Jamila Woods

The R&B singer, poet, and activist Jamila Woods (born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 6, 1989) crafts a socially conscious, soul-streaked sound in thrall to poetry, Black musical history, Black feminism, and a deep love of her city. After receiving a BA in Africana Studies and Theater & Performance Studies from the prestigious Brown University, Woods was appointed artistic director of Young Chicago Authors, facilitating poetry workshops for young people and helping to organize Louder Than a Bomb, the world's largest youth poetry slam festival. Her musical journey began in soul-pop duo M&O fka Milo and Otis, with whom she released the albums The Joy (2012) and Almost Us (2014) before her collaboration with Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment on the track “Sunday Candy” (from the 2015 album Surf) put her name on the map. A collaboration with Chance the Rapper on "Blessings" from 2016's Coloring Book followed. That same year, Woods assembled a crew of her fellow Chicagoans, including Chance the Rapper, Noname, Saba, PeterCottontale, Kweku Collins, and oddCouple, for her debut solo album HEAVN, which was released on the American indie rock imprint Jagjaguwar. In May 2019, she released the album LEGACY! LEGACY!, which reached number 20 on the UK R&B Albums Chart. After touring as an opening act for Raphael Saadiq, Jamila Woods returned in 2023 with another studio effort, Water Made Us, which featured the single "Tiny Garden."