Workplace crushes always seem like a bad idea. This even applies to the field of music. Sure, artists date artists. But because each artist’s creative process is so delicate, it’s not often that it works so seamlessly. For Jill Scott, one simple musical collaboration she can recall stands out because of a crush she had on the artist.
In a conversation with Pitchfork about her collaborators over the years, one moment brought her to Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def. When she had pulled the first card, she beamed with joy at a picture of them together. Mos Def hopped on a remix of Scott’s “Love Rain” on her debut album, Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Volume 1. She admitted to having a “terrible, terrible crush” on Yasiin Bey, all because his skills as a rapper wooed her.
“He’s one of the illest lyricists that I’ve ever come across,” Scott said. “In fact, I remember the first time that I met him, I just quoted his lyrics to him. The lyrics were, ‘I give a damn whether a fan recalls my legacy. I’m trying to live my life in the sight of God’s memory, like that, y’all.’“
Jill Scott recalls Why She Had such a Big Crush on Mos Def
“And I thought that was so powerful, that it’s bigger than this moment. It’s bigger than your career as an artist, that you really want to make an impact in the God in people,” the R&B crooner continued.
Elsewhere in the interview, Jill Scott opened up about a collaborator on her new album, To Whom This May Concern. On “To B Honest”, she tapped JID, someone she didn’t know about beforehand. However, after her son reminded her that she’s Jill Scott and could just DM him, she mustered up the courage. Mere minutes later, she got the response she was looking for after spending ages trying to find the perfect rapper for the song.
“This man right here can spit. This is a real emcee. When I tell you painting pictures with words, which is what it’s really all about and that’s what it’s always been about… he can do it,” Jill scott emphasized. “His mind is beautiful. I’ve had a really great privilege of spending some late-night conversations with him.”
“I had spent a lot of time calling people, looking for the right emcee who could paint pictures with words. You can see everything he says. Expertly done,” Scott continued.
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