Podcast Summary

Joe and Jada - Angie Martinez IRL: Jill Scott On First Album In A Decade, Being Feminine Force In Music & Acting

Date: January 8, 2026
Host: Angie Martinez
Guest: Jill Scott

Episode Overview

This episode features an intimate, reflective conversation between Angie Martinez and the legendary Jill Scott, whose forthcoming album marks her first original release in nearly a decade. The discussion traverses Jill’s creative process, life wisdom gained over the years, her perspectives on femininity, artistry, acting, relationships, and personal evolution. Jill opens up about motherhood, resilience, boundaries, and finding joy, all while keeping her signature humor, candor, and soulful energy at the forefront.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Slowing Down & Living Life (04:00 – 06:30)

• Jill explains her deliberate decision to step back from music to focus on raising her son during his formative years.
  • “I wanted to do what I wanted to do. That was the goal… I want to take naps during the day if I want to...be there for my person, you know, this kid that God gifted me with.” (05:22)
  • Shares her model of career/life progression: “You work hard in your 20s, you work smart in your 30s, you work how you want to in your 40s, you work when you want to in your 50s, and you work if you want, in your 60s.” (06:18)
• Angie commends Jill’s conscious parenting and her ability to slow down—something not everyone is privileged to do.

2. Creativity & Relationship with Her Voice (08:13 – 11:50)

• Jill admits she kept her singing hidden for many years; music was her private solace.
  • “I didn’t really sing in public for a long time… I didn’t think it was talent. It was just something that made me feel better.” (09:39)
• The importance of writing before singing—for Jill, the “writer comes before the singer,” and the feeling and meaning of words inform her vocal performance.
  • “If I don’t have anything to say, what am I singing for?...The words tell me how to sing the song.” (11:03)

3. Emotional Wisdom & Handling Life’s Challenges (14:50 – 16:15, 17:37 – 19:15)

• Jill embraces all of her emotions and shares a formative story of watching her grandmother grieve fully after her grandfather’s death, learning the power in allowing oneself to process grief thoroughly.
  • “She cried all night…Then the next morning, she got up, fried some fish, made some grits, and we had her biscuits, and she was done. She let it go. She did what she had to do.” (17:47-17:49)

4. Friendship & Boundaries (19:46 – 28:23)

• Jill values loyalty deeply, referencing her lifelong friends and her joy in “weeding” out relationships that are not serving her.
  • “At this age, baby, my sword is hot, it’s sharp, it’s black, so you can’t see it in the dark. And it will cauterize before you know you’re dead.” (21:42)
• Explains financial boundaries: she won’t support friends/family who are irresponsible with money: “Why should I put myself...out when you’re playing with your finance?...I can’t play with you.” (26:21)
• Discusses lending money as adults: “If you ask me for a loan, I’m gonna give you a loan...If you don’t keep up with that...I need you to respect our agreement...so next time, I’m there for you.” (27:40)

5. Mentorship & Longevity (32:01 – 34:59)

• Her mentor, Pamela Macklin, is “full of life, very funny, very open and raw and honest with me…a support system.”
• Jill aspires for a career as enduring and loving as Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, etc.

6. Music Business & Passion for Live Performance (35:04 – 36:36)

• Anger and disappointment with music streaming/publishing: “To get a percentage of a penny is so disrespectful. I can’t...it hurts my feelings.” (35:54)
• Emphasizes live performance as the key to thriving as an artist—and her clear joy in performing: “I get to take my time. I get to languish in the language with musicians that I respect…” (36:23)

7. Personal Growth, Confidence & Femininity (38:39 – 49:00)

• Reflects on powerful past performances and sharing a sacred “sonic swim” with Erykah Badu. Despite public confidence, Jill reveals she often feels vulnerable and sometimes “dismissed by a couple of people I thought would embrace me.” (42:09)
  • “Maybe that is confidence. The confidence to be all of myself. Whether it’s scared or nervous. Vulnerable. That’s. It is what it is.” (43:15)
• Acknowledges her “dominant submissive” energy: strong-willed, but able to follow if she trusts the path or the person. (43:26)
• Connection to creative “flow state” (46:41) and the spiritual aspect of her performance energy.

8. Resilience Through Life’s Hardships (51:55 – 54:00)

• Talks about surviving divorce and other hardships, and still believing in love: “I would keep it to myself. I’ll tell you that. Yep. So it could be mine...Something has to just be mine for private.” (53:24-53:29)

9. Acting & Iconic Role as Sheila (54:00 – 68:27)

• Dissects the impact and ongoing resonance of her character Sheila in “Why Did I Get Married?”
  • “Somebody mentions her to me pretty much every day of my life.” (54:28)
  • “I just wanted to give her grace. I’ve got a bad reputation at this point where people say that my characters tend to be weaker. And I think that there are times when everybody is a little weaker.” (56:06)
• Reveals the pain of enduring real fat jokes on set for authenticity—her pledge to reject others' labels: “I am not fat, but I have some, and it made me feel better.” (67:00)

10. Relationships, Red Flags & Submission (57:34 – 63:16)

• Jill explains what earned submission means to her in relationships: “I want to be able to close my eyes while you drive...I want to be at peace.”
  • What she needs: “Fair, firm, and consistent” (58:33)
• Red flags: irresponsible spending, lack of family/child involvement, and “when someone only gives you enough loving to pacify but not fully please.” (63:26)
  • “You mean to tell me that you flew all the way...to get with this one time, and then you're going to go to sleep...How dare you?” (63:50)

11. Sensuality, Confidence, and the Power of Knowing Yourself (71:34 – 77:50)

• Advice for women wanting sexual confidence: Know yourself first, then move from authenticity.
  • “She has to know herself in order to get what she wants out of this thing. Is she doing this just because she thinks he’ll like it, or because she’ll like it? That is like the most important part of it all.” (72:46)
• Iconic quote on sexual assertiveness: “If she wants to be aggressive, I would say: attack. Attack like a wild animal. Attack. Bite. No boundaries. Bite, grab, scratch. Whatever you need…” (77:07)

12. Feminine Power, Intuition, and Revolution (78:51 – 83:51)

• Jill urges women to embrace their warrior spirit, intuition, and physical power, referencing the book Women Who Run with the Wolves.
  • “Woman. That’s woman. That’s a power to lock into your DNA…We bleed every month and don’t die. What the…When the time comes, our whole universe moves.” (80:38)

13. Career Regrets & Lessons (88:00 – 89:47)

• Jill regrets not taking the movie role in Chicago, which ultimately went to Queen Latifah. “I was doing so many things… I didn’t read [the offer], so I passed. I regret that.” (89:04)

14. Leaving a Legacy & What’s Next (90:14 – End)

• She hopes to leave “a vibe. A strong feminine force…[that] would make other women proud to be women and other men admire women.” (90:26)
• New album is titled To Whom This May Concern, set for release February 13. The project is intended for those “who it’s really, really, really for,” aiming to “start a personal revolution” for the listener. (93:58–96:54)
• On what she’s most proud of: “Whatever lemons life gave me, I’ve managed to enjoy a lemonade smoothie with a sourdough toasted bread gouda cheese wagyu burger with Pom Fritz in the south of Spain…” (97:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I am all of this woman. I am every bit of it. I am a mother. I am a daughter. I am vulnerable. I am aggressive. I am submissive. I am a learner. I am dumb. I am figuring it out as I go.” —Jill Scott (100:49)
• “The trip is worth the juice, is worth the squeeze. Real shit, real shit, real shit.” —Jill Scott (83:07)
• “If you attempt to harm me…oh, you deserve every bit that’s coming your way…It’s not a threat. It’s a fact. I come here to do no harm. I know that for sure.” —Jill Scott (69:22)
• “If she wants to be aggressive, I would say: attack…Bite, grab, scratch. Whatever you need to injure, harm…We should be doing what we like, what we enjoy, rather than what somebody else expects you to be.” —Jill Scott (77:05)
• “Not everybody deserves your A game. Sometimes it’s B or C, and…maybe you might not want to involve yourself at all. Save it for the good stuff. Save it for the great.” —Jill Scott (76:14)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Jill on Parenting & Career Tempo: 04:00–06:30
• Writing Before Singing, Importance of Words: 10:53–11:43
• Learning Grief from Her Grandmother: 17:37–18:09
• Friendship, Boundaries, Financial Self-Respect: 19:46–28:23
• Mentorship & Longevity: 32:01–34:59
• Music Business Economics: 35:54–36:36
• Vulnerability & Performance: 42:09–43:19
• Iconic Acting Role, Weight & Image: 54:00–68:27
• Submission, Red Flags in Relationships: 57:34–63:16
• Women’s Power & Intuition: 78:51–83:51
• Career Regrets – Passing on Chicago: 88:00–89:47
• Album Announcement & Its Vision: 93:58–96:54
• What She Leaves Behind: 90:14–91:29
• Most Proud Of: 97:47–98:46

Podcast’s Language & Tone

The conversation is soulful, real, humorous, and full of the wisdom that comes from living, loving, hurting, and healing. Jill and Angie are unguarded throughout; Jill is particularly forthright—sometimes with poetic verve (“my sword is hot, it’s sharp, it’s black…”) and sometimes with disarming vulnerability. The episode intertwines lessons of self-worth, the nuances of womanhood, and the creative life, creating space for inspiration, laughter, and deep truths.

Final Word

Jill Scott invites the listener into her present moment: one of unfiltered self-authorship, boundless creative energy, and a rejuvenated feminine confidence. Fans of Jill, seekers of soulful life wisdom, and anyone interested in the journey of an artist’s blooming should not miss this episode—or her forthcoming album. As Jill says, “This is the best life I have ever had… I hope to inspire people to find their own personal revolution—because the trip is worth the juice.” (51:55; 83:07)