“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” by Lauryn Hill
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of hip-hop's best-ever debuts.
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick marks the 25th anniversary of one of hip-hop and neo-soul’s most arresting artistic and spiritual statements.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Neo-Soul
Label: Columbia
Release Date: August 25, 1998
Vibe: 🤩
In a 1998 interview with BET's Rap City, Lauryn Hill clarified the title of her solo debut. It's about “personal evolution and personal growth,” she said. The process of unlearning bad habits, pushing past perceived truths that ended up being anything but, and clawing her way towards a more well-rounded type of enlightenment. As a statement, it sounds ambitious and maybe a bit pretentious, but to listen to Miseducation is to be taken on that emotional roller coaster alongside Hill. Beyond the radio-ready hooks (of which there are plenty), it's as if you're hearing someone discover God, fulfillment, and, most importantly, who they really are in real time.
The many highlights include “Ex-Factor,” a meditation on toxic romantic relationships; “To Zion,” a powerful song about the uncertainty of motherhood and the joy she ultimately found in her decision; “Final Hour,” a rich text set against a jazzy instrumental that begins with as a statement of self-worth and evolves into one of several dissertations on race and classism in America, and “Nothing Else Matters,” her smoldering collab with neo-soul disciple D'Angelo. Through it all, Hill's voice is as unwavering as it is unmistakable. This project was her chance to use the Fugees’ success as a platform to embed her authentic, sometimes uncompromising voice into the pop culture lexicon.
The only downside to this record is knowing that it was lightning in a bottle. We're still waiting on the next solo record, Ms. Hill.
👉 Don't forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈