R&B star Jill Scott: ‘I love mystery – I love Sade but I don’t know what she had for breakfast’ | culture

In a recent interview, you provided an invaluable life lesson that included a quick tape and Mother’s love. What are your tips for living life through adversity? Integrity411
My ex-stepfather was a questionable man and after he picked me up from primary school he used to take me to a bar where ladies were dancing in their panties. I was a kid, so I thought: How cute are they, I hate wearing clothes too! They dance all day and then some nice people put money in their panties. Ladies would give me milk or Coca-Cola and give me a dollar, so I wanted to be a dancer when I grew up. At that age I didn’t know there was anything wrong with going there and I learned not to judge people so quickly. However, when my mother found out why I was coming home late, she shifted it into fifth gear. I asked the bar not to let me in, but instead showed me art, opera, ballet – anything free – and changed my taste and perspective. Somehow, it’s all that got me here. Art can get you through things. Cry as hard as you can, or even laugh as hard as you can, and hold on to the joy.

A Long Walk is my favorite song of yours, not least because I was lucky to have the same experience. Is it something you shared with someone special or something you’ve been longing for that hasn’t come true yet? SolutionSoles33
Oh, my God. I’ve hiked with dogs, my mom, my mate, my friends, and my kid. One of my favorite things to do is just walking and talking, or just walking in silence. I would recommend it to anyone.

Your willingness to write and sing about women’s deep need for good sex in all its flavors—passionate, playful, animalistic—made me respect my own desires. Will you be honest about sex as you get older? Ptypovi
“Don’t Play” on the new album is like “Long Trip”: have a good date, followed by a long walk, sparking conversation; Get to know someone deeply. It’s an educational program because it seems to me, through social media, people don’t have good intimacy. A lot of it is performative, so people miss out on something really enriching, when you connect with someone you care about. True love gives us the ability to talk, sleep, and perhaps even resist societal ills. I didn’t know it when I was 18, but my mother has always been very open about sex. Making love and fooling around are two different things, and I would like people to know the difference. I can’t imagine not singing about this, because I sing about things the living do.

Your music has been the soundtrack to black women’s lives since the early 2000s. How does that make you feel and what is the main message you hope to leave behind for future generations? Brown potatoes
I don’t really like boxes. I’m a black woman, and both parts are strong and grounded and sexy, but I’m an artist and I believe in telling stories about the human condition of all people. I’m no Nina Simone, although I respect that kind of work. I love for people to read my words and listen to a body of work from beginning to end. I’m still figuring out who Jill Scott is, but like a good meal, it takes time. I also like some mystery. I love Sade, but I don’t know what she had for breakfast, what she wore last night or any of her work. I just love her music. As an artist, you have to have some kind of balance.

I loved [Scott’s 2000 debut] Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Volume 1. Who is merciful? [in the song Exclusively]? com. hutchmeup
Raheem is a combination of someone cheating on me, but the incident at the store happened to me. In real life, I wasn’t the woman telling the story, I was the woman behind the counter. A woman came in and smelled my boyfriend’s scent on her: This is how I found out he was cheating on you. So in the song she curses him, looks up and says, “Merciful, isn’t he?” You learn what to look for and who to stay away from.

What cultural and musical influences have inspired you? For those who are interested in this matter? Slowly for sureC11
It was necessary to take a long break. I don’t think you can create art without some people living in between, and there were reasons to make some major changes. I deleted some people from my life, some ideas… I was paying attention to social media and people were getting angrier. There are a lot of reasons for this and a lot of what is happening is disturbing, but I wanted to present a private or personal revolution. “Pressha” is about the pressure to look, sing or act a certain way. This is partly from my own life experience, but also from observing that people choose aesthetics over personality or consistency. This dooms our relationships because you married into a shell or gave birth to a child into a shell, when the really important things are under the skin.

Why don’t we have any more TV shows featuring the #1 female detective agency? You were great in the series. Consumers have become disconnected
Thank you. I loved playing Mma Ramotswe and had a lovely time with Anika Noni Rose [Grace Makutsi] And Lucian Msmati [JLB Matekoni]. Then our producer Sidney Pollack died, followed by our beloved director Anthony Minghella, and everything changed. We have lost our brave leaders. Anthony auditioned me six times, and then when he finally gave me the role he said he knew it was for me before he met me. I said, “You put me through hell!” But he grew on me. I thought they were auditions but they were actually classes. He’d say, “Okay, now say this line but like you’ve got a broken rib,” or like, “You’ve got an eyelash in your eye.” I was so upset! But he was teaching me all the time. I would love to do more acting but it has to be something I really want to do and I love a director who will guide me, trust me and test me.

What made you agree to appear with him? [viral street performer] DJ AG in Camden When did you first hear about what he was doing? Decacher
there [Washington DC rapper] His name is Noochie and people come to his house and perform on his front porch. Millions of people have enjoyed it. So when I saw DJ AG on social media, I thought it would be fun to do something like this and be with people on the street for free. It was more exciting than I expected. People surrounded the car and were banging on the windows. I forget things like that, so I kind of lost my balance, but they were very happy to see me, I was happy to see them and we had a good time.

Before becoming a star she took a teacher training course. What kind of teacher do you think you will become and how strict or not?! Topcat89
I am trained as an English teacher and will be adapting music into my lessons. There is music in the words, like onomatopoeia. So I was reading to them and trying to inspire them. I would be strict if it weren’t for their benefit: that tough teacher who jumps on your back but wants to impress you so badly. My favorite teacher was Miss Fran Danish, who introduced me to the poet Nikki Giovanni, who wrote about people like me and the people in my neighborhood. It opened my mind to the fact that I could write about myself and my community, and paint with words.

Has anyone ever confused you with Jill Scott, the English footballer? TopTramp
Once or twice a month someone will say: “Great game!” I think: “What game?” It happened two years ago. I’ve never met her before, but maybe we should have lunch. That would be fun. Hey Jill Scott, come with Jill Scott.