Key Takeaways
- Jill Scott was inducted into Billboard’s R&B Hall of Fame during the R&B/Hip Hop Power Players celebration.
- She reflected on touring with The Roots, who entered Billboard’s separate Hip Hop Hall of Fame that evening.
- Her first studio album in more than a decade, To Whom This May Concern, debuted in the Top 10 of seven Billboard charts.
More than two decades after Jill Scott introduced herself to the world with Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1, she’s officially a Hall of Famer. Somehow, she’s still surprised that people are listening.
The Grammy Award winner was inducted into Billboard’s R&B Hall of Fame on Wednesday (Sept. 9) during the publication’s 2026 R&B/Hip Hop Power Players celebration. Before receiving the honor, Scott sat down with Billboard staff writer Kyle Denis at Billboard House, where she looked back on the music and experiences that helped shape her career.
When asked how she reacted to learning she would be inducted, disbelief topped the list. “[I felt] shock, gratefulness, excitement, mostly shock,” she emphasized. “I don’t take these things for granted; it’s still a shock to me that anybody knows, loves and appreciates my music.”
Jill Scott looks back on her early days with The Roots
The honor brought Scott’s story full circle. The Roots, who were inducted into Billboard’s Hip Hop Hall of Fame the same evening, played an important role in her early career. The Philly native co-wrote the group’s 1999 classic “You Got Me,” featuring Erykah Badu and Eve, before releasing her debut studio album the following year.
During the conversation, she recalled being on the road with The Roots and getting an early education in touring. “It’s really cute [that we’re being honored together] because I remember us being on the road together,” she shared. “We’re finally adults. We were adults then, but it felt like we were children. They opened their doors and let me find out about what touring meant, and from them, I learned what I didn’t want, and I learned what I wanted.”
That experience helped inform a career that would stretch across more than two decades, but Scott’s latest chapter proves she isn’t relying on nostalgia.
Jill Scott returned with ‘To Whom This May Concern’
Back in February, the 54-year-old released To Whom This May Concern, her first studio album in more than a decade. The project features Tierra Whack, Trombone Shorty, JID, Too $hort and Ab-Soul and debuted in the Top 10 of seven Billboard charts. “Pressha” also gave Scott her first No. 1 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart in nearly 13 years.
“I just couldn’t hold it anymore,” she explained during the Billboard House panel. “I wanted to say that I’m maturing as a human being and as a woman, and there are different perspectives now, and I like it. I like using all genres of music. It is an homage to the people that came before me and opened doors for me. And I like making my heart happy — it’s a thing!”
The album followed a lengthy creative break that Scott previously explained wasn’t about running out of ideas. In an earlier Billboard interview, she shared that she needed time to live outside of her career, experience motherhood and reconnect with herself. Now, she’s back with new music, a Hall of Fame honor and another reminder that the songs she created all those years ago never stopped finding an audience.
Scott may still be shocked people love her music this much, but after 25 years, they’re making sure she knows it.