A few weeks ago I got the debut album from Janelle Monae. Compared to most women in contemporary popular music, I found her to be a breath of fresh air. She made me think of other female artists that had that effect on me and one name stood out: Lauryn Hill.
Remember her?
I can’t imagine anyone forgot about Lauryn Hill. I don’t think anyone took The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill off their top-albums-of-whatever list. I still listen to it regularly. And every time I do, I feel a little nostalgic and a little sad that she didn’t release another fantastic album.
Recently NPR named Lauryn Hill one of their 50 Great Voices. They even managed to interview the notoriously reclusive singer. One of the things that struck me most in the interview was the importance of her rap career. Lauryn is a female MC, which was rare then and still rare now. And what an MC! She sounds dirty and raw when she raps. She doesn’t miss a beat. She manages to hold her own with the boys in the Fugees without being vulgar. And she can sing too! She sounds like old school Motown: real and soulful. Lauryn was the undeniable star of the Fugees. You have heard Killing Me Softly, right? I still get chills from that song.
I can go on and on about how fantastic Lauryn is as an artist. But this post isn’t just about Lauryn’s ability as a singer or rapper. It’s certainly not about her role in the Fugees. It’s about how much I love the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It seems this album is always around. And when I put it on, it’s really difficult to stop listening. I consider it one of the top albums of the 90′s.
The majority of the album was written and arranged by a 23 year old Lauryn Hill. The first single was Doo Wop (That Thing). The song seamlessly swings between 90′s hip hop and 60′s soul. Her singing is sweet but her rapping is fierce and biting. She tells it like it is and you can’t help but listen and take notes. It’s no surprise that most people I know still have the lyrics memorized.
The rest of the album follows this lead. She blends black music from different eras beautifully. You can hear elements of reggae, gospel, soul, funk, R&B and rap throughout. What gets me is how effortless it all sounds. Even with the mix of genres, the album sounds cohesive and personal. The themes are personal as well, which is where Miseducation‘s real strengths lie. She sings an ode to her first born son in To Zion. She waxes philosophical on the breakup of the Fugees in I Used to Love Him. Every Ghetto, Every City walks us through her history while treating us to the funkiest of grooves.
My favorite song on Miseducation shouldn’t surprise anyone that really knows me. Nothing Even Matters, a duet with D’Angelo. I love D’Angelo about as much as I love Lauryn Hill. It’s the most simple of love songs, on an album full of heartache and hurt. I’m not usually a fan of R&B love songs, but this one is different. It reminds me of something older, kinder and more intimate.
