Jamila Woods

Jamila Woods is a singer, songwriter, poet and educator from Chicago. Her music blends hip hop and R&B with political commentary, introspection, black history and self-love. 

Her 2019 album, Legacy! Legacy! is written from the perspective of historical writers, artists and musicians of color. Each track is named after a different icon and builds a sonic and lyrical monument to the various ways they pushed against the margins assigned to them.

Jamila is also the Associate Artistic Director of non-profit organization Young Chicago Authors and helps organize the Louder Than A Bomb poetry festival, as well as creating educational materials for Chicago’s public schools.

At Loop, Jamila will share her ideas on legacy, history and poetic inspiration. She will join a discussion on the relationship between making music and teaching music – and how educational work can be an intrinsic part of an artist’s creative practice.