Jill Scott was born on April 4, 1972 is an American R&B, soul, and jazz singer, songwriter, and poet. She has received nine Grammy Award nominations, winning two.

She has a candid interview in the November issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine that puts her other recent articles to shame. Scott grew up an only child in the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was raised by her mother, Joyce Scott, and her grandmother. She indicated in an interview with Jet Magazine that she had a happy childhood and was "very much a loved child".

Scott attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls and after graduating, attended Temple University while simultaneously working two jobs.

She studied secondary education for three years and had planned on becoming a high school English teacher, but after spending time as a teacher's aide, Scott became disillusioned with the teaching profession and dropped out of school. Scott was the first artist signed to Steve McKeever's 'Hidden Beach Recordings' label.

Her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 was released in 2000. She experienced some chart success and notice with the single "A Long Walk", which eventually earned her a Grammy nomination in early 2003 for Best Female Vocal Performance. Scott lost that award, but won a 2005 Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative R&B Performance for "Cross My Mind." The live album, Experience:Jill Scott 826+, was released November 2001.

Scott's second full-length album, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2, followed in 2004. In 2004, Scott expanded her acting resume appearing in several episodes of season four of UPN's "Girlfriends" playing Donna, a love interest to main character, William Dent.

She also appeared in the Showtime movie Cavedwellers, starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. She will star as Precious Ramotswe in a movie version of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, currently in production.