Jill Scott Receives (Name) Recognition

December 8 -- The title of her debut album asks, "Who Is Jill Scott?" And thanks to rave reviews and strong word of mouth since its July release, people are starting to know the answer.

"I feel really good about it," says Scott, 28, a poet turned singer and songwriter who still resides in her native Philadelphia.

"I try not to get excited about too much, but I'm enjoying it very much. I really appreciate this word of mouth, the fact that the people are speaking moreso than any kind of hype or [record company]. I think that makes it real for me."

Her success was made even more real yesterday, when the NAACP announced the nominations for its 32nd Annual Image Awards. Scott, along with gospel singer Yolanda Adams, led the way with four nominations, including nods for Outstanding New Artist, Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Song ("Gettin' in the Way"), and Outstanding Album.

Raised by her mother — a "renaissance woman" who's worked as a dental technician, an antique restorer, and is now a carpenter — and grandmother, Scott came to music during her early 20s, after tenures in teaching and theater. She established herself on the Philly poetry scene by singing some of her works and began working with DJ Jazzy Jeff before writing The Roots' hit "You Got Me" — which was sung by Erykah Badu, who, along with Angie Stone, is the singer Scott is compared to most relentlessly.

"I understand, because they want to place you somewhere and say, 'Well, you're in this group,'" she says of the comparisons. "But they don't know my group yet. They just met me, and this album is the first album, and it's more an introduction than anything else. It's not the stamp saying, 'This is who she is.' This is only a part of it. I know that I sound like Jill Scott. I know other singers sound like themselves, hopefully, and more specifically, I know Erykah Badu sounds like Erykah, and Angie Stone sounds like Angie. That's why these people stand out, because they're not mimicking. They're not being someone else. And neither am I."