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at a glance...
Hometown: South Orange, NJ
First recordings: 1993
Bands in the family :
The Fugees
Notes:
Lauryn Hill's first exposure to the spotlight
came via an Amateur Night appearance on "It's Showtime At The Apollo" when
she was 12. Things since then have gone a lot better.
The multi-talented Hill turned to acting in her
teens, taking a role on the soap opera "As The World
Turns," and making her big-screen debut in 1991's
"Sister Act II." Returning to music, she hooked up with
friends Wyclef Jean and Pras to form Refugee Camp,
later known as The Fugees. In 1993 they released their first
album, Blunted On Reality, a minor success.
In 1996, the next album, The Score, featuring
Lauryn's version of the Roberta Flack classic "Killing
Me Softly," appeared to critical and popular acclaim. That same year, The Fugees began a
not-for-profit organization called Refugee Camp to
benefit inner city youth in New Jersey. Hill then
undertook the writing, arranging, and production of
her first solo recording, The Miseducation Of Lauryn
Hill, released during the summer of '98. Rapturous
reviews and a popular first single ("Doo Wop (That
Thing)" propelled the album to multi-platinum status
and more than 40 national and international awards, including the Grammy for Album of the
Year. Hill is married to long-time love
Rohan Marley, with whom she has two children, Zion and
Selah. In 1999 Lauryn hill turned 24.
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Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
RuffHouse/Columbia, Released 1998
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You may have heard a lot about this record, but if you
were afraid of the hype, then you need to watch less
of Mulder and Scully. There's no conspiracy here.
Lauryn is only human - as she tells us over the course
of 16 beautifully constructed hip-hop hymns, and
she's been in the same predicament you have.
The Columbia-educated Hill focuses on her street
education (her miseducation) on this debut, a collection of observations made through the
course of her extraordinary life.
Hill writes from the point of view of a girl, a
superstar, and a wise young black woman. The album and its accompanying message is best characterized by the rap on "Everything Is
Everything" - "Now hear this mixture/Where hip-hop
meets scripture/Develop a negative into a positive
picture." The pumping
house party anthem, "Every Ghetto, Every City," is a
dedication to those who shaped her childhood memories. The dexterity of Hill's voice
makes her that rare artist who can MC a vicious
tongue-lashing rap on "Lost Ones" and then tenderly
sing a tribute to her newborn son on "To Zion," while
never sounding uncomfortable doing either. The
standout track is "Doo Wop (That Thing)," a warning to
young black men and women to take responsibility and
control of their own lives, that mixes Hill's impeccable rap style with her penchant for sweet
harmonies.
Musically, Hill mixes up 40's jazz and
blues, 60's harmony, 70's soul and rock, and 90's
hip-shaking beats and rhymes into her own unique sound. "Superstar" sneaks snippets from The
Doors' "Light My Fire" while taking a swipe at the
state of mainstream hip-hop in the late '90's. The
delicate, almost vulnerable "Ex-Factor" is
counterbalanced by a stinging electric guitar
interlude. The New Jill Swing of "I Used To Love Him"
is well borrowed from guest vocalist Mary J. Blige.
By surrounding herself with an inspiring band and
other capable producers, Hill doesn't make one
mis-step. With an expertly eclectic fusion of sounds,
it's hard to imagine this album being any better. It's an instant classic.
If you like Lauryn Hill, check out:
The Fugees The Score
Common Like Water For Chocolate
Erykah Badu Baduizm
Macy Gray On How Life Is
Morcheeba Big Calm
A Tribe Called Quest The Love Movement
Maxwell Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite
-- Pierre Stefanos
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