Then…& now

Jet, August 25, 2003

This pig-tailed cutie grew up to be a sassy, soul-singing beauty. When it came to success, nothing was "getting in the way." The Philadelphia native has taken a "long walk" from singing backup vocals to eventually recording her own double-platinum debut CD. In between, she studied to be a high school English teacher, wrote songs for a renowned hip-hop group, and even toured on Broadway. These days, she can be heard crooning duets with legendary musicians or headlining her own tours.

Have you figured it out yet? Do you know who she is? (See page 65)

The adorable girl on page 18 is none other than Jill Scott. Who is Jill Scott, you ask? Well, she's only one of the most acclaimed, soulful singers of this generation. Scott was discovered by The Roots' drummer, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson at a poetry reading. Scott then co-wrote the group's 1999 Grammy Award-winning hit You Got Me. Grammy nominations soon fell at her feet when she belted out the hits Getting in the Way and A Long Walk. More than 2 million album sales later, Scott was dividing her stage time between performing with Aretha Franklin on VH-1 "Divas Live" and opening for Sting on his North American tour. Scott headlined her own 27-city solo tour in 2001, which was recorded for her live, double-album CD, Experience: Jill Scott 826 .