He’s Pandora’s Accelerated Artist. Sukihana and Eric Bellinger are on his debut EP. He’s written pretty much everything on your playlist, from Beyonce to Fireboy. Oh, and of course, half a million listeners are already streaming his EP, after only debuting work four months ago. This is Ivory Scott.
Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, Ivory Scott is the full package, everything one would look for in not only a musician, but a creative. At 16, he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue his passion, resorting to living out of his car and even being homeless for some time. Scott then made another pivot to Atlanta, continuing to grind his way up and put pen to paper. That’s when he became linked with the right people who would set his career off.
“I was writing 10 songs a night. To this day, I still write 10 songs a night,” he said, having now penned nearly 50 number one records for the world’s biggest artists.
Don’t be fooled, however. Ivory Scott is not merely a writer. He is a multi-faceted singer- songwriter and budding artist, also playing guitar and piano (self taught, by the way). In fact, it was always in the cards to transition towards being an artist.
“My vision was always to be an artist. [For a long time] I looked up to Ne-Yo, Bruno Mars…Once I got in position, [I knew, at that point] I would pursue my artistry,” he said.
Upon meeting JY and Monarch, who had listened to some of Scott’s demos, Monarch suggested that he start an artist project and see how things move. It’s January 2024 and Ivory Scott is on the rise, even more so than him or his label initially thought.
“It’s one thing to write number ones with Beyonce and Chris Brown, but it’s another thing to be unknown and receive so much love,” he reflected, also noting how support from peers in the industry has actually made the transition so much smoother and genuine.
“Everyone is like ‘When your project coming?’”
From Pandora to SiriusXM to Apple Music, Ivory Scott is on the airwaves and into the curated playlists of streaming giants. All of this, after four months since his debut. For him, though, it’s all natural. A natural gift he has and a natural blessing that he is excited to share with the world.
“My mom wasn’t present, my father was a heavy drug addict. I had a turbulent life, but I [also] had music. I had my happiness. That’s where I fit in this world: to help that artist chasing they [sic] dream, [the person who’s] fighting something, anybody with a dream bigger than them. If a young Black kid from the South Side of Chicago can find himself around the world, you can do it too. God called me to do it.”
In addition to his personal ethos in regards to his artistry and how he guides himself creatively, Ivory Scott is also a sponge, taking in the experiences he’s learned from, casually, writing for the world’s biggest artists and seeing first-hand what being an artist is truly like.
I asked Scott about this philosophy on being a successful singer-songwriter and/or artist in today’s industry, where so many are more comfortable being either in the back or in the front, rarely even capable, let alone willing to do both. It takes a unique person to be able to work the pen and produce the track and get on stage and dominate.
His answer?
“When I write songs, I tap into their world. When I write for myself, I tap into myself. When I’m in a session, I’m a fly on the wall, soaking it up. But when it’s my turn, ima [sic] light it up,” he said.
Speaking of sessions, naturally, the average person would be nervous to possibly be in the room, let alone produce work for artists like Chris Brown or Beyonce! Yet, for Scott, it’s all in a day’s work.
“When I go into the studio with big artists, I’m super not overwhelmed. I feel like I belong. When I was in the session with Beyonce, you just felt her presence. She has an aura, a work ethic. You would think someone of her caliber would want a day off or not be as engaged with the small things about a song. Like, ‘Oh, my team will handle that, someone else will handle that.’ But no, she’s very engaged on all levels. If anything, she hyped my sights on how to be. I’ve worked with the biggest artists in the world. I’ve learned how to act and how not to act
towards my fans, towards my peers, etc. The biggest artists in the world have a team, they have no ego when it comes to that.”
He paused briefly. “Once you get your ego out of the way, you can learn.”
And learning is exactly what Ivory Scott plans to do. Learning, creating, climbing the charts, but more importantly, reaching new audiences and lighting something in them.
“Being a songwriter increases your reach. I’m able to touch fans that aren’t my own, that aren’t directly related to Ivory Scott…I can’t restrict God’s reach for my life. My testimony is through song.”
And a song that resonates with Ivory Scott, at the moment, is his own single “Real,” fresh off his debut EP. It’s very Ivory Scott, in his words.
“A little insider info, but I told my label when we put the project together, I said ‘Real’ is gonna be the one. Everyone wasn’t sure, but I learned a long time ago that people love music where they feel like they wrote it. And as you can see, ‘Real’ is my most successful song right now. You gotta trust yourself as an artist.”
For his next project, Ebony, slated for 2024, we can expect Ivory Scott to hit the stages for his first-ever tour, and in true Ivory Scott fashion, the unraveling of his world and his talents.
It’s Ivory Scott’s world. We’re just living in it.
