7 Takeaways From Jill Scott’s Debut Album

Author Glennisha Morgan

July 17th, 2020 5:00 AM

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Jill Scott performs onstage during the 51st NAACP Image Awards, Presented by BET, at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 22, 2020 in Pasadena, California.

Jill Scott released her debut album Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 in 2000. She hit the scene and offered a seamless mixture of soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul, and spoken word with the album that is now certified two times platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

“Y’all ready to settle down and, and get with this? You know settle into this feeling?” Scott can be heard saying on the intro of her debut album, affectionately titled “Jilltro.” “Cause you know it’s a lot of love here…love, love, love.”

Whether listeners were ready or not, Jilly from Philly helped her fans “settle into” the feeling she referenced on her Jilltro. With Scott’s smooth soprano and raw storytelling capabilities, the singer offered some life gems. And below we listed seven of them to commemorate Jill Scott’s 20th anniversary of Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1.

7 Takeaways From Jill Scott’s Debut Album

1) “Queens shouldn’t swing,” but sometimes you have to let a person know your boundaries.
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On "Gettin' in the Way," Scott sang, "Queens shouldn't swing if you know what I mean, but I'm about to take my earrings off give me some Vaseline." On this record, the singer reminds us of boundary setting. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
2) Sometimes, silence is golden.
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On "A Long Walk," Scott sings, "Maybe we can take a cruise and listen to The Roots/Maybe we can eat some passion fruit or maybe cry to the blues/ or maybe we could just be silent." Scott reminds us that silence doesn't always have to be uncomfortable, on this song. (Photo by Aaron Davidson/Getty Images for Jazz in The Gardens Music Festival)
3) Love starts with self.
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On, "One is the Magic #" Scott sings, "So many times I define my pride/Through somebody else's eyes/Then I looked inside and found my own stride/I found the lasting love for me/If I am searching for my spirituality, passionately/I must begin with me." On this record, the singer reminds us that love and validation starts within. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
4) Sometimes, love has us “buggin.”
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On "It's Love" Scott sings, "They say I'm crazy, the way you got me open, baby/They say I'm buggin', the way I'm time-swept your loving/They all sit and wonder why/This feeling I cannot hide." On this song, Scott reminds us that love can often make us act unusual. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)
5) Sometimes, you and your homies have to connect some other time.
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On "The Way" Scott sings, "Go 'head, really, get your groove on/'Cause tonight my man's coming through, yes/We gonna have to connect some other time/As much as I like to shake my thing on the dance floor/I got another nasty freaky, just right way in mind " On this track, Jilly from Philly reminds us that sometimes we just need a date night with our significant other(s.) (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
6) We might need a social media break.
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On "Watching Me," Scott sings, "Hawking, watching, scoping, jocking/Scrutinizing me/Checkin' to see what I'm doin/Where I be/Who I see/How and where I make my money/What is this?" On this track, Scott talks about the government watching us. However, we often give up a slew of information on our own. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for 2017 ESSENCE Festival)
7) Actions sometimes speak louder than words.
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On "Show Me," Scott sings, "You're constantly talkin' about how. much you love me/Want me, ned me, you told me stop talkin'/No more conversation necessary/show me, show me, show me, show me, show me, show me, show me," reminding us that sometimes we need to be shown how a person feels about us not told. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

Glennisha Morgan is a Detroit-bred multimedia journalist and writer. She writes about intersectionality, hip-hop, pop culture, queer issues, race, feminism, and her truth. Follow her on Twitter @GlennishaMorgan.

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7 Takeaways From Jill Scott’s Debut Album

7 Takeaways From Jill Scott’s Debut Album

1) “Queens shouldn’t swing,” but sometimes you have to let a person know your boundaries.

2) Sometimes, silence is golden.

3) Love starts with self.

4) Sometimes, love has us “buggin.”

5) Sometimes, you and your homies have to connect some other time.

6) We might need a social media break.

7) Actions sometimes speak louder than words.

Sign Up To Have The Messenger Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Get the good stuff sent straight to your inbox including what's happening with your favorite artists, events you need to know about, and a dose of inspiration.

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