Jully Black's Revival

If someone were to ask you to make a connection between hip-hop music and natural health, would your response be one of blank confusion? Well, here is a connection you may never have made.

Jully Black has been a mainstay in the Canadian recording industry for over a decade. Her first album, This is Me, was released in 2005, and she has written hit songs for other artists, including American rapper, Nas, and the former American R&B group, Destiny’s Child.

Despite multiple Juno award nominations for her debut album and sharing the stage with such acts as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Bon Jovi, Josh Groban, and Usher, it is only now, with the release of her new album, Revival, that Black is finally getting the accolades she so richly deserves.

Black, the youngest of nine children raised in the tough Jane and Finch area of Toronto, began singing in church when she was seven. Despite some tough challenges, she credits her hard-working single mom with providing a rich environment.

Personal Revival

The name of her new album speaks volumes about the changes in Black’s life over the last few years. Despite critical acclaim following her debut recording, there were some disappointments along the way.

However, a new sense of self and the importance of taking care of her health and well-being have imbued her latest album with renewed energy and maturity.

This year’s Canadian concert tour sold out, and two tracks off the new album (“Seven Day Fool?a soulful, passionate, and fun Etta James cover, and “DJ Play My Song?a seriously energetic tune that just makes you want to dance) have shot up the charts.

Getting Comfortable in Her Skin

Black is accustomed to being noticed–at 5 ft 9 in, she makes a statement wherever she goes. “I’ve always been tall. I’ve been this height probably since I was about 13.” But she’s living more comfortably in her own skin nowadays; her new album sports a stunning shot of a towering, beautiful Jully Black in five-inch heels and a short, short white dress.

“That was a big step for me,” she says of her new look. “It involved a lot of full-incline cardio. I’ve been working hard with my trainer doing double cardio six days a week, and weight training three days a week.”

“It helped me realize how much more comfortable I am in my skin. I’d cringe if I wasn’t comfortable,” says Black of her attention-getting photo on the cover of Revival.

More Than Working Out

Black decided, though, that getting fit was much more than just primping for a cover shot. “It was beyond doing this for the album cover.”

Through her training, she discovered that her body was capable of so much. “I wasn’t just working out,” she says. “I had to change my diet. I had to get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water. There was a lot that went along with the working out, which was a beautiful challenge.”

Black admits that she does have one nemesis. “Listen, I love ketchup chips. They’re probably my biggest enemy–dangerous when I’m on a diet. They call my name at my house. Every gas station I go by, I can hear the bag?

Add Some Vitamins

Jully (pronounced “Joolee”) Black is a true alive girl. “I’m a sucker for a health magazine. I’ll read it cover to cover just to gain some information,” she says. She works out, eats right, and takes her vitamins. She takes evening primrose oil “to balance out my hormones,” as well as acidophilus, B₁₂ complex, calcium, and magnesium.

“I try to do the Bs, Cs, and calcium. It’s so funny hearing myself speak about natural health,” says Black. That’s because for Black, it’s become a lifestyle, not a temporary move to shape up for a concert or an album shot.