By Demario Angarita, JRN 101 Student
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is the no. 1 album of all time. That’s according to Apple Music’s list of the top 100 albums ever, released earlier this year.
Many of us can relate to seeing music rankings and feeling like our favorite artist did not get their proper respect, and Apple’s list raised questions about how one genre can be ranked in front of another or whether a solo artist’s work is more profound than the collaboration work of a band. These questions are valid, and they continue to make this ranking compelling.
But Hill’s album belongs at the top for many reasons.
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was constructed with conviction and emotional prowess. In 1997, a year before the release of the album, Hill was going through a lot as an artist. She was a prominent artist in a group called the Fugees, where she displayed her rap/pop sound with a sprinkle of soul in the vocals. The Fugees were a successful group in the music industry with platinum tracks like “Ready Or Not” and “Killing Me Softly,” but it was time for them to pursue their own endeavors.
The decision came in part due to problems in the romantic relationship between Hill and another one of the lead artists, Wyclef Jean. The downward spiral in the relationship was made public with stories about how Jean found out that Hill was lying about him being the father of her son, Zion. The world knew the struggles in Hill’s private life, the challenges she faced being a single mother, and the uncertainty of her music career being in flux.
The meaning, intangibles, passion, love and hurt make “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” a unique album that made a permanent a stamp on the music industry and history.
Hill responded by releasing the heartfelt album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” The “Intro” track kicks off the album with a professor taking attendance on the first day of school, and Hill not in class for attendance. Being late on the first day of school is a bad look, but it makes listeners wonder why she is absent.
Following up the “Intro” track, Hill discusses the ending of her relationship with Wyclef Jean in the songs “Lost Ones,” “Ex-Factor,” “I Used To Love Him,” and “When It Hurts So Bad.” Hill wears her heart on her sleeve with these songs, giving her side of the story about the situation and how external things affect their relationship, causing her “absence” in the classroom. Hill uses her soulful tone and scintillating lyricism to encapsulate her feelings. These tracks embrace emotional awareness, but the biggest takeaway from these specific songs is growth.
Hill talks about how no matter what happens, she needs to redefine the meaning of “love” to herself, recognizing that while it had been associated with another person, it truly starts from a place within.
The album continues to build on the idea of self-development and feminism with songs like “To Zion,” “Doo Wop,” “Nothing Even Matters,” and “Cannot Take My Eyes Off of You.” As a listener, you feel enlightened by the lyrical liberation Hill displays. Her storytelling shares how her experience has become her source of education.
The song “To Zion” describes the cloud of uncertainty that entered Hill’s life after the news of her pregnancy: “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.’/ Instead, I chose to use my heart/Now, the joy of my world is in Zion. ” This message shares how her unconditional love would govern her future actions for her son. Finding her way in life by creating new life had kickstarted her character development as an artist, as a mother, and as a human being.
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” became education for the world. The ability to deliberately express a powerful message about feminism, motherhood, love, respect and morals is what separated Lauryn Hill in a generation where the female MCs in the 90s only saw success with their lyrics about sex, money and drugs. Lauryn Hill can be considered one of the pillars of the shift in hip-hop for female artists.
Apple Music was correct in choosing this as the best album of all time. The meaning, intangibles, passion, love and hurt make “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” a unique album that made a permanent stamp on the music industry and history.
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