Chicago poet and singer-songwriter Jamila Woods returns this Friday with her third studio album, Water Made Us, and her last single in advance of it has something of an Easter egg for her Philly fans.
The song is called “Practice,” and the hook interpolates a phrase that famed Sixer Allen Iverson said 22 times in a press conference in 2002 — “We’re talkin’ bout practice, talkin’ about,” she sings mellifluously. The song’s lyrics feature bits of basketball imagery (“We could stop time for the free throw”) indicating that, yes, the reference is indeed what it sounds like, but while Iverson’s much-memed quote comes from a place of exasperation and frustration (specifically with the media, and then-coach Larry Brown), here Woods is using the words to sing the praises of the romantic slow-burn, of the relationship that’s free of unnecessary pressure.
“I was trying to shift how I often evaluate relationships based on their potential for longevity rather than on how I feel in the moment,” she says in a press release. “The song is about how we can learn to just enjoy ourselves and be present with someone without needing to ‘get everything right’ or ‘have everything together.'”
Watch a music video for “Practice” below — the song includes a verse from Woods’ frequent collaborator and fellow Chicagoan, acclaimed rapper Saba — and pre-save Water Made Ushere. Additional good news for Philly fans of Jamila Woods: her 2024 tour itinerary includes a February 17th stop at the TLA in Philly. Details can be found at WXPN’s Concerts and Events page.