Natural (adj.): Without pretension of affectation; innate, not acquired,  at ease. n. A person or thing sure to be successful. syn. genuine, Jill Scott. The question no longer begs to be answered. We know who Jill Scott is, and the descriptions are many. Neo-Soul Princess, lyrical lioness, poet. She is an anachronism to the present day peddlers of what passes for R & B these days. By now, we also know that she is from Philly, is 29 years old and has a fiancé by the name of Lyzel. What we really know is that when she is singing, what spills from her lips is pure unadulterated soul, and that the experience is visceral and without speaking to or touching us individually, we have shared something intangible and beautiful.

It has been a year and some months since the question was posed. Jill has earned a platinum album and accolades of which there are too many to name. She has become what our society defines as successful. Scott talks about the "path" to success and how it will "bend" on you. She credits her own good fortune to a strong belief in herself, and her willingness to be humble and a student of life. She understands that success and sacrifice eat at the same table. On her path, there were some hard decisions to make, which might not be right for everybody. But then again, everybody isn't Jill Scott.

Jill Scott started off in a neighborhood where people swept their porches and were way ahead of Hilary Clinton. They knew it took a village to raise a child. She doesn't stereotype her community. Her neighborhood was like most, people worked, took care of what they had, and hoped for better for the {next}generation. “My block was very pleasant to grow up on. I grew up in a good place; my neighbors looked out for me," Scott said. She went on to attend Temple University in Philadelphia and discontinued her studies in secondary English education during her third year. Her voice, as she explains, is what brought her to that decision.

"I didn't think I was getting what I needed … and what I needed, I figured out later on, was to perform. When I started student teaching at this particular place, I didn't feel supported as student or as a teacher," remarked Scott.

As a student teacher, Scott was sent to a school that she describes as gray. The walls, the floor, just everything was gray. This didn't sit well with her, "So I asked if I could put some colors on the wall," she said. Scott felt the drab environment was defeating to the teacher as well as the students, and what happened next was inevitable. She was labeled, "young and idealistic" by the principal and was told that she would get over it. "So I quit school and my job that day," exclaimed Scott. The events of that particular day changed the course of her life.

The comments made by the principal, instead of breaking her spirit, kicked it into high gear. She said, "I just figured it would be best for me to find something else, and I prayed on the way home. I was so frustrated, more than broken. I was frustrated and by the time I got home, there was a phone call literally as I was putting my key in the door. A director that I had done a script reading for named Ozzie Jones called and asked me if I would like to do an apprenticeship at a theatre company. So, I went and applied for that position.” Scott continued, “ It was very difficult work. I made $150 a week. I scrubbed toilets, hung lights, and built sets. I did it all just to learn. That was a very good experience. I thought if I wanted to go back to school and change my major, at least I had some hands-on experience of what it was that I might be interested in, and that was acting and theatre production."

Certainly for Jill Scott, this was the proverbial phone call “heard around the world.” It was a confirmation of the rightness of her decision.

The apprenticeship experience prepared her for a role with the touring cast of the Broadway musical Rent. She went from a $150 a week apprentice to a $1,500 a week cast member. Obviously the universe knew of her need to perform and when Jill was gutsy enough to try her hand at such a fickle industry, the universe in which she felt so much a part of, gave it back in spades.

However, her success comes with a price. She understands that because now we all know who Jill Scott is, being in the spotlight all of the time can be draining. "My job is so much 24-seven. Others can get off of work and go to the market and buy groceries. Others can just go to the movies. But I have to really think about it more, because I know there may be a situation where I'm bombarded when I'm simply trying to pick out my fruit at the market. As artists, entertainers or actors, wherever you go, everybody is watching you. {In this business,} the cost {of celebrity} is peace of mind."

Although Jill Scott opted out of a college education for herself, she believes education is important for everybody, and that, while college is important, learning in and of itself is a life process. "I would tell anyone to get it where you can. If you're in college, wonderful, great! But also just don't limit yourself to college. The world is an education itself.

So find out what it is you want to do and go out there and do some research.

Stand in the front lines to know for sure, this is really what you want to do,” adds Scott.

Jill Scott was brave enough to follow the path of her dreams. She ultimately believed in herself. "I didn't do this because I wanted everyone to tell me I was wonderful. I thought I was wonderful, and just wanted to show everybody. I learned so much just by being hands-on that I felt that I was worthy, capable and people would enjoy it,” Scott states. And so far, so good for Jill Scott who believes you can't do things just to make money. According to this star vocalist, you have to do what you love, and it will make money for you. Her fans are grateful, she has stayed true to the course.

Rhonda Planer is a writer/reporter for Lee Bailey's EUR/Electronic Urban Report at www.EURweb.com and a recipient of the World Stage Poetry Prize.