I'm creating art that can be healing. Art that can make you feel like you're not alone, like you're not an outsider. Art that is useful. Jamila Woods More Quotes by Jamila Woods More Quotes From Jamila Woods When you're in a choir, it's about blending into how everyone else sounds. Jamila Woods everyone how you choir I wish that more people, especially young people, were taught about self-love at a younger age. Jamila Woods self-love age wish people Music is something that is supposed to connect people on a pure level. Jamila Woods something pure music people There is a lot of history buried in Chicago that I still have yet to discover. Jamila Woods discover still chicago history I have a band called M&O. We were working on our first album in 2011 or 2012. We were looking for people to collaborate with, and I met Chance through a Young Chicago Authors poetry slam. Jamila Woods looking chance poetry people They say Chicago is for haters. No one will just sweat each other and say, 'Oh, you're so good,' if you're not. Which is another reason I'm inspired to stay. Jamila Woods haters will good you Hairdressers are all-knowing. They're so wise. Jamila Woods wise I like to borrow forms and quotes and use a lot of allusions, in both poetry and music. Jamila Woods like music poetry use When I started writing poetry, it was always in very hip-hop influenced spaces: Someone would teach a Nas song side-by-side with a Gwendolyn Brooks poem, and we'd talk about the connections between those things. Jamila Woods someone poetry writing song I read 'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison in college, and it just blew my mind. Jamila Woods just college mind song There is so much talent in Milwaukee, and such diversity. Jamila Woods much milwaukee diversity talent My mentors were very good. Jamila Woods mentors were very good With lyrics, being a poet gave me a different approach than other people. Jamila Woods being me different people I read this book when I was young. It's about a black girl growing up in Heaven, Ohio. The cover has a black girl with clouds behind her. It was the first book cover I ever saw with a girl that looked like me. Jamila Woods me black girl clouds When I was a kid, getting on Lake Shore Drive from the south side to go downtown was magical. Jamila Woods lake drive kid go A lot of people get Chicago wrong. I've developed this protective feeling about how we're portrayed, and at the same time, I'm acutely aware of the issues we face and the root causes of these issues. Jamila Woods face feeling time people It's important to me that there's not just one story told about our city. 'LSD' is an ode to Chicago, a song for the complicated love I have for my city. Jamila Woods city me song love 'HEAVN' is about black girlhood, about Chicago, about the people we miss who have gone on to prepare a place for us somewhere else, about the city/world we aspire to live in. I hope this album encourages listeners to love themselves and love each other. Jamila Woods black hope love people For black and brown people, caring for ourselves and each other is not a neutral act. It is a necessary and radical part of the struggle to create a more just society. Our healing and survival are essential to the fight. Jamila Woods fight black struggle people It was through poetry I learned just to appreciate my own voice and to not think of my voice in terms of what it needs to be able to do, but what it can do. Jamila Woods think my-own voice poetry
