On Wednesday, May 22, Apple Music revealed their top 10 ranked albums on their list of top 100. Some of the listed works include Beyoncé’s Lemonade ranked at 10, the late Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black at eight and Michael Jackson’s Thriller at number two. However, the album that eminently secured the number one title was Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
With The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill being Hill’s only solo studio album, it’s pretty iconic how big of a lasting effect the work has had on culture, and that’s because it’s a raw musical masterpiece. Ironically, May 26 is the rapper/vocalist’s birthday. So, in honor of Hill and her album claiming Apple’s number one spot, I think it’s time we dive deep into why The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is such a special album.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
“The world it moves so fast today/ The past it seems so far away/ And life squeezes so tight that I can’t breathe.” These are the opening lyrics to the title song on Ms. Lauryn Hill’s dominating solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which was released over 25 years ago on August 25th, 1998. The album is a combination of Neo Soul mixed with Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop, and Reggae influence to produce its sublime tone. It released with instant success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, going on to break first week record sales. The album’s accolades include Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist (1999), Billboard Music Award for Top R&B Album (1998), NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist (1999), NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album (1999), and many more. Today, over 8 million copies of Miseducation of Lauryn Hill have been sold in the U.S. which exemplifies the impact it had on society in the late 90’s to the 2000’s.
Controversy
Even with this success however, there is still controversy over Lauryn Hill’s status as a legend. Some members of the Hip Hop and R&B community believe that since Miseducation is Hill’s first and only solo album, she maybe should not be hyped up as much as she is.
In an episode of the Joe Budden Podcast in 2018, Budden and his co-host battle each other over this somewhat unpopular belief. Along with this, there has been controversy over the album’s distribution of credits. Her collaborative team that she worked with, New Ark, filed a lawsuit against Hill for their alleged lack of recognition on the album as Hill took sole credit with “little outside help.” The album, though, is a personal journey through Hill’s life and her own experiences, which is definitely evident in the project. Also, Gordon Williams, the album’s mixer and engineer, described the project as a “powerfully personal effort by Hill … It was definitely her vision.”
One of the most beautiful parts of Miseducation is how raw and sincere it is. The types of instruments used, coupled with lyrics based off of personal moments mixed with gospel, and Hill’s voice are some ways this album does this through. It was noted that Hill did not want to put too much pressure on it being a hit, which ultimately made it one. I personally believe that because of this, no matter what controversy there is, Ms. Lauryn Hill is a legend that still can harness the ears of the world with her single solo album. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was a pivotal work worthy of legendary status in Hip Hop history due to its strong melodic sound coupled with clever lyrics, Hill’s unique message, and its survival of time through an abundance of samples.
About Lauryn Hill
In order to understand an album, it is important to understand the artist. Lauryn Hill was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, and grew up listening to her parents’ vast collection of records. In high school, she performed in gospel choir and was approached by peers, Pras Michael and Wyclef Jean to form Grammy Award winning rap group The Fugees. Through the Fugees, Hill showcased her singing voice and also worked on her bars, shaping herself into a multidimensional singer/rapper. During her time with the Fugees, Hill became romantically involved with Jean. The end of their tumultuous relationship was ultimately the end to the rap group as well. Not a while later, Hill becomes pregnant, and has her first child, Zion, while deciding to record her own solo album. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill can basically be split into four points: Hill’s childhood in Jersey, Hill’s toxic relationship with Wyclef, Hill’s experience with being pregnant in the industry and having her first son, and Hill’s spirituality and the messages from God. Hill samples old school soul artists from her parents’ record collection. Most of the album was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica. Also, Ras Baraka, son of famous black poet Amiri Baraka was the voice of the teacher teaching love during the album interludes.
Lyrical Expertise
From the jump, Hill captures her listeners with a staccato snare drum beat to establish the song “Lost Ones” before dropping the fiery line “It’s funny how money change a situation.” In this line, she’s setting up the rest of the song for a diss on those who doubted and wronged her, more specifically, Wyclef Jean. In this song, she uses popular Jamaican instruments, and also raps in a patois accent. She also samples Sister Nancy’s famous song “Bam Bam” making this song an upbeat dynamic opener to the album.
Another great example of Hill’s meticulous musical structure in her album is the hit, “Ex-Factor.” In the Spotify podcast, Dissect, by Spotify Studio, it introduces the strategy of word painting Hill uses in the beginning of the song. She starts off the song with the phrase, “It could all be so simple, But You’d rather make it hard.” Word painting, defined in Dissect, is when you “reflect in the music, what is said in the lyrics.” When Hill sings, “It could all be so simple,” the melody is also simple, consisting of just three descending notes. When she reaches, “But you’d rather make it hard” she riffs this and switches between notes creating a more complex melody. This combination of lyrics and melody to create word painting is one of many ways one can notice the musical expertise on this album.
Ex-Factor continues with Hill singing out, “Tell me who I have to be to gain some reciprocity/ Cause no one loves you more than me, and no one ever will.” Hill is beautifully exposing the vulnerable, tough side of love that can cause so many of us to get blinded. In this moment, she’s offering to basically compromise herself for this love-an evident sign of an unhealthy relationship. The next line is her declaration, an expression of the encapsulating love that she has for this person. As Hill eloquently voices the hardships of love, she is backed up by the squealing organ, and soft harmonic instrumental changes that transitions the song into the steady eighth note chorus, “No matter how I think this goes, you always seem to let me know” adds a sense of Hip Hop to the otherwise rich R&B hit. In the second verse, Hill hits her listeners with this powerful lyric, “I keep letting you back in how can I explain myself? As painful as this thing has been, I just can’t be with no one else. See I know what we’ve got to do, you let go and I let go too.” This is the ultimate recognition and acceptance that this relationship that has wrecked them cannot be fixed, and it’s better for both of them to move on-a difficult but freeing revelation that many people experience.
“Care for me care for me, you said you’d care for me,” leads her outro with Motown style vocalists backing up her yearning. The song vocalizes the complexities of a failing relationship, and the feelings we all face from it. Being in love can feel like it’s dominating your whole soul, your whole happiness, and having to just let go of someone you thought made you whole for so long is not easy. Ex-Factor is just one of many songs in Miseducation that creates a beautiful mixture of lyrics and tone. Throughout the album she tactfully utilizes different music instruments and styles for every moment and message she’s conjuring.
The Message
Lauryn Hill challenges the world and the music industry’s ideals by putting life into perspective opposed to Hollywood idealism and fame. She reminds us to stay humble, faithful, and respectful to ourselves and our needs, which people can often neglect. She calls out those that are “All about the Benjamins” referencing the Hip Hop hit that was popular around the same time. This type of existential thinking in music is something many critically acclaimed Hip Hop artists are praised for. Some examples of other artists include: Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z and Kanye West.
The Album’s Legacy
Over the years, the sounds of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill have stayed in the mainstream ear through many high profile artists that have sampled parts of it on their tracks. Some artists that have incorporated it include: Drake, Cardi B, J. Cole, Fabulous, Kanye West, Jay Z and Kehlani. Drake’s song “Nice for What” samples “Ex-Factor” and was his number one song of 2018. Cardi B’s “Be Careful With Me” also sampled “Ex-Factor” and was one of her top songs of 2018. One of my personal favorite sample uses of “Ex-Factor” is the late PnB Rock and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s collab on the track “X Factor.” The use of the album over 20 years after its release exemplifies its influence on modern day Hip Hop and R&B. So many people view Hill as such a figure in the music community, and put her work on a pedestal.
Lauryn Hill is an icon to so many artists and to so many people due to the creation of the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. She paved the way for many female Hip Hop and R&B artists, and her single album was an enormous contribution to the music industry. The album’s effect has rooted Lauryn Hill in the world of Hip Hop and R&B for forever, which I believe gives her legend status. She was able to accomplish more success in one solo album, than most artists do in their whole careers. So, even though the world could use another Lauryn Hill album, it is not necessary for her status. Lauryn Hill will continue to inspire the world with her legendary realness and profound wisdom.
Following Apple’s number one recognition of the album, Hill told the music streaming platform: “This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love.”
Do you think The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is a G.O.A.T. album? Let us know in the comments!
