Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1

A poet who ran with the spoken-word crowd, Jill Scott proved her writing skills by helping to pen fellow Philadelphians The Roots’ “You Got Me.” She revisits that plaintive hook and bridge on “The Roots (Interlude),” one of 18 tracks on this stirring debut, which ricochets between soul, hip-hop, and Beat poetry. Scott dazzles with her verbal dexterity and flurry of references: “A Long Walk” incorporates Quran and Bible verses, weed, and “Amazing Grace”; “Love Rain” nods to the sciences. Who is Jill Scott? A force of nature.