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Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 is the debut studio album by American singer Jill Scott. It was released on July 18, 2000, by Hidden Beach Recordings. The album was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards, whereas "Gettin' in the Way", "A Long Walk", and "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)" were nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively. In 2010, the album was ranked number 70 on Slant Magazine's list of "The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s".
Background
The track "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)", dedicated to Scott's then-husband Lyzel Williams, became particularly popular at Scott's live and televised performances. It also received a club makeover as dance remixes of the song gained popularity and were later included on her 2001 live album Experience: Jill Scott 826+. Gospel singers Karen Clark Sheard and her daughter Kierra also covered the song with new gospel lyrics and ad-libs on the former's 2003 album The Heavens Are Telling. Beyoncé included the song as part of a medley with "Dangerously in Love 2" during her Beyoncé Experience world tour in 2007. The song was also covered by the German pop trio Monrose on their 2006 video release Popstars: The Making of Monrose. The twelfth track, "The Roots (Interlude)", is an excerpt of the live version of the Roots' 1999 song "You Got Me", which was co-written, and originally recorded with vocals by Scott, but re-recorded with vocals by Erykah Badu at the insistence of MCA Records.
Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 earned generally favorable reviews from music critics. Entertainment Weekly's Jim Farber felt that the album "boasts the gutsiest voice of any neo-soul star. Though she plows the same jazzy field as Erykah Badu, Scott owns a stronger instrument and writes earthier material. Her honey molasses voice will coat all your senses." Steve Jones from USA Today called Scott "a deeply talented artist who marches to her own drummer. She tackles a variety of subjects, including love, politics and inspiration, with an earthiness, fervor and view of reality that vividly set her apart from her contemporaries. Answering the album title's question may not be simple, but what's sure is that Jill Scott is a singer worth repeated listenings." Los Angeles Times critic Soren Baker noted that "with an earthy vibe and a fresh presentation of modern soul music, this Roots collaborator subtly sizzles on her debut album. Scott’s gentle voice fluctuates between sensuous and sad as she details the satisfaction of love fulfilled and the messy heartbreak of failed relationships."
Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani called the album "passionately spiritual. Most of the tracks on the album avoid hip-hop clichés and sampling in favor of elevation and organic soul. With Who Is Jill Scott?, Scott almost single-handedly revives the spirit in soul music." AllMusic editor William Ruhlmann rated the album four of five stars. He felt thatpProducer Jeff Townes "and his team of associates from the A Touch of Jazz production company set up sympathetic musical backgrounds for Scott that support her without requiring her to fit her spoken and sung excursions into strict meter. That gives her range to pursue her interests, which include a strong sense of her north Philadelphia neighborhood and such idiosyncratic concerns as food, with many meals listed in detail." Rolling Stone critic Barry Walters wrote: "Mixing song with recited poetry over live beats, Scott's debut recalls the heady lyrical gifts of Billie Holiday, Marvin Gaye, Teena Marie and Nikki Giovanni, just to name a few. But this free spirit is about more than words: Jazzy, honey-dipped arrangements bypass samples in favor of real strings, woodwinds, horns and drummers who swing This long-player smells like classic soul spirit."
Accolades
The album was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards, whereas "Gettin' in the Way", "A Long Walk", and "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)" were nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively. In 2010, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 was ranked number 70 on Slant Magazine's list of "The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s".
Track listing
Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 track listing
