and have these conversations of how y'all are so connected?
Okay? I was just we did okay, okay, we did.
We shot with this ring together with Regina Hall and Brooklyn South Dono, and we had a chance to just kick it on, you know, kick.
It every day.
So we talked about it how that song changed our lives and here we are these years. That's what I was infronting, but changes lives. That's because that's what the roots do. I mean, without your guidance, I mean.
Stop, stop, take this compliment, Take this compliment, Take this compliment.
Put Without your guidance and your vision, you know, so many artists wouldn't have a career right now, and you picked artists that all have longevity. And for Josh, including yourself. Well, when she did the video that was just like a long walk. I was over her and I was motherfucker. That was your one long mistake. But that's okay, because we forgive you for what you have. Guest blessed us.
What what was just just.
Yeah, you know, yeah, and Rafaela dec not for she did.
She did. She did a video biting a long walk exactly.
Oh yes, I was like, what.
About shut up?
The one that you playing in the drums in the video.
That's because at the time my girlfriend asked me to be in that video because she was the director.
Oh yeah, I don't.
Know, and you ain't in it.
And she she was the director on With This Ring.
Wow, And she's a director on my new favorite show with Carrie Washington and Reese butherspoon.
I'm watching that's watching it, but it's watching it.
It is kind of both.
I'm both of those. Do you feel like you're both of those women?
And well, if I'm lucky enough to be reading, I definitely feel Carrie's pain.
But yeah, I see you feel like I'm I feel like I'm both of them. And that's that's great, you know, just being able to relate.
I can see them both ends.
I think it's really cool. I love that show.
Don't funk with their kids either way, don't do that.
Don't do that.
All right, So for the fourth time, any last question, last I have thank you, thank you.
Jill, thank you. Yeah that first I.
Thank you.
It was it was.
Bill Hi.
Get get her on Sesame Street. You haven't anytime?
She yes, I've done. She cried most of the time.
Most of the time, so you worked with Okay, I wasn't there. This is before my time.
It was awesome, was the music director.
You gotta get Jill back on says the street to talk about being in the wound.
I want to hear all about it. I said, if anything, if anything, she could probably do the We try to do a loaf of bread and a stick of butter with Solange and it didn't air at all? Bill it did it?
Did it?
Finally signed the release? Yeah somewhere, Yeah.
Oh, okay, I gotta watch that. She's not gonna do ship did she did with somebody else? She's gonna do her own.
Know that song is a staple loaf of bread containing milk and a stick of butter. But at the time I thought, I thought Solange xnated.
So I loved my experience on Sesame Street. It was wonderful. By the time mister snuffle Up with Snuffle Up a Gus walked out, I just I could not stop crying. I was I couldn't stop crying. I was talking to the what's his name Jesus, I'm terrible with names. Kevin. I was talking to Kevin, the guy who was playing Elmo. Yes, I was talking to the brother. We're just standing there wrapping. He put Almo on his hand. I forgot the man was there. Started hugging the man's hand in the puppet,
talking only to the man's who. I forgot the man was there. That's how magical it was, Just like Boeing.
It was great.
I got in the I got in the nest, I got in the trash can, I worked in the store. I did it all. I hung out the window, I did it all.
Street the fiftieth anniversary on HBO has it. Oh sweet, okay, I gotta see it. You think you you think you're get married again? You? Oh, ship? You think you will?
Yeah?
Is she joining us? Going into the compound?
Ship?
You can.
Amir Henrickson. That man living in the House of Reclaimed, would he living in his best life?
Yes?
I mean eating ladies and gentlemen R and B.
Yeah, Bill Dream Dream and my third wife Joe Scott, Yes, not me.
Hold on the.
Second one, Grace, Oh, the first one.
I'll tell you it goes off the air anyway.
It's not so great. I'm your third wife.
Oh it happens, big love.
Here we go, living, living is big love, not question.
Nice, but thank you, Thank you for doing the show on behalf of the entire team Supreme.
We say thank you and we will see you on the next go d see you.
Thanks guys love.
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