"When I first became famous, I didn't know if I could go where I wanted to because I didn't know how people were going to act. Some folks would scream and holler, and I didn't know what to do with that"
About this Quote
Her phrasing is plain, almost conversational, which makes the vulnerability harder to dismiss. "Didn't know" repeats like a heartbeat, stressing how untrained most artists are for the social choreography of being recognized. The "scream and holler" detail isn't glamorous; it's chaotic, noisy, bodily. She doesn't frame fans as villains, but she does highlight the strange entitlement that can attach to admiration: the idea that a person becomes a public object the moment the public decides they matter.
Context matters here because Scott's fame is rooted in a deeply intimate kind of performance - neo-soul built on confession, warmth, and proximity. Her audience feels close to her because the music invites closeness. The quote quietly exposes the cost of that intimacy when it gets translated into real-world encounters with strangers. Subtext: the industry celebrates visibility but rarely equips artists - especially Black women, whose bodies are already over-scrutinized - to manage the attention, the risk, and the emotional whiplash. Scott isn't complaining; she's mapping a boundary line, asking for a version of fandom that doesn't require her to forfeit ordinary freedom.
Quote Details
| Topic | Anxiety |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Scott, Jill. (2026, January 16). When I first became famous, I didn't know if I could go where I wanted to because I didn't know how people were going to act. Some folks would scream and holler, and I didn't know what to do with that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-i-first-became-famous-i-didnt-know-if-i-133397/
Chicago Style
Scott, Jill. "When I first became famous, I didn't know if I could go where I wanted to because I didn't know how people were going to act. Some folks would scream and holler, and I didn't know what to do with that." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-i-first-became-famous-i-didnt-know-if-i-133397/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"When I first became famous, I didn't know if I could go where I wanted to because I didn't know how people were going to act. Some folks would scream and holler, and I didn't know what to do with that." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/when-i-first-became-famous-i-didnt-know-if-i-133397/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.





