our own mara schiavocampo caught up with jill scott in l.a.re she's working in the recording studio these days. >> reporter: as jill scott records her latest album, one thing is clear. her songs are as much about the meaning as the melody. >> i enjoy making music that is more human than perfect, more soul-filled rather than soulful. >> reporter: scott finds inspiration in life's ups and downs. raised in philadelphia by her mother and grandmother, who was affectionately called "blues babe" scott started writing poetry in the seventh grade. the young poet was also an aspiring singer, and got her start by working in a recording studio, restoring the wood in the lobby, waiting to be noticed. >> every day i would stain and polyurethane. >> reporter: needless to say, it worked. since her debut album in 2000, she's sold four million albums, won three grammys, and expanded her reach from the stage to the shelves to the screen. >> you are my past. >> reporter: starring in two tyler perry films in the hbo series "the number one lady detective agency." >

. ♪ golden >> jill scott, always good to see you. >> good to see you too. >> what have you been up to? talk to us. >> i've been working op the new album. i spent a lot of time in the studio. basically we're freestyling until i fall out. that's pretty much how we've been creating this record. >> what does it sound like? i've heard a lot of shift in your music from the first album to the recent one? >> there's a lot of new voices coming out. there's a mixture of indy dav venport and myself, roxanne shante/my north philly girl. there's an anita baker/michael bolton combination. >> that's a combination. >> michael mcdonald. it they both have la, la, la. there's a combination of that. like i said we've been freestyling through this project so i never really know what voice is going to come out next. ♪ somebody is checking for us this time ♪ ♪ and i'm sorry you're about to get left ♪ >> i think one of the amazing things about you is the privilege that you have you don't just keep isolated to your family or friends. you're also building things for people. you have a non-profit and charities.