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Jully
Black
biography |
Jully
Black doesn't believe in holding back. And she never wants to. Whether it's
singing her heart out on her upcoming debut album This Is Me, broadening
her talents in the theatre production of Da Kink In My Hair, adding
Destiny's Child and Nas to her songwriting credits, expanding her social
consciousness in Bangladesh or overcoming the heartache of professional
setbacks, there's an apparent fearlessness to Jully that's both admired
and awarded. She's received four Juno Award nominations, four MuchMusic
Video Award nominations and Fashion Magazine recently recognized her ambitious
nature by naming her one of the most alluring Canadians. To explain her
forward-thinking drive, Jully says: "My mom always said if you fall down,
you can't go further than the ground. So if I fall, I know I'll just get
right back up.".
The youngest
of nine and the only singer in a family of visual artists, Jully grew up
in the rough Jane and Finch neighbourhood of Toronto. She discovered her
voice in church at the age of seven but as her vocal ability developed,
so did the self-consciousness about her powerful alto range. "It was hard
to deal with because the perception is if you sing high, you sing better,"
Jully recalls. Nevertheless, she persevered by going against the norm and
strengthening her lower register. "Now I'd say my voice is gritty with smooth
textures and I've learnt to love my rasp because that's my difference."
Her signature
rasp and soul-stirring voice captured the ears of rappers like Choclair,
Kardinal Offishall and Baby Blue Soundcrew, who recruited Jully to sing
and write on their singles. Her association with Canada's hip-hop elite
became a launching pad and rigorous training ground, teaching her how to
write melodies and lyrics on the spot, appear in music videos, carry live
shows and prepare for the spotlight.
But Jully
wanted to shine for more than a mere eight bars, and began to really push
her talents as a songwriter. Her incredible understanding of song structure,
melody and expressive lyrics were noticed by Warner/Chappell Music, who
inked her to a music publishing deal at the age of 20. Jully continued to
release her own songs (including top 40 hit "Rally'n," "You've Changed"
from the Brown Sugar Soundtrack and "I Travelled" which appears on Women
& Songs 7), as well as write for international superstars such as Esthero,
Nas and Destiny's Child. "Writing for Destiny's Child was huge for me,"
Jully says. "It was amazing to hear them sing something I wrote in my bedroom
on my guitar."
And while
her songs sound phenomenal when others sing them, when they come out of
Jully's mouth directly, it'll send chills up and down your spine. "My absolute
favourite thing to do is perform. It doesn't matter if there are two people
in the audience, I just love to do it." She's already opened for Jay-Z,
50 Cent and Usher, and looks forward to sharing a stage with her favourites;
Etta James, Anita Baker, James Brown, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill. In
the tradition of her influences, Jully's is a no holds barred approach.
When she's up on that stage, either acoustically or with a full band behind
her, you know she's drawing on every emotion, embracing her audience and
throwing herself into every note.
Even in
hard times, like when her U.S. record label MCA closed its doors, Jully
believes in experiencing emotions to her fullest extent. "I'll keep it real,
I fell right down on my face and cried," she says. "But then Bangladesh
changed my life." Jully travelled to the country for two weeks as part of
a MuchMusic documentary on the working conditions in the garment industry.
"Living amongst the natives, going into the factories and seeing the women
not allowed to wear shoes or take breaks while they made our clothes, it
put everything into perspective and made me think about what we take for
granted."
So Jully
got back on her grind, taking advantage of every opportunity and accepting
new challenges including mentoring, promoting and acting. She currently
organizes a live series entitled Glow The Show, which exposes up-and-coming
female artists and allows them to learn more about the music industry. Jully's
also joined the cast of the acclaimed Mirvish production of Da Kink
In My Hair at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre from January 11 to
February 27. "It's about the black woman's plight and struggle with self-love
and how her hair is symbolic of her journey, strengths and weaknesses,"
explains Jully. "This was a challenge because I'm singing, dancing and acting."
When reflecting
back on her 10 years as a professional singer/songwriter/performer, Jully
knows what she's most proud of. "My biggest accomplishment is gaining international
recognition while being able to maintain my maple leaf status," she says.
And although Jully always represents Canada, she sees music's ability to
stretch beyond borders and boundaries. "Music is the only language that
every race, every nation can speak and understand." She adds, "Music is
medicine."
And now
Jully's ready to deliver a large dose of music that's all her own. Her debut
album, This Is Me, is an honest representation of Jully's sultry
soul laced with hip-hop, pop, reggae and dub. She wrote on 13 songs, and
worked with renowned producers such as the Soul Diggas (Missy, Madonna,
Destiny's Child) as well as homegrown heroes Saukrates and Agile. "Forget
winning the lotto numbers, I'm so excited it's happening for real," Jully
exclaims with her unbridled enthusiasm. "If it was my wedding day, maybe
this is what it would feel like. But I feel like the bride, I feel like
I had a new baby, I feel everything!"
No matter
what she's doing at any given moment, Jully will continue to put her all
into everything she does. And when it comes to balancing and prioritizing
her work, she keeps her passions in check with one signature thought. "Even
if it's a matter of me being really tired, I have a simple mandate," she
says. "I do what I love first. That's the Jully Black rule." |
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