In 2000, Scott signed to Hidden Beach Recordings, an indie label distributed by Universal Music Group that eventually sued her when she left her contract. In 2011, she signed a distribution deal with Warner Records (then Warner Bros. Records) and launched her Blues Babe Records imprint, which Atlantic Records began distributing in 2015. She is currently partnered with indie powerhouses Human Re Sources and The Orchard.

When I signed to Hidden Beach Recordings, I honestly didn’t know what I was doing. I was going along with what I heard to be true about getting a record deal and the doors that would then be open to me. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is your label must always grow along with you. You never want to be the only successful artist on a label. That puts a lot more pressure on you to hold up the entire entity, and I simply didn’t care for that.

We stormed the scene with my Who Is Jill Scott? debut album in 2000 and reached the top five of the Billboard 200 with both 2004’s Beautiful Human and 2007’s The Real Thing. But it all came down to dollars and cents. I don’t think my former label had negative intentions; they were simply doing what is industry standard — and the industry standard is the killer of all things creative. Anytime someone tells you it’s an “industry standard,” you should run.

If your label is following an industry standard pattern, there’s no way for you to come out on top. I remember getting about two months into promotional touring, assuming these things were free, and people were just coming. After asking other artists on their own promotional tours, I found out that the label was paying for the tickets. At that moment, I knew I needed to get an agent and stop the shenanigans. Somebody was getting paid for my time and effort! I was paying for rehearsals, 15-passenger vans and hotels out of my budget. And yet the money from those shows wasn’t replenishing my budget, let alone lining my pockets.

I also remember being billed for everything gifted to me or planned for me. Whether it’s a diamond bracelet or a piano, everything gets billed to the artist, sometimes with interest. At one point, I started grabbing the bill first at any lunch or dinner I had with the label; $700 meals would somehow end up $5,000 meals, and I realized that your budget can, and will, be used to furnish another artist. And that’s just wrong, in my opinion.

I knew I no longer wanted to continue dealing with a label situation that might alter my love for this art. You can lose your intensity and appreciation when you feel financially stifled or taken advantage of — and I desperately did not want that to happen. I looked at other labels, but the incessant 360 deals turned me off. I’ve been writing and acting; I’m not new to this. Why on earth would I give you a percentage of these things? I was coming up with merchandise and poster designs too!

In 2011, I signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records that coincided with the launch of my own imprint, Blues Babe Records. Now I’m the captain of my ship. If I succeed or fail, which I don’t see as an option, it’s really on me. Being independent means that you are financially responsible, and I truly prefer to live that way. I want to know how much I’m spending. I want to know how much I’ve made. And I really want the returns for my effort and creativity.

Ultimately, every decision is [now] my own. For my latest album, February’s To Whom This May Concern, I got to take my time. I didn’t have anybody calling me saying, “Are you finished yet? Let me come into the studio and decide which artists you should work with.” Everything that looks strategic has come from my spirit and my heart — from thanking people throughout the rollout to performing with [historically Black college and university] bands.

Since I’ve begun my independent journey — which brought me to Human Re Sources and The Orchard for my latest album — I’ve not yet wished to return to a major label. My creative voice and my vision are heard better now. Now I work with people who I admire and respect. People who I selected — not people who were passively assigned to me.

Ultimately, this art is medicinal, and I hope every artist can feel as alive, connected and introspective as I am on my indie journey. —As told to Kyle Denis