Neo-soul singer Jill
Scott, recognized for her upbeat songs, recently expressed her frustration with
certain hip-hop artists, for relying too heavily on boastful, materialistic lyrics.
Instead, Scott
said rappers should expand the subject matter of their songs to include everyday
issues.
“It just
frustrates me [because] not everybody can afford a diamond bracelet or a mansion,”
Scott told AllHipHop.com. “But what we do have in common is just so much
more than monetary things or surface things.”
According to Scott,
hip-hop has thrived precisely because of its power to unify. She said artists
who speak on topics outside of their region or even their life, have been able
to prosper because they connect people to the music.
According to the
Philadelphia native, she was in love with rapper Notorious B.I.G. because of
the intricate tales he weaved in his rhymes.
While B.I.G. and
Scott may have come from two different worlds, the ability to understand B.I.G.
through his story telling was the thread that linked Scott to the deceased rapper.
“I appreciated
his thoughts and his flow that was exquisite,” Scott said. “I don’t
want to hear the same flow from an MC or the same song Run DMC freaked! Artist
shouldn’t think in a box.”
Scott is also a
fan of rappers like Nas and Jay-Z, who like B.I.G., tell narratives that people
relate to on a level beyond just music.
She said she values
these artists who reveal their intelligence in addition to their lyrical prowess.
Back in 2000, Scott’s
debut album Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 helped
launch the neo-soul movement, along with artists like Angie Stone and India
Arie.
Scott’s third
album Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 was released in late
August on Hidden Beach Records and is currently number 12 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop
charts.
