Also naming the 2300 block of Oakdale Street as “Jill Scott Lane.” WHEREAS, Jill Scott was born April 4, 1972 to Joyce Scott and raised as an only child by her mother and grandmother in North Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, Scott discovered the poetry of Nikki Giovanni in the 8th grade and was majorly inspired by her work, with Scott later enjoying writers like Octavia Butler and J. California Cooper as well; and WHEREAS, Scott graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1990 as a member of the 234th Class, and enrolled at Temple University, where she studied to become a teacher before leaving to pursue a career in theater and the arts; and WHEREAS, Scott’s spoken word poetry performance at the October Gallery led to her being discovered by Questlove of The Roots, and she was invited to collaborate with the legendary rap group as a songwriter and vocalist; and WHEREAS, Scott moved on to collaborate with other Philadelphia artists such as Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Dre & Vidal, and Carvin & Ivan, and even non-Philadelphia artists such as Common, while also landing a role in the Canadian Broadway musical Rent ; and WHEREAS, Scott became the first artist signed to Steve McKeever’s Hidden Beach Recordings label, which released her 2000 debut album Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1 ; and WHEREAS, Who Is Jill Scott? peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 and earned Scott three GRAMMY nominations, with its biggest single “Getting in the Way” setting the tone for her musica…
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