Lauryn Hill was born on May 26, 1975 in New Jersey and since that day, she has been making waves in the music industry. Originally starting in the band Tranzlator Crew, which turned into the Fugees with Columbia Records, Hill created and released two albums. Their debut album in 1994, Blunted on Reality, did not sell many records, but the Fugees did not give up. They released their second album entitled The Score in 1996 and sold more than 18 million copies according to Britannica. This album also won the band two Grammy Awards. But after that, each of the members decided to go their own ways. For Hill, this meant becoming a solo music artist. This led to the album that has been stuck in everyone’s heads for years, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
The album starts off with a 46 second intro (literally called “Intro”) that plays into the education aspect of the title. There is no music in the first track; it is just speaking. The words being spoken seem to be by a teacher who is doing roll call for the day. When he gets to the name, Lauryn Hill, there is no response and he repeats her name a few more times before the intro eventually ends. This was a great way to start the album and introduce the following story told by a total of 16 songs.
The next few songs; titled “Lost Ones,” “Ex-Factor” and “To Zion,” start telling the story that is essentially about the miseducation of Lauryn Hill herself. Powerful words express Lauryn’s feelings and added dialogue near the ends of a large portion of songs in the album. “Lost Ones” and “To Zion” feature spoken dialogue within the last minute or so.
Immediately following “To Zion” is the most popular song on the entire album: “Doo Wop (That Thing).” Everyone and their mother knows this song. Catchy lines such as, “some guys are only about that thing, that thing, that thing” and “the second verse is dedicated to the men more concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women,” stay in listeners’ heads for a long period of time. There is also a heavy and unforgettable driving beat throughout the song that features a main piano tune with horns backing it. This combined with powerful lyrics makes “Doo Wop (That Thing)” an unforgettable song.
The remainder of the album continues to tell the story of Lauryn Hill with amazing vocals and impressionable tunes. In addition, the artistic choice of the album cover factors into the meaning of it as a whole. The cover looks like a typical wooden school desk with a pencil in the groove at the top. Lauryn’s face is etched onto the desk along with the title of the album. This furthers the theme of education throughout the songs. The world will not soon forget The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
