Soul singer Jill Scott from Philadelphia started out as a spoken-word artist; reciting poems to the accompaniment of music. She was discovered by The Roots drummer Ahmir Thompson (alias ?uestlove) who invited her to join his band and co-write some songs. This resulted in You Got Me, a song that became a hit with Erykah Badu's and The Roots' joint interpretation and even won a Grammy. After that Scott's talent for writing was noticed; she has worked with Eric Benet, Will Smith and Common since then. With her debut CD Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 she became one of the banner bearers of the neo-soul that was quickly gaining ground: strong, independent women who sang about life in plain terms. Compared with soul stars like Erykah Badu, Macy Gray and Angie Stone, she stands out because of her intelligent and poetic approach to soul that is influenced by jazz and hip-hop, and because of her vocal qualities, which demand respect. She has already released her third album: Jill Scott: The Real Thing, Words and Sounds Vol. 3. According to one of the leading Dutch newspapers this album contains: 'warm incense-like soul with a strong backbone and a ticklish underbelly.'
