By: Collin Fitzell
The year was 1998. The 20th century was coming to an end, and music had evolved in a multitude of ways. The year 1998 was nothing short of an important year in the history of music. Bands like Nirvana summited to the top of the rock charts and NSYNC released their debut album. On the side of rap and hip-hop the big names were A Tribe Called Quest, 2Pac and the all mighty Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Hill got her start as an actress acting in soap operas, even appearing in Sister Act 2. She used the money from these acting projects to support her emerging rap/hip-hop group called The Fugees. The Fugees were signed by Columbia Records, the likes of which had previously signed Bruce Springsteen, Blink 182 and went on to sign Adele in the late 2000s. In short, Colombia Records was a big deal and with this recent signing, The Fugees had big expectations to live up to.
The Fugees released their debut album Blunted on Reality in 1994. The album received less than exceptional reviews. The album was not particularly well liked among the hip-hop community, but it is safe to say that it set the standard for what The Fugees set out to do. The group released their sophomore album The Score in 1996, and it received much more praise than its predecessor. After this album the group split up due to their interest in pursuing their solo careers. After this split Hill and her partner Rohan Marley, the son of the reggae legend Bob Marley, flew to Jamacia to record Hill’s debut solo album.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was later released in August of 1998. The first single “Doo Wop (That Thing)” was an immediate hit. The instantly recognizable tune of the chorus is an earworm that is sure to be stuck in your head for days. Almost immediately the album went multiplatinum Making Lauryn Hill a household name. Later in 1999, only one year since the album was released, she was awarded 10 Grammy nominations, ultimately coming home with a win for five of them. While there is no exact genre that this album is rooted in, it is most referred to as “neo-soul” by many. Even though fans classify this album as such, it has many inspirations spanning from reggae, pop, and of course hip-hop. Due to the fast-growing success of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill she was immediately cast into stardom.
In 2002, the MTV show Unplugged had Lauryn Hill perform. MTV Unplugged has seen a multitude of different performers over the years. Unplugged had Elton John in one of the earlier seasons and many others including Pearl Jam, Alanis Morissette, and Nirvana. Nirvana’s Unplugged session was extremely notable due to the immense amount of instrumentation and the obvious love of music they displayed. Hill’s MTV Unplugged episode saw a distinct twist in her musical style. She stripped down to the more peeled back and even employing the use of an acoustic guitar. The episode was later recorded into an album that didn’t sell too well. Now why is the legacy and music of the mighty Lauryn Hill so important?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is probably your favorite hip-hop artist’s favorite album. The album inspired so many and influenced the majority of hip hop artists today. The significance of Lauryn Hill is also impressive because Hill made a multiplatinum album and then seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Hill hasn’t released anything since her 1998 debut and her departure from creating new music is sadly missed. But part of me has to wonder, maybe Hill was destined to make this masterpiece and nothing else. Nothing could ever live up to the musical mastery of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
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