PATREON EXCLUSIVE | Our Love Is Thick (feat. Jill Scott) | The Joe Budden Podcast
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Jill Scott's album 'To Whom This May Concern' is an offering for those who might not understand its message immediately but will resonate with it later.
- ❖She believes in setting clear boundaries in relationships, framing support as a 'loan' that requires respect and visible growth from the recipient.
- ❖Scott finds joy and inspiration in all emotions, including sadness and confusion, using them as catalysts for creativity.
- ❖She actively seeks out collaborations with artists who are 'god MCs' and 'paint with words,' rather than just providing beats.
- ❖Jill Scott is a vocal opponent of AI in music and writing, arguing it removes passion, accomplishment, and the essential human experience from creation.
- ❖Her purpose is to share stories, a trait she attributes to her Guinea-Bissau ancestry, known for storytelling through music.
Insights
1Organic Collaboration and the Search for 'Music' Over 'Beats'
Jill Scott emphasizes that her album, 'To Whom This May Concern,' was created through organic encounters, often by 'bumping into people on the street.' She distinguishes between 'beats' and 'music,' stating she seeks musicians who 'paint with words' and provide 'water to swim in,' rather than just a rhythm. This approach led to collaborations with artists like DJ Premiere, Ab-Soul, and J. Cole, who she values for their lyrical storytelling.
Scott describes meeting DJ Premiere in Japan and Parks in his studio, and connecting with Ab-Soul through a mutual friend after admiring his lyricism. She explicitly states, 'I prefer music. Can you make music? Cuz beats are just beats. They don't have any intention. It's just it's straight. And it might be a dope beat, but what do you I need water to swim in.'
2The Album's Message: 'To Whom This May Concern' as a Guide for Self-Liberation
The album is an offering for those who might not grasp its message immediately but will find relevance later, much like her experience with Billie Holiday's music. Scott frames the album as a call to action for women to address misery, set boundaries, and move on from unfulfilling relationships. She advocates for treating support as a 'loan' that requires respect and a visible commitment to growth from the recipient, rather than endless, unreciprocated giving.
Scott explains the album title: 'This is an offering to whom this may concern. You might not you might not get it till 10 years later, but it's for you.' She details the themes: 'time to change things, time to address things. There's a lot of women sitting around just miserable, not getting smashed, right? I hear it all the time. Like, that's so sad. That's not a life.' She further elaborates on support: 'If you're going to use me, I need to see you blossom from it... I'm going to give you a loan. It's a loan, okay? There won't be any kind of interest on it. These are the payments. Respect me enough to do that.'
3Critique of Modern R&B and the Dangers of AI in Art
Jill Scott expresses concern that contemporary R&B is 'devoid of love' and 'humanity,' overly focused on 'sex and money' without the nuance or sensuality of older music. She strongly dislikes AI in any creative capacity, arguing it removes the passion, accomplishment, and investigative curiosity essential to human creation. She finds AI-generated music, even when technically impressive, 'disturbing' due to the absence of human involvement.
On R&B: 'I think it's devoid of love. I do. I think there's just like no no like humanity in it at all. It's like you got money, I got time... humanity lives in the simple things.' On AI: 'I don't like it at all... I don't think you should be helping somebody write a write a essay for school... it removes the passion. Where's the accomplishment if there's somebody doing it for you?' She recounts hearing a 'gospel rock country song' generated by AI that was 'fire' but found it 'disturbing' that 'no people were involved in creating such a thing.'
4Embracing Emotional Depth and the Art of 'Ghosting' for Closure
Scott shares her appreciation for all emotions, including sadness and confusion, viewing them as valuable sources of inspiration for her writing. When it comes to personal relationships, she believes that closure isn't always necessary, and 'time does the closing.' She advocates for 'ghosting' or quietly disengaging from relationships when a conversation will not change the outcome, preserving one's own peace.
Scott states, 'I also enjoy being sad... I enjoy being confused... because I'm amazed by it. Like, I don't know what to do. Oh, let me sit and ponder. Let me write something.' On closure: 'I don't know if you necessarily need it. I think time does the closing... you don't have to announce your departure. When you done, you just done.'
Bottom Line
Jill Scott's experience in Botswana revealed a culture where marital infidelity had severe business and social consequences, including potential loss of children and business trust.
This highlights a stark contrast to Western societal norms regarding infidelity, suggesting that strong community standards and direct consequences can shape social behavior and trust in unique ways.
Explore how different cultures enforce social contracts and maintain community trust, potentially informing new models for accountability in professional and personal relationships in other contexts.
Lessons
- Cultivate a 'joyful life' by defining what that means for you, rather than conforming to external expectations.
- Practice setting clear boundaries in relationships by framing your support as a 'loan' that requires respect and visible growth from the recipient.
- Embrace all emotions, including sadness and confusion, as potential catalysts for creative expression and self-discovery.
- Prioritize genuine connection and storytelling in your creative endeavors, seeking out collaborators who 'paint with words' and contribute to a deeper narrative.
- Disengage from relationships or situations that no longer serve you without feeling obligated to provide elaborate explanations or seek 'closure' from others; sometimes, 'time does the closing.'
Notable Moments
Jill Scott's son was born on 4/20 at 4:20 to Special Ed's 'I Got It Made' playing on a 36-hour shuffle playlist, which she interprets as significant signs about his unique path.
This personal anecdote underscores her belief in destiny and the importance of nurturing a child's individual spirit, feeding them 'books' and 'music' to prepare them for an unknown future.
While filming an HBO show in Botswana, Jill Scott experienced extreme conditions (117-degree weather, large white crickets hitting her during night shoots) and was put on a postage stamp in the country.
This highlights the intense dedication and unique challenges she faced in her acting career, leading to a profound, immersive experience and a rare cultural honor.
Jill Scott recounts a 10-year-old white kid secretly videotaping her naked on a 'private' nude beach, leading to her vacation footage appearing online.
This illustrates the pervasive nature of privacy invasion in the digital age, even in seemingly secluded environments, and the unexpected sources of such breaches.
Quotes
"I prefer music. Can you make music? Cuz beats are just beats. They don't have any intention. It's just it's straight. And it might be a dope beat, but what do you I need water to swim in."
"I tell my son it's not a flex if it's the truth. The truth is just the truth."
"I don't care if it takes me until I'm 75 years old. I want MC of the year. I don't care what in what period of time."
"Our love is thick. It doesn't fall through your hands, through your fingers. Our love is compassionate and it's fun and it's uh growing. With this other kind of love, it can be fickle. If I say the wrong thing or if I do something outside of the box, then all of a sudden all the the love that I've shown it dissipates and it becomes something different."
"I don't know if you necessarily need [closure]. I think time does the closing. I think I think at this point we have to make heart breaks. Like I'm just not talking to you anymore. You don't have to announce your departure. When you done, you just done."
"I don't like [AI] in any capacity. I don't think you should be helping somebody write a write a essay for school. I don't think that. I think you're supposed to be able to write a essay for school."
"Nina Simone told me that I should leave here. And I was like, 'Go where?' She's like, 'I don't know. They'll never understand you.'"
Q&A
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