- 12 minutes ago
Jill Scott reflects on nearly 30 years of R&B, her 2026 R&B Hall of Fame honor, and the lessons that shaped her career—from touring with The Roots to building a live-instrumentation legacy.
In this Billboard panel, Jill Scott also opens up about her new album To Whom This May Concern, the gratitude behind her rollout, and why longevity still matters most.
Billboard staff writer Kyle Dennis sits down with the inimitable Jill Scott to talk: being named an R&B Hall of Fame inductee (2026), The Roots, “You Got Me,” and what she learned on the road, why she prioritizes live instrumentation and musicianship, her new era: To Whom This May Concern + “Pressure” hitting No. 1 (Adult R&B Airplay) and touring realities in the 2020s, community shows, and “paying it forward.”
In this Billboard panel, Jill Scott also opens up about her new album To Whom This May Concern, the gratitude behind her rollout, and why longevity still matters most.
Billboard staff writer Kyle Dennis sits down with the inimitable Jill Scott to talk: being named an R&B Hall of Fame inductee (2026), The Roots, “You Got Me,” and what she learned on the road, why she prioritizes live instrumentation and musicianship, her new era: To Whom This May Concern + “Pressure” hitting No. 1 (Adult R&B Airplay) and touring realities in the 2020s, community shows, and “paying it forward.”
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00:00Most of the time, when artists are going on tour with another artist, the label or management or something pay
00:09the artists to take, you know, their younger artists with them or their newer artists with them.
00:15I paid everybody because I remember what it was like to get paid.
00:20The Roots did that.
00:21They paid me.
00:21I got $500 a night to sing a hook.
00:25Come on.
00:28At the time, it was more money than I had ever made, you know, per night.
00:32You know, my whole check would be the $500 and then after tax, it was like $278, you know, so
00:37I didn't get that.
00:39But I wanted to continue that and I'm really proud of it.
00:52My name is Kyle Dennis.
00:54I'm a staff writer at Billboard and I'm here with the inimitable Miss Jill Scott.
00:59Inimitable.
01:00Very nice.
01:01Very nice.
01:02Hello.
01:03How are you feeling?
01:04I feel good.
01:05I'm rushing a lot, but I'm okay.
01:08We're going to take some time to breathe, slow down and reflect on almost 30 years of R&B greatness.
01:15You are our R&B Hall of Fame inductee for 2026.
01:21Nice.
01:21When you received this news, you know, what do you remember feeling?
01:25Shock.
01:28Gratefulness.
01:31Excitement.
01:33Mostly shock.
01:35Yeah.
01:37I know that some people are like, okay, you know, you've been, you know, in the charts for over 20
01:42years and I get that part, but, you know, you just don't take these things for granted.
01:48Like, it's still a shock to me that anybody, you know, knows, loves, and appreciates my music.
01:54I'm still thrilled.
01:56So, I just, I feel excited and appreciated and definitely still a little in shock.
02:07Yeah, pretty much.
02:09Well, we can't wait to continue, you know, honoring you.
02:12I want to throw it all the way back to 1999, a year in which some brilliant minds, yourself, The
02:18Roots, Erykah Badu, Eve, Scott Storch, came together for You Got Me.
02:21And, The Roots are also being honored this year as our Hip Hop Hall of Fame inductees.
02:26What does it mean to you to be honored alongside people who had such an incredible impact on your journey?
02:31It's really cute, okay?
02:33But, it's really cute and it's so, I'm saying cute, because I just remember us being on the road together.
02:45Um, them kind of putting me up in, like, crappy hotels, because I was the help, you know?
02:52Um, I just remember, uh, my first time on a tour bus and going from hotel to hotel and all
03:00the things, like, excuse me, I just, um, I'm looking at us like, okay, we're finally adults, you know?
03:08Um, and we were adults then, but it felt like we were children, particularly me, because they opened their doors
03:16and let me find out about what touring and what it meant.
03:20And from them, I learned what I didn't want, and I learned what I wanted.
03:24So, here we are, you know, all these years later, and damn, we're getting honored, you know, on the same
03:30night.
03:31I can't wait to, like, noogie these guys.
03:34Like, I'm geeked.
03:36What are some things that you learned that you didn't want?
03:39Um, what didn't I want?
03:43I wanted really nice hotels.
03:48Mm-hmm.
03:48I know that's right.
03:50Yeah.
03:51Yeah.
03:52Like, for everybody.
03:55Yeah.
03:56What about what you did want?
03:59Uh, I wanted that kind of appreciation from the audience, uh, that the roots got every night.
04:05I wanted live instrumentation.
04:07I love, they're, they're my top tier band.
04:12If you've ever seen the roots perform live, it is a whole wonderful experience.
04:19And that's what I've built my career off of, watching them.
04:23Um, even before I went on tour with them, when I would go see them perform, or I saw them
04:27at, like, on South Street, you know, performing.
04:31Um, it's, it's always been inspirational.
04:35Like, that's what I want.
04:36Live music forever, and ever, and ever.
04:40Absolutely.
04:40That's how I feel.
04:41Yes.
04:42You know, when we talk about classic albums, we gotta go all the way to Who Is Jill Scott?
04:46Come on.
04:48What is, what's one lesson from that era that you're still holding on to all these years later?
04:54A lesson from creating the album?
04:56From creating the album?
04:57From promoting it?
04:58I really, really enjoy having, um, a plethora of musicians and producers.
05:05I really, really like that.
05:08Um, the, I, I would like to more often create a space where I just have great musicianship all around
05:17me, and go from room to room.
05:19That's what the first record really was.
05:22Um, each producer was in another room, and I would just bop in from one room to the next, to
05:27the next, to the next, and next thing I knew, you know, I had seven songs.
05:32Excuse me, I don't know how long it took, but I was having so much fun, and the energy was
05:38so good.
05:39You know, we were all broke and sharing sandwiches, and, you know, um, can I get, can I get half
05:46your soda?
05:46Like, you know, this was, this was the life.
05:49It was just, um, it was pure musician, um, musicianship and, and writing on a daily basis, and I just
05:57loved it.
05:58It was good.
06:00Absolutely.
06:01When we talk about, you know, working with a plethora of artists, that's something that you still do today.
06:04I do.
06:05To whom this may concern.
06:06Yes, sir.
06:07The 2026 album.
06:09Yes, sir.
06:10Let's talk about it for a second.
06:11Okay.
06:12Debuted in the top ten of over, of seven different Billboard charts, and spawned your first adult
06:17R&B Airplay number one in over a decade with pressure.
06:19Can you say that again?
06:19Can you say that again?
06:20Spawned your first adult R&B Airplay number one in over a decade with pressure.
06:25You, you forgot the, the seven.
06:27Debuted in the top ten of seven different Billboard charts.
06:31That part.
06:31Okay.
06:32That part.
06:33Come on now.
06:34Let's hear it.
06:35Let's hear it.
06:35That part.
06:37Yes, thank you.
06:38What does it mean to you to receive this kind of a love for new work all these years in?
06:45Isn't it?
06:47She said it's delicious.
06:48And I, and I agree 100%.
06:51Like, who could ask for this?
06:54You know, I, I'm, I don't even think I thought to ask for this.
06:59I just wanted to present the music in a way where people could feel it and know that it
07:06comes from a genuine place and that it's as full of gratitude.
07:10So that was the reason that I, I came up with this, this, um, rollout to thank all the people
07:19that participated, whether it was a big thing or a small thing, whatever they did to contribute.
07:25Sometimes it was just energy.
07:27Yeah.
07:28You know, a hug, you know, Hey, I know you're working.
07:30I brought you a tuna fish sandwich, you know, cause I like that, but I just wanted to say
07:36thank you to everybody and that gratitude, you know, it's a begat, you know, the gratitude
07:42begat more gratitude and you know, the energy has just been up ever since.
07:47Absolutely.
07:48Yeah.
07:48It's nice.
07:49You know, you're, you definitely someone who you take breaks to recharge between albums
07:53and really come back to give us really impactful art.
07:56Yeah.
07:56Why now?
07:57Why was now the time to come back with a new record?
07:59I just couldn't hold it anymore.
08:01I was working because David Banner invited me into the studio and, and, um, um, um, DJ
08:10Premier invited me to the studio and I was like, this is still fun.
08:15This is still really, really good.
08:18I'm going to continue.
08:19And I looked up and I had a whole bunch of music and I was like, I think there's an
08:23album
08:23in here.
08:24So I started to dig through it and what is, what is it that I want to say?
08:29Um, what I wanted to say is that I'm maturing as a human being and as a woman and, um,
08:37there
08:37are different perspectives now and, uh, I like it.
08:42I like these perspectives.
08:44I like using all genres of music.
08:47It is, um, an homage to the people that, that come before me that open doors for me and,
08:55um, it makes my heart happy and I like making my heart happy.
09:00It's a thing.
09:01Absolutely.
09:02I try to do it every day.
09:03I feel like you made a lot of people's hearts happy with that first single, Beautiful People.
09:08Why was that the song to introduce this era for you?
09:11Because there were so many people that were involved.
09:13Yeah.
09:14Yeah.
09:14Um, this amazing director and artistic director, her name is Child.
09:20Um, she wasn't working with, with anybody.
09:24And I was like, I don't want to come up with all the ideas anymore.
09:27I, I would like to have some assistance.
09:30I would, I would, yeah, I, I mean, I've, I've done this for so long.
09:35I, I would like to have some other person's vision.
09:38And obviously, you know, I'm, I'm going to tweak and touch and say, that's not it.
09:42That's not for me.
09:44Cause no one is really just going to understand you.
09:46You have to be able to communicate and express what it is that you want for yourself.
09:51And she was so open to that.
09:54And she used her brilliance and I use mine.
09:58And then we started cooking.
10:00Like, this is what it looks like.
10:01This is what it feels like.
10:03Um, the hunt for the, the album cover.
10:07Um, I had an artist that I really enjoyed, um, and I wanted to use it, but I couldn't
10:13because it was a picture of someone and we couldn't find the person.
10:17So I started hunting all over the internet.
10:20And I eventually landed on, um, Marcella's, um, love.
10:26I think it's love joy.
10:27Did I say that right?
10:28Is it love joy?
10:29His last name is love joy?
10:31Lace.
10:32Thank you kindly.
10:33It's a lot of things in this head.
10:35Okay.
10:36Um, but I found his work and I said, that's her.
10:40That's her.
10:41That's what freedom looks like.
10:42It's wild titties.
10:44It's, it's, it's, it's proclamation all over her body and all of her jewelry.
10:52I said, yes, that is it.
10:55Um, so it's, it's been like such a good time finding the things is I've been on a hunt to
11:04find the, the, the perfect musicians to work with.
11:07The musicians have to be fluid.
11:10They have to be able to speak multiple languages.
11:13I need you to be able to speak classical music as well as jazz.
11:17And I need you to be able to speak hip hop as well as blues.
11:21You know, I need you to speak with your instruments.
11:24I don't want anybody that's just going to play the melody or play the beat.
11:28You got to talk.
11:29So that's what the, the tour to whom this may concern is really about.
11:35And also, um, being able to be free and, uh, reckless and, um, an artist on stage.
11:47What, what happens is that people will take a, a portion of the show and decide that that
11:53is what you are about.
11:55They will decide that that's what the show is about.
11:59When I grew up on Carol Burnett, I grew up on, um, share.
12:04I grew up, um, watching like shows like Flip Wilson.
12:08That was my grandmother's time, but I watched those shows and they're variety shows.
12:13So my show is too, uh, very much a variety show.
12:17So you can't pin it down and I didn't want anybody to try it.
12:21So, um, yeah, I got yonder bags that'll pay for.
12:29I mean, it paid off.
12:30I got to see the show in Brooklyn and it was the most communal experience I think I've ever
12:35had at a show because we had no phones.
12:37Everyone was singing to each other, seeing each other's faces.
12:40Everyone smelled so good.
12:42It was just a good show.
12:45At my show, I think your son came out also.
12:47Yes, he did.
12:48Had a little bit of a cameo.
12:49What was it like seeing him on stage?
12:51It was great.
12:52Okay.
12:53My son is 17 and I hired him to be a part of the crew.
12:58He said he wanted a summer job.
12:59I was like, bet.
13:00All right.
13:03I'm going to pay you half of what I pay everyone else.
13:06Cause this is your first time and you're also a child.
13:10So I want to be mindful of how much money that you actually have.
13:13So, um, he comes on, he's doing a wonderful job.
13:17I'm so impressed.
13:18And while we're in rehearsal, he says, um, mom, do you think I could do Tierra Wack's part?
13:25And I was like, can you do Tierra Wack's part?
13:29He's like, yeah.
13:31I was like, I mean, we only wrapped in the kitchen.
13:35I never, like, he's never done this before.
13:37And on stage in front of my audience that is, you know, paid money.
13:43I was like, well, all right, um, meet me at soundcheck tomorrow.
13:49Have a mic in your hand.
13:50Be ready.
13:51So we get to soundcheck and that part of the song comes on and he comes out and he's blazing.
13:57And I said, oh, run it, run it.
14:01Let's do it again.
14:02Let's do it again.
14:02Just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
14:05So we did it again and that was, and it was better the second time.
14:10Okay.
14:11So this young man, he, he steams all of the clothing for the band every night.
14:17He puts, he's props master.
14:19So he puts all the props in place for the show.
14:22Um, and then in the course of it, mind you, he also did, did a lot with the, the visuals.
14:29He hunted and searched for visuals and, and child and him put it together.
14:34And then, um, when that part of the song comes on, when, when I do Northside, he changes his clothes,
14:43comes out, does his verse, gets a whole bunch of claps, which is people are like, what?
14:50That's your kid.
14:51And then he changes back into his crew clothes and finishes the job.
14:55Um, so there's this, this, of course I, I love this kid, but I also respect him and I like
15:04that work ethic.
15:05And I, I wanted to support that kind of work ethic.
15:08I was like, yeah, kid.
15:09Oh, I'm not, nobody's going to give it to you.
15:11Oh, you're going to earn it.
15:13And he came back to school.
15:15He just left us.
15:16And we're so sad about that because wherever, whatever venue we went into, they all knew his name.
15:22And, you know, all the people that work in the venue, like, hey, Jet, you know, I like what you
15:28did with the, and he's like, yeah, I'll put it this way this time.
15:31And I'm like, I'm so impressed.
15:34That was great.
15:35I miss him.
15:36I wish he was still with us, but, you know, he's starring in a play at school and, um, you
15:44know, he's got, he's got work to do.
15:46Yeah.
15:46Singing and acting just like his mama.
15:48Look, look at that.
15:50Look at that.
15:51You love that.
15:52I do.
15:52I do.
15:54You know, it's really incredible to watch you make your way through this tour because it's an industry that's very,
15:59very difficult.
16:00And we see, you know, people have to cancel shows, have to postpone shows.
16:04What are some of the harsher realities of touring in the 2020s?
16:08Well, COVID is definitely a part of that.
16:10Let's talk about it.
16:10Yeah.
16:10I just, um, I had it.
16:12I'm negative.
16:13I've tested many, many times now.
16:14I wouldn't be out here.
16:15I promise you, I wouldn't do that to people.
16:17It makes it a challenge to have like meet and greets because sometimes people are so excited about the opportunity
16:25to say hi or express their feelings that they don't consider that if I go down, then there's 30 people
16:34who are not working.
16:35There are thousands of people who have paid their money, bought their outfit, got their hair done, you know, got
16:44their nails done and are ready for a show.
16:46And they've been waiting for it.
16:47Um, so that is a harsh reality of touring that I can no longer do those things because it puts
16:56everybody in jeopardy.
16:58Too much of a race.
17:00Yeah.
17:00That part I can't.
17:01I did it one night.
17:03I'm not going to say what city.
17:05And damn it.
17:08Got me.
17:12It's not fun.
17:13Yeah.
17:14It's not fun.
17:15You know, a few months before the tour, you put out a social media call for openers.
17:19I did.
17:20You did a similar thing in 2011 for the summer block party tour.
17:23Why did you want to bring it back?
17:25I kind of regretted it a little bit.
17:29A little bit.
17:29I did.
17:30I, um, because it was, it was such an overflow of people, um, performing.
17:36Some of it was really, really good.
17:39Um, but some people were singing my music to me and I was like, ah, that doesn't really
17:46help me because I'll be doing my music.
17:49So I want to see what you got with, you know, show, show me you, would you?
17:56Um, and the people who did show me themselves, I, I don't necessarily, I'm not like a huge
18:03fan of like an R and B night.
18:04I needed something a little, uh, different than, than myself.
18:09Um, and I ended up finding some really great artists.
18:15Like Wyatt Waddell is one of my favorites.
18:18I'm in love is a young woman named Jay Bambi.
18:21She feels like Wu-Tang to me.
18:25I just, I like her strength.
18:27I like her height.
18:28I like her presence.
18:30She's got something.
18:31And I'm, I'm really excited to see where that's going.
18:34I'm also going to take her to Europe with me because, um, it's, she's one of mine.
18:40I, I know it.
18:41That's one of my babies.
18:43You know, she cares so much about the lyrics that she writes and she performs with such
18:48authority.
18:49Um, it just, it makes me proud.
18:52So she's coming.
18:54Europe's going to get that.
18:55Yeah.
18:56You know, another beautiful thing about.
18:58I also want to say this.
19:00Yes.
19:02Excuse me.
19:02I'm still working.
19:04Um, most of the time.
19:07And I say this with a lot of pride.
19:09Most of the time when artists are going on tour with another artist, the label or management
19:16or something pay the, the artists to take, you know, their, the younger artists with them
19:23or their newer artists with them.
19:24I paid everybody because I remember what it was like to get paid.
19:29The roots did that.
19:30They paid me.
19:31I got $500 a night to single hook.
19:35Come on.
19:37At the time it was more money than I had ever made, you know, a per night, you know, my
19:42whole check would be the $500.
19:44And then after tax, it was like two 78, you know, so I didn't get that, but I wanted to,
19:49to continue that.
19:51And I'm really proud of it.
19:53Yeah.
19:54Got to pay it forward.
19:55I mean, yeah.
19:58Yeah.
19:59Yeah.
19:59I love you.
20:02Yeah.
20:02We pay our dues.
20:03Absolutely.
20:04You know, another beautiful thing about this new album is that it's your latest independent
20:08project.
20:09Yes.
20:09And to see you reach these heights independently, it's, it's just so incredible.
20:13What advice do you have to younger artists who are looking to achieve the same kind of freedom
20:16that you have gotten from the traditional record label?
20:20I would say squat up.
20:22Hmm.
20:23Get your people.
20:25You need everybody to talk.
20:27I know that social media does a lot.
20:29I get that part.
20:30But the artists that have gone on the road with me, what I talk to them about mostly
20:34is longevity.
20:35You want to be able to do this for the rest of your life.
20:38You know, as long as it feels good to you and you're being sincere with it, you want
20:42to do it forever.
20:43So how do you get to the heart of the people rather than showing them something you want
20:49them to feel?
20:50You want them to, to, to breathe it in.
20:54You know, my mother, she used to say that I was like a perfume you walk into.
21:00And I would want artists to remember that, um, when they're performing for people.
21:05Um, I think that's the gist of it.
21:08Say it again, just so I'm going to make sure I answered your question.
21:11You did answer the question.
21:13Okay, good.
21:14You want me to say it one more time?
21:14Yeah, just to make sure.
21:18The question was, I'm actually just blanking right now, so we're going to move on.
21:22Okay.
21:23I mean, see, it, it's, it happens.
21:26It does happen.
21:27This is live performance, ladies and gentlemen.
21:32It means that there's going to be some, some mistakes.
21:36There just will be.
21:37And yeah, but you have to like be alive.
21:41Um, and when I say that, I mean, be present in the moment to create and perform.
21:48Cause sometimes I just recently I had the sound go out in a city.
21:52I won't name, but I had a, I had the sound go out and you know,
21:56I was kind of like playing around with it for a minute.
21:59And then it started to get serious when I got the note in my ear that it was going to
22:03be another two minutes to reboot.
22:06Two minutes on stage with no sound is a long time.
22:11Next thing I know, I was pantomiming.
22:15I thought about what, what could the, the, the house here, they can hear the drum.
22:21Okay.
22:22What else can they hear?
22:23Oh, they got the keys.
22:24Okay.
22:24I need the drum and the keys.
22:25I need y'all to talk.
22:26Okay.
22:27We're going to take up some time and, um,
22:30I'm going to be moving around this stage to keep my audience interested until we can go.
22:35And then the sound came on and bang, we were right back into it.
22:39You know, it's, it's very tough to lose an audience and then have to fight your way back for it.
22:44Especially when they don't have phones.
22:46Hmm.
22:48Yeah.
22:50Speaking of audiences, you know, there's a special character coming back to our screens today.
22:55Sheila is back.
22:57Sheila.
22:57Sheila is back.
22:59Why did I get married again?
23:01Yes, it's back.
23:02What was it like revisiting that character and visiting that family in that film?
23:06She's an old friend.
23:08You know, this is now what, this is a franchise at this point.
23:11You know, people have grown up to these characters.
23:14So, um, um, when I heard that they wanted to continue it, I was like, well, let me see where
23:20Sheila's gone.
23:21Um, and I read the script.
23:23I enjoyed the script.
23:24But being able to do it, to actually be there, and the things that, um, Mr. Perry shared with us,
23:33well, the opportunities that we were able to have.
23:35Like, I don't know.
23:37I don't know if I could thank him enough just for the things that we saw with our eyeballs.
23:42Wow.
23:43And literally, the things that we saw, the things that we tasted, the people that we met, it was really
23:49a great experience.
23:50So the energy is high, and the energy is fun.
23:54And I'm hoping that people will enjoy the film.
23:57Absolutely.
23:58Can't wait to watch it.
23:59And we're going to turn on to him with his main concern right after.
24:02Yes.
24:02Play it right before, even.
24:04Yes.
24:04But that is it from us.
24:05Thank you so much for joining us, Ms. Scott.
24:07That's all you want?
24:08This was beautiful.
24:08If I could have you for another hour, I would.
24:11But thank you so much for your time.
24:13My pleasure.
24:13Thank you for having me.
24:15Thank you so much.
24:15Thank you so much.
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