20 Years of Greatness: Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1
“Woke up this morning with a smile on my face”
Why? It’s the 20th anniversary of Jill Scott’s debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1. Words and Sounds is a life changing masterpiece.
Listeners were reminded of such greatness on Saturday, May 9th, 2020. The world was taken down memory lane during Erykah Badu and Jill Scott’s Verzuz Battle. The battle was a cultural moment, bringing about the peace we all needed in the midst of chaos.
Words and Sounds debuted on July 18th, 2000. It came to fruition during the primetime of Neo Soul and R&B, topping charts alongside the likes of D’Angelo’s Voodoo, Musiq Soulchild’s Aijuswanaseing, and Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun. Scott, 28 years old at the time, became Black women’s poetic laureate while every smooth melody showcased the ups and downs of black love.
Each track has a deeply personal meaning to me. It is one of the few projects I know all the words to, singing every “mhmm,” and “yeah” with full confidence. I’ve had many experiences with Words and Sounds, from my first love to my first heartbreak.
I had planned on flying to the Midwest on Valentine’s Day to attend her 20th Anniversary tour, hoping to surprise my then love interest with front row tickets. Neo Soul fans were excited, as was I, preparing ourselves for the show of a lifetime.
“I’m going to be true to the album setlist,” Scott told Billboard. “I’ll do every song in the order of the album. My audience should bring their CD covers. Some may know the list by heart. ”
I’m part of the some category that (shamelessly) knows the set list by heart. Unfortunately, the tour was postponed, but my love for the album prevails. That is why I am going to purvey the ways in which some of the songs from Words and Sounds have shaped me, providing the soundtrack to many facets of my life.
Y’all ready to settle down and, get with this
You know
Settle into this feeling
Do You Remember
Do You Remember is an ode to the metamorphosis of a timeless, Afrocentric romance. It’s a track to reminisce on a carefree time where young lovers spend every waking moment together. It shows the humility that one must have when remembering that your first ex has been there from the beginning.
“I was there, I remember
When you got your first pair of sneaks
(Oh they are phat!)
Mmm Converse I think…”
Memories of penny candy and shell top Adidas bring us back the simple days. Think peach fuzz on the face, your first car and sneaking out of your mama’s house. Scott reminds her partner that she’s been by their side since the beginning, keeping them in check in case they try to get too big headed.
“But I was there, always been there…”
Exclusively
If you asked me to name a song from the early 2000’s to embody the word “entanglement,” this would be it. She is in a (literal) position of love, heading out to the store to grab groceries after “a mornin’ of good, extra lovin’.” Scott is in the market and her sixth sense goes off as she meets the eyes of the attractive cashier. She can’t quite figure out what’s going on, but there’s something.
“Was this some kind of women’s intuition, some kind of insecurity
Nah, cause my man is happy at home lovin’ me exclusively
So I shook my head, “What’s up?”
After a few moments of interacting, she figures it out. Despite relishing in the post-coital bliss, she realizes out that her lovin’ isin’t as exclusive as she thought.
Raheem has some explaining to do…
I Think It’s Better
“It’s so hard for me to say this
I’m struggling to find the right words
What I felt is past tense
What I feel you just haven’t heard…
So…”
The premise of I Think It’s Better shows how Scott’s feelings have changed over time, seemingly for the better. Telling a partner true and evolved feelings, as shown here, comes from a place of vulnerability. She realizes that there is nothing to lose by being honest, so she tells them something they have yet to hear; the truth. The 1:42 second song then transcends into “He Loves Me,” serving as an ode to love for her then partner, Lyzel Williams.
He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)
This song… This. Song. Right. HERE! He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)is a track one puts at the top of their wedding night playlist. He Loves Me is reminiscent of cocoa and shea butter, newness and romance, all encapsulated in a blissful 4 minute and 46 second seance. There is a reason it was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2003 Grammys.
Scott speaks to the levels of vulnerability in true love. The lyrics serve to be a genesis, foreshadowing the feelings of a blissful romance on cloud nine. Their love is unbreakable in every sense of the word, paying homage to an affirmation of oneness from lover to lover.
“You’re different and special, in every way imaginable
You love me from my hair follicles, to my toenails”
This is the type of love that shows how the world might not be so bad after all, as long as they’re by your side. What she is experiencing is something we all want; a lover that not only tells us what we want to hear, but shows us. Scott further explains her desires on track 17, Show Me. The pinnacle of partnership is exemplified throughout the song, highlighting the ways in which her partner affirms her, as she does them.
“You school me, give me things to think about
Invite me, you ignite me
Co-write me, you love me”
Not only do they have a deeply passionate affair, but one that is playful, too. The experience of laughter and humor, especially in dark times, is tantamount. 2000 was the new millennium, in the midst of an election cycle, the tail end of the crack cocaine era and hip hop beefs were ever present. Any form of peace and solace between lovers was a form of much needed self-care.
The Way
If you weren’t sure where the opening lyrics of this article were from, look no further. The Way describes euphoric romance and the way it feels to be drunk in love. Scott is affirmed in her love, consumed with the thought of her partner from the time she lays her head down at night to the the morning sunrise. One cannot help but wake up happily, fueled by the morning light that their love brings to them, even in the darkest of times.
Trust me, I know the feeling.
“Grabbed my keys, grabbed my purse, grabbed my jacket off to work
Beaming all the way down 3rd”
The Way was a top 20 hit on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart on September 7th, 2001 for 30 weeks. It sat alongside A Long Walk, which peaked on the top 10 for 32 weeks on March 9th, 2001. The Way is relatable, especially when experiencing the cupcake phase of a relationship.
“As much as I like to shake my thing on the dance floor
I got another nasty, freaky just right way in mind”
Let’s hope Jill brings her mask…
Honey Molasses
Honey Molasses is a melody of the thoughts one has “the morning after.” Imagine sitting there thinking of all that happened the night prior, only to wonder, “are they also thinking about me, too?” Think “Thinkin Bout You” by Frank Ocean for a clearer picture.
A modern day interpretation of Honey Molasses is when you two had a good night and you check your phone for a good morning text, but don’t see one. Then you see they’re active on social media, only to be visited upon by feelings of unworthiness. You think to yourself, “Should I call /text, or would that be too much?”
You toss and turn in the bed, phone in hand with anxious thoughts racing about the night before.
“And too I wondered
Were you thinking about me and if you were
Why was I feeling so lonely
By the phone
Alone to the bone
Although the night before
You were in my home my body
My dome”
More feelings of inadequacy come about, even some themes of gaslighting. You knew, felt and heard that the chemistry was there. You aren’t going mad, right?! It was only last night that things were so so good. What could have changed in the past 24 hours? Do you call? Do you not? Do you call? Do you not? Such a sweet epiphany…
“Hi, um, I was calling, I
I, last night was, I
Last night was, um, I
Look, just don’t, just don’t be afraid, okay?
Alright, I hope you’ll call me back and
I’ll talk to you, then…”
Love Rain
Relief! Jill finally gets the response she’s been waiting for. She took the leap and hit the call button. We finally get a vivid picture of what led up to the honey and molasses from the night before. Scott lays out the simple ways that love can manifest itself on a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level.
“Met him on a Thursday, sunny afternoon
Cumulus clouds, 84 degrees
He was brown, deep
Said he wanted to talk about my mission
Listen to my past lives.”
This love sort of resembles the one conveyed in John Singleton’s 1993 film Poetic Justice between Lucky and Justice. Love Rain is the only spoken word piece on Words and Sounds, despite Scott being active on the Philadelphia spoken word scene in the 90’s and 2000's. She speaks about her history as a poet on a 2005 episode of NPR’s News & Notes. Themes from current events are brought to light in Love Rain, with lyrics such as,
“Took me on long walks to places where butterflies rest easy
Talked about Moses and Mumia, Reparations”
Love Rain then brings us back into the reality of realizing that not everything is always as it seems. The beginning phase of a love affair is often cloaked behind rose colored glasses, only to be taken off shortly after. That overwhelming feeling of “waking up with a smile” can quickly turn to anguish and heartbreak raining down swollen and puffy tear-filled eyes.
“Now me non-clairvoyant and in love
Made me the fool
You were never true
If you didn’t want me, ah, you should have let me know”
That last line hurts the most... I, too, have experienced the non-clairvoyant aspects of love, surrendering all that I have in the name of romance. We can become so caught up in the moment, seeing all that is good while ignoring the warning signs from the beginning. Entering a relationship with a pure heart only to realize that it’s unrequited is one of the most painful things I’ve personally had to recover from.
“All you did was make a mockery of something so
Incredible, beautiful
I honestly did love you”
You were never good for me and I was never good for you
I just remember what we used to do…
Slowly Surely
Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Walking away from a relationship, whether it’s romantic or platonic, is a form of self-care and preservation of the soul. Slowly Surely, in this context, speaks to the beginning of a transformation.
“Slowly, surely I walk away”
We saw the selfless nature she conveyed throughout Words and Sounds, whether it was buying groceries, only to find out her partner was cheating, or taking long walks together where butterflies rested easily. Scott takes a hard look in the mirror and realizes that while she built that relationship with her partner with all her might, the time is now to show that love inwardly.
“Slowly, surely I walk away from desperate love
Caught up in the maze love, crazy crazy crazy craze of love”
It’s hard to be there. The moment when one realizes those rose colored glasses have shattered into pieces. You find yourself lost, blindsided and unclear about your next move, really realizing just how hard “love” really is. You ask yourself, “was this even love to begin with?” Sitting there in a quiet room, I asked myself that, too. While I was left soothing my broken heart to the tunes of Words and Sounds, I realized that I in fact was not alone. I was rebuilding the foundation of my life, slowly, but surely.
This melody reminds us to take our time.
“Slowly, surely one step at a time, but surely I will pass the old love aside and love me.” Read: love me.
The lens of heartbreak is often focused on what’s been lost, overshadowing all that one possesses. When we understand that the love towards a past partner can be shown to the self, the healing begins. I am experiencing that healing first hand, triaging the wound from a love that lasted the better part of a decade.
“I just don’t know where to go
So, slowly, surely I walk away”
I choose to walk towards the self…
One is the Magic #
No hay nadie mas que yo, uno es el número mágico
En vida y en muerte, uno es todo comprende
Healing… It does not necessarily indicate the “end” of something, but more so the beginning. An opportunity. The genesis, as mentioned earlier. Everything runs its course. When it’s all said and done, one always has the self to count on.
“So many times I defined my pride through somebody else’s eyes
Then I looked inside and found my own stride
I found the lasting love for me”
The upbeat tempo and the horns in the background serve as a victory lap, indicative of a completed cycle. It reminds us that through the lies, the uncertainty, the sleepless nights that you’ve made it out, all for the betterment of you! “There’s just me! One is the magic number.” It’s not to say that a romantic relationship is never needed again, rather, the focus has shifted toward a healthy relationship with the self. No matter how it’s calculated, it always adds up to the one; you.
Show Me
Trust is difficult to earn and easy to lose. There’s the saying of, “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” The delicate nature of trust is shown through the trials and tribulations of Scott’s relationship. She knows her strength, both inside and out, and asks, “If I needed you to be cool with my strength could you do it?”
The multifaceted nature of Black womanhood is shown. We are strong, but often neglected. We give so much love, only to turn around and be bludgeoned by society each and every day. Our pain is mocked, oftentimes publicly and without remorse or reciprocity. Black women are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, with studies showing the disproportionately higher recorded rates of Black trans women being murdered in the United States.
Show Me isin’t just an ask to see what’s being said, but a plea to be shown the respect we have earned.
Warrior keep fightin, I know you’re there
Keep fightin, warrior I know you’re there
Try
Try is a track for Jill, by Jill. It’s autobiographical in the sense that the listeners are taken through her journey. Her sweet voice gives us hope and shows how tenacity, manifestation and perseverance are the keys to success.
When I was a little girl
Raised on North Philly streets
I’d hear my people say
Ghetto is all they’d be
Try gives me Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys vibes in that it celebrates ones roots. Interestingly, Jill and The Roots collaborated on “The Roots (Interlude),” track 12 from Words and Sounds and their 2001 single You Got Me. It was in August 1998 that Scott co-wrote “You Got Me” singing the song’s chorus.
Scott came to know fellow Philadelphian Questlove during her time in the city’s spoken word poetry circuit. According to a 2020 article, Questlove invited Scott join The Roots during a slew of recording sessions for their fourth album, Things Fall Apart.
Scott has been very candid about her breakthrough into the music scene, having been told “no” multiple times. Nonetheless, she prevailed, as black women do. The meaning of Words and Sounds continues to evolve through every experience I have. She is the auntie, mother and sister I needed in times of distress, using her voice as the soothing balm that tended to my wounds.
And just when my will was lost
And all hope seemed set free
I’d remember my mama’s face
Jill Scott is an inspiration. I admire her journey, which I have followed from the music studio to the silver screen. She is a beloved member of the neo-soul community, someome to whom I owe so much. She stays true to herself through and through, continuously trailblazing two decades later. Jill Scott is timeless. Words and Sounds, as with the other work from her extensive catalog, will continue to serve as the soundtrack of my life.
Now as a grown woman I still stumble and fall
But with a lot of faith and the same amount of effort
I can withstand it all
I’m still here. Still strong. Prevailing, as always.
