It’s no secret that I love me some Jill Scott. Ever since she hit the music scene, I just loved her sound, the way she carries herself as a plus-size woman and most of all she’s not ashamed to rock her natural hair. She gives me such a sense of realness that’s undescribable and even though I’ve never met her, I can just tell she’s a real chick.

Jilly from Philly graced the cover of Essence magazine’s October issue where she DEMANDED she rocks her natural hair.

According to TheYBF:

she “staged sort of a coup” to make sure she could rock her natural hair for the cover. The confident chick gave the magazine company a choice–either she did the cover spread with her natural hair, or she wasn’t doing the cover AT ALL.

“This is the simplest form of myself. I look in the mirror and it’s like, ‘Hey, there you go. What’s up, girl?’ For me, hair is an accoutrement. Hair is jewelry. It’s an accessory. Tomorrow I may want a wig down to my butt and I’m gonna rock it, and the next day I may want a big Afro and I’m gonna rock that too…”

Now that’s what I’m talking about. As a natural girl, I can definitely understand her demanding them let her be who she is. Reminds me of when Viola Davis rocked her natural for NY Times mag and on the red carpet at the Oscars (if my memory serves me right).

Jill is also starring in the upcoming all-black remake of Steel Magnolias on Lifetime, October 7th at 9p ET.