In the seventies, poet Gil Scott-Heron proclaimed that the revolution would not be televised. Today, songstress Jill Scott--no relation--is living proof that revolutionary music will not be broadcast, either.

Her album, Who Is Jill Scott?, is a groundbreaking work, with a distinctive sound that has not been heard since Erykah Badu released her 1997 debut album, Baduizm. But because Scott doesn't use the sexual provocation that singers like Britney Spears and even Pink are flouting, you won't hear her on the radio. She is all but destined to become an underground sensation. Think, "The African American Ani DiFranco."

She's too alternative for black radio and too black for white radio. As a result, the public loses. But since when has that stopped the underground? Radio stations don't know what to do with Lenny Kravitz, Dionne Farris, Des'ree, or Angie Stone, but fans still find a way to follow.

The same will be done with Scott.

It also should be said that while her work is most similar to Badu's, Scott is not a Badu-wannabe. True, her first single, "Gettin' in the Way," sounds Badu-ish, if there is such a thing, but Scott holds her own on Who Is Jill Scott?

She is a vocal chameleon. If she sounds like Badu on "Gettin' in the Way," she sounds like Prince on "Do You Remember Me." Scott successfully captures all the raw sexuality of the Purple King with lyrical honesty and originality.

"Watching Me" has the social consciousness of Lauryn Hill and the soulful edge of Chaka Khan in her Rufus days. "I Think It's Better" is only one minute and forty-two seconds long, but Scott incorporates the delicate force of Minnie Riperton and the subtlety and understated grace of Ella Fitzgerald.

Scott is a woman who is comfortable exploring the diverse influences on her music. She is a woman with a message for the future, a boundlessly talented artist able to articulate feelings of love in all its varying degrees: infatuation in "A Long Walk" and "The Way"; bliss and self-denial in "It's Love"; pain, realization, and recovery in "Love Rain" and "One Is the Magic Number."

Scott's poetry-songs (spoken-word poetry set to music) constitute the rest of the album and are stellar. Good examples include "Exclusively," "Love Rain," and "Honey Molasses." It's easy to imagine Jill spouting these profound pieces in coffee houses full of finger-snapping, Beedie-smoking Bohos.

The last three songs, "Brotha," "Show Me," and "Try," are all positive, but, unfortunately, become one amalgamated chunk. It's a good chunk, but the songs are indistinguishable from each other.

Still, it's easier to accept flaws when they are this minor. The bigger picture is that this is a cohesive body of work that is sure to resonate with all sorts of listeners. It's a CD worth buying, and not just because "Jazzy Jeff" Towes was one of the executive producers (proof that there is life after Will Smith).

One of the most sophisticated albums of recent years, Who Is Jill Scott? provides the music scene with a fresh, provocative, and sorely needed voice.

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Written by Mekeisha Madden | Imagine | April 9, 2001
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Gettin' in the way

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