Jamila Woods facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jamila Woods
Woods in 2018
Background information
Born	(1989-10-06) October 6, 1989 (age 35) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	R&B neo soul soul hip hop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter dancer poet

Jamila Abidemi Woods (born October 6, 1989) is a talented American singer, songwriter, and poet from Chicago. She studied at Brown University, focusing on African American studies and performance. Jamila's work often explores themes of Black history, identity, and self-love. She also celebrates her hometown, Chicago, in her art.

Jamila Woods' Creative Journey

Her Start in Poetry

Jamila Woods began her writing journey with poetry. In 2012, she released her first small book of poems called The Truth About Dolls. Her poems have appeared in several collections, including The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (2015). She looks up to famous writers and artists like Lucille Clifton and Frida Kahlo.

Jamila also helped edit The Breakbeat Poets Volume II, titled Black Girl Magic. This book, published in 2018, features poems by Black women. It explores ideas of beauty, Black identity, and self-definition. Jamila is part of a poetry group called Dark Noise Poetry Collective.

Helping Young People Through Art

Jamila Woods has a passion for helping young people. She worked as a leader at Young Chicago Authors (YCA). This group helps young voices shine through art, education, and mentorship.

Through YCA, Jamila helps organize Louder Than a Bomb. This is the world's largest youth poetry slam festival. She also teaches poetry workshops and creates lessons for schools in Chicago.

Her Music Career

After college, Jamila Woods formed a band called Milo and Otis (M&O) with a classmate. They released two albums: The Joy in 2012 and Almost Us in 2014. Their song "Lift Up" even featured Chance the Rapper. The band later broke up in 2014.

Jamila is well-known for working with other artists. She sang on Chance the Rapper's popular songs "Sunday Candy" and "Blessings." She also featured on the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song "... II".

In 2016, Jamila signed with Closed Sessions, a hip-hop music label in Chicago. That same year, she released her first solo album, Heavn. It quickly became popular and featured artists like Chance the Rapper and Noname. Heavn was even named one of the best albums of 2016 by Pitchfork.

Jamila released her second album, Legacy! Legacy!, in May 2019. This album received great reviews. Each song on it is named after a famous Black creator. The album includes the song "Eartha," which helps tell stories of history. Videos for her songs "SONIA/FRIDA" were also released.

In early 2020, Jamila opened for R&B singer Raphael Saadiq on his tour. She also worked with R&B singer rum.gold on the song Waiting For.

Jamila Woods' Albums and Songs

Studio Albums

Singles (Individual Songs)

• "Blk Girl Soldier" (2016)
• "Holy" (2017)
• "Giovanni" (2018)
• "Zora" (2019)
• "Eartha" (2019)
• "Baldwin" (2019)
• "Zora" [Live] (2020)
• "Sula" [Hardcover] (2020)
• "Sula" [Paperback] (2020)
• "Tiny Garden" featuring duendita (2023) – This song reached No. 29 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

Music Videos

• "Blk Girl Soldier" (2016)
• "Holy" (2017)
• "Giovanni" (2018)
• "Zora" (2019)
• "Eartha" (2019)
• "Baldwin" (2019)
• "Sula (Hardcover)" (2020)
• "Tiny Garden" featuring duendita (2023)