Celebrity Friday: Jill Scott Has A New Baby (and Ex)

One of MadProfessah's favorite singers Jill Scott delivered her son Jett Hamilton Roberts on April 20th at 4:20pm. He weighed 7 and a half pounds at birth. Gee, I wonder if they will give him the nickname "Weed"? The father was her then-fiancé Lil Jon Roberts, a drummer she had been dating since 2007 (pictured above). The two have since broken up.

She tells Essence magazine, "He (Roberts) was there (for the birth) and for a couple of days afterwards while I stayed in the hospital, but John and I are no longer together.

"When you have a baby you're dealing with a lot of emotions and I don't know how much of it had to do with us breaking up, but it happens.

"We definitely love our son and we are co-parenting and working on being friends. I have hopes for (Jett) and I'm sure his father will do his part as well."

However, Scott admits she sympathises with other single mothers, especially youngsters who find themselves bringing up kids on their own.

She adds, "My heart and prayers go out to all single mums because it's tough, and I can't imagine any teenager dealing with a baby and all those hormones raging. I can afford to have this child at 37 because I have a support system... but I don't understand how any mother does it alone.

Jill has been starring in HBO's television series The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency (based on the best-selling books by Alexander McCall Smith) which is set in Botswana (and shot on location). She has done such a good job she was widely thought to be in line for an Emmy nomination, but alas only CCH Pounder received a nomination as a guest star.

Celebrity Friday: Jill Scott Gets Divorced And Big Movie Role

You go, girl! One of Mad Professah's favourites, Jill Scott, has been making a lot of news recently. Two weeks ago it was confirmed that she is divorcing Lyzel Willliams, her longtime lover (and husband since 2001), and the inspiration for one of the best songs on her debut album, "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E-Flat)."

Jill's movie career has been heating up as her romantic life has been cooling. She is co-starring with Janet Jackson and Michael Jai White in the Tyler Perry movie Why Did I Get Married. In addition, she has been cast as Precious Ramotswe, the lead role in the new Anthony Minghella (Best Director Oscar winner for The English Patient) movie, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. This movie is based on the best-selling mystery novel about the first female detective agency in Botswana written by Alexander McCall Smith. The movie also stars Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls) and Idris Elba (Transformers, HBO's The Wire). The cast arrived in Botswana on Tuesday for 40 days of shooting on location. The book is the first in a series which highlight contemporary African life in the context of the mystery genre.

REVIEW: Jill Scott's Collaborations

Jill Scott (or "Jilly from Philly" as my friend Leonardo likes to call her) has released her fourth album in an attempt to appease clamoring fans, impatient for Volume Three of her studio releases and who have become tired of listening to Words and Sounds, Volume One: Who is Jill Scott? and Words and Sounds, Volume One: Beautifully Human.

Collaborations contains some of the choice remixes which have been played on KCRW and other progressive radio statons for years but may have been hard to get, specifically two remixes of "Love Rain" from her very first album. The two tracks are: Track 1, Love Rain (Head Nod Remix) featuring Mos Def, and Track 14, Love Rain (Coffee Shop Mix) featuring Mos Def.

The CD also contains some unsual collaborations: "Kingdom Come" featuring Kirk Franklin, "Let Me" featuring Will.I.Am (from Black-eyed Peas) and Sergio Mendes, and "Something I Wonder" featuring Darius Rucker (Hootie!)

However, the best track on the album is track 2, "Daydreaming" (featuring Lupe Fiasco). The video for the track is below:



The album is not bad, but it definitely does not sate the appetite for a full-length studio record.
GRADE: B+.