‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,’ 25 years later
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The late 20th century was a defining moment for women of color in music, catalyzed by Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” The album offered a different form of the 1990s hip-hop style, separate from the popularity of Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z. It created a new form of R&B, one more accessible than before.
This year, the iconic album turns 25 years old, celebrated by an anniversary tour accompanied by Fugees, the trio where Hill got her start. The album is ranked No. 10 by Rolling Stone on the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list along with becoming certified diamond in 2021, 20 years after its release.
“Miseducation” was conceived following Hill’s role in the South Orange New Jersey hip-hop trio, the Fugees, the birth of her first son and her budding relationship with Rohan Marley. The whirlwind of events combined with other global events at the time created a high-pressure environment Hill was breaking out of.
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” has been the soundtrack to countless lives for the past 25 years. From the hopeful ballads of “Everything is Everything,” to the playful truths in “Doo Wop (That Thing),” the neo-soul album has defined modern R&B since its release in 1998.
The album kicks off with an introductory track with soft guitar and a class roll call where Hill is found absent. There’s a stark contrast between the introduction and the first formal track of the album, “Lost Ones,” which jumps into a neo-reggae style.
Starting with a drum beat and conversational background, Hill raps about competition over meaningless things with the chorus, “You might win some but you just lost one” seemingly referring to the ambiguity surrounding Hill’s relationship with ex-band member and lover.
“It’s funny how money change a situation, Miscommunication leads to complication, My emancipation don’t fit your equation” Hill sings.
According to Jean, the two had an affair while he was married leading to the breakup of the Fugees. He claims in his autobiography, “Purpose: An Immigrant’s Story” that Hill lied about the paternity of her first son, Zion. The song “Ex-Factor” on “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is also seemingly about Jean breaking her heart.
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“Ex-Factor” breaks into the common R&B trope of love lost, incorporating contemporary R&B styles of the ‘90s with the presence of synths and samples in place of instruments. “Ex-Factor” is a truly evergreen song, staying relevant much later than its release. The track has been sampled in multiple modern-day tracks such as “Nice for What” by Drake and “Till the Morning” by Kehlani (edited and synthesized the music and vocals in both songs).
One of the most touching tracks, “To Zion,” ditches the synthetic styles of the ‘90s for an organic song featuring the guitar stylings of Carlos Santana and a choir. This stark shift in musical composition speaks to the deep meaning of the song — the love of a child. The song is honest, painful and adoring, circling back to the utter relatability of the entire album.
“Woe this crazy circumstance, I knew his life deserved a chance, But everybody told me to be smart, ‘Look at your career,’ they said ‘Lauryn, baby use your head,’ But instead I chose to use my heart,” Hill sings in a love letter to her son.
Hill gave birth to her first son in 1997, the same year the Fugees broke up. The song was sensational for the time, a black woman singing honestly about an unexpected pregnancy. This song opened the gates for future R&B artists to write and sing freely about their children and the struggles that came with it.
“How beautiful if nothing more, Than to wait at Zion’s door, I’ve never been in love like this before, Now let me pray to keep you from, The perils that will surely come, See life for you, my prince has just begun, And I thank you for choosing me,” Hill sings.
Hill was a pioneer artist in using both rapping and singing in her songs. The album was conceived of songs she’d initially written for other artists but then decided to keep for herself. The work is meant to be a concept album, containing tracks which allude to what it means to love and be free.
The meaning of love and freedom has always been complex, but Hill’s story made it easier for many to comprehend. “Doo-Wop (That Thing)” is a perfect example of using musicality to sift through social issues. While the song also garnered two Grammys, it also inspired artists such as Adele, Beyoncé and Amy Winehouse.
Respectively, these Hill-inspired songs have also gotten wide-ranging recognition, from “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, which won three Grammys to “Rehab” by Winehouse, which spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 chart. But this new narrative of becoming a foremother of modern R&B was never Hill’s goal.
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is a piece of art that defies everything the listener thought they knew about music. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hill revealed that she did not want to be included in other people’s narratives and successes.
“I think my intention was simply to make something that made my foremothers and forefathers in music and social and political struggle know that someone received what they’d sacrificed to give us,” Hill said. “I believe the ‘Miseducation’ did that and I believe I still do this — defy convention when the convention is questionable.”
