The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; Ruffhouse Columbia; 1998
Friends joke that “I hear dead people”. And it’s true for the most part that my favourite musicians were long gone by the time I was born - or have since passed. There are some notable exceptions though. One of them is Lauryn Hill.
We first encountered a teenage Hill in the classic Sister Act 2 where her extraordinary talent blew us away.
I then heard her on “The Score”; the Fugees second studio album released in 1996. I remember playing this album over and over on a solo driving trip across the country. I was amazed by her ability to Rap and Sing with the very best. The album was groovy, had a message and I knew every line. I was a fan.
Nothing prepared me however for what was to follow; her solo debut in 1998. I can’t believe that it was a quarter century ago. I really don’t feel that old. Really. The album drew inspiration from the name and approach of the book - The Miseducation of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson.
This album was a stunner. It crossed over in all directions - Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, Neo Soul, Reggae… It’s writing was extraordinary and addressed issues as wide as they were personal to Hill - covering motherhood, careers, the music business and so on.
She Raps and Sings her way through the two LPs with absolute ease. Her confident collaborations with stars like D’Angelo and Mary J. Blige were a bonus and confirmed her standing amongst the very best in music.
The album won 5 of 10 Grammy nominations! - including the Album Of The Year - a first for Hip Hop and entered the Billboards hottest albums chart at Number 1. It went 8 times platinum!
I would list this album amongst the very best. Enough said. Rest on you to discover.
Also read: To pimp a butterfly & The evocative genius of Kendrick Lamar.
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