My obsession with music began with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Throughout my childhood I had heard Lauryn Hill’s music, but I truly listened to it for myself for the first time in the fifth grade. I remember downloading the album onto my ipod for a plane ride that summer. That summer, Lauryn Hill opened my eyes to the world of music, and since them music has ruled my life.
For a long time it was a dream of mine to see Hill perform live. Within the last couple of years, I’ve gotten tickets for two of her shows but both were cancelled – one with weeks in advance, but the other just hours before start time. This unfortunately, is not out of character for Hill. She has become infamous for frequently canceling concerts or showing up hours late. At her shows that she does attend, she is known to alter the rhythm and flow of her songs, therefore making them almost unrecognizable. Many see these flaws as her being disrespectful towards her fans – as her being egotistical and lacking any regard for her fans who spent their money and time to see her perform. In addition to treating her fans with little respect, Hill is rumored to treat her bands with the same contempt.
When we separate the art from the artist, Hill is undoubtedly an exceptional talent. Moving past Hill’s wrongdoings, it’s easy to admit to the greatness of her debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and the apparent impact of the album on not just music, but on society as well. After being released in 1998, the album landed at number one on the Billboard 200 and received five Grammy Awards. It helped put hip-hop and R&B into mainstream media and was an introduction of the female rapper, changing the music industry forever. Through the themes of self-love, faith, and motherhood, the album promoted women’s rights and became a staple specifically in the Black community.
With all the flowers Hill has received for Miseducation, it’s plausible that she has gotten too much credit for just the one album. While other musicians we consider great put out music consistently over a span of decades, Hill remains on a pedestal for a singular album from over 25 years ago. Erykah Badu put out five albums from 1997 to 2010. Because of this consistency, Badu had been able to produce countless hits while helping create a new sub genre of R&B. Nothing she has put out has become as renowned as Miseducation, but many would argue that Badu is more influential simply because she has more in her artillery. Even with the album The Score she released with The Fugees and her compilation of live performances from her 2002 MTV Unplugged special, Hill really only has one solo album.
But that one album is one of the greatest of all time – a true no-skip album. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has touched millions of souls, and her egocentric tendencies or untimely manor can’t take away from that. Hill is undeniably a great artist, despite her flaws.
