Today we celebrate neo-soul royalty Jill Scott. After abandoning plans of becoming a high school English teacher, she met fellow Philadelphia native Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of The Roots while performing at live poetry readings and open mics. This meeting led to Scott's writing credit for the Grammy award winning song “You Got Me” by The Roots in 2000. That same year, she released her debut album Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 as the first artist signed to Steve McKeever's 'Hidden Beach Recordings' label.
Following the success of her breakout single “A Long Walk,” Scott released a string of successful albums, and secured her reputation and legacy in the world of soul and R&B music. The seasoned performer has been vocal about holding live performance in high regard, so choosing which performance of hers to highlight can be a challenge; but, this early performance on Later… with Jools Holland of her single “Gettin’ in the Way” from the year of her debut is a standout.
