Lauryn Hill

Singer

• Born: May 26, 1975
• Birthplace: South Orange, New Jersey

Singer, songwriter, and rapper

Best known for her soulful voice, Hill was a dominant force in the music industry in the 1990s. She received worldwide acclaim and numerous awards for her work as a rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer.

Areas of achievement: Music: hip-hop; Music: Latin, Caribbean, and reggae; Music: production; Music: rhythm and blues; Music: soul

Early Life

From an early age, Lauryn Noelle Hill knew that she wanted to be an artist. Her parents, Mal and Valerie Hill, a computer programmer and an English teacher, respectively, encouraged her love of music. Hill was inspired by their collection of Motown records, Mal’s singing at weddings, Valerie’s love of the piano, and older brother Malaney’s skill with various instruments. A good student who participated in many extracurricular activities and was seen as a student leader, she also began educating herself musically, including spending a significant amount of time in hip-hop clubs. When Hill was thirteen, she sang in an amateur showcase at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem on the television series Showtime at the Apollo. Her performance received an array of boos from the famously honest audience, but she persevered. By the end of her rendition of Smokey Robinson’s “Who’s Lovin’ You,” she had won the respect and applause of the crowd.

In addition to singing, Hill took acting lessons and soon embarked on an acting career. As a teenager she had a recurring role in the soap operaAs the World Turns and won a major part in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) starring Whoopi Goldberg, in which she also performed two songs. She also had a small but notable part in the film King of the Hill (1993) directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Life’s Work

While still a teenager, Hill met Prakazrel “Pras” Michel and his cousin, Wyclef Jean, and the trio formed the hip-hop group the Fugees. Although their first album, Blunted on Reality (1994), was not well received, the Fugees’ second album, The Score (1996), was a critical and popular success. Released by Ruffhouse/Columbia Records, the album won Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Killing Me Softly,” a remake of Roberta Flack’s classic 1973 hit. The Score would go on to become one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of all time by a group according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The Fugees' success made Hill an up-and-coming star despite her young age. Critics and fans alike praised the group's sound as distinct from the then-dominant gangsta rap subgenre, which was highly controversial for its often violent and sexist content. Many saw the Fugees as leading a new wave of rap music, one that would help it achieve mainstream popularity. As she began dealing with life as a celebrity Hill also branched out into other activities, founding the Refugee Project, an organization dedicated to aiding and empowering inner-city youth. Its services include mentoring, a reading club, and engaging children in positive social action. Meanwhile, however, internal tensions began to strain the Fugees, especially conflict between Hill and Jean. Though allegedly romantically involved with Jean, Hill met and began a relationship with Rohan Marley, son of reggae icon Bob Marley, and they had a son, named Zion, together in 1997. Her falling out with the other members of the Fugees led to the group's breakup.

In 1998 Hill launched her solo career with the release of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Blending rap, soul, and reggae with other styles, the album cemented her status as a music icon in the United States and worldwide. She sang and rapped about themes including the breakup of the Fugees, her pregnancy, and other personal subjects, often with a strong feminist message. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive and many critics placed it as the year's best album, elevating Hill as the voice of her generation and an influential icon. Miseducation was nominated for ten Grammy Awards and won five: Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal, Best R&B Album, Best Album, and Best New Artist. Hill was featured on numerous popular magazine covers and in other media. As many had predicted, her success indeed helped hip-hop truly cross over into the mainstream

Yet becoming a superstar brought high expectations and pressure. Hill began to feel disenchanted with her celebrity status and the intense scrutiny it brought, including criticism in the press after she had her second child while remaining unmarried. Additionally, a group of musicians and producers who had contributed to Miseducation filed a lawsuit against her, alleging that they had not been properly credited for their work. Though the case was eventually settled out of court—with Hill reportedly paying out $5 million—it somewhat tarnished Hill's reputation and distracted from further creative efforts. Hill soon dropped out of public life and projects she had announced, including several film projects, were stalled or canceled.

After essentially a five-year hiatus, Hill released her second album, the live recording MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2001). It sold poorly and was attacked by fans and critics who expected the same magic as her first solo venture. The reclusive Hill turned her attention back to motherhood. The Fugees tried to reunite between 2004 and 2006, but the attempt fizzled because of unresolved issues among members. Some concert and television appearances resulted from the reunion, along with several songs, but the group was not able to produce an album.

The tumultuous decades following Hill’s debut as a solo artist were filled with highs and lows professionally and personally. She made a few concert appearances—most of which were derided, with the singer often arriving late and altering her songs in erratic ways—and recorded some one-off tracks, but no albums of new material appeared. By 2010 she and Marley had five children, and she devoted much of her time to her family, avoiding the spotlight. Her activism included calling attention to religious injustice and abuses by the Roman Catholic Church, though her sporadic statements on various social issues were often met with controversy. She increasingly spoke of hostility form and persecution by the music industry, pop culture, and mainstream society. In 2012 she was charged with tax evasion and in 2013 she was sentenced to and served three months in prison. The legal trouble led Hill to finally release a new official single, "Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)," in 2013 to fulfill a court requirement. After her release from prison she increased her output somewhat, including touring, narrating a documentary film, and recording several songs for the soundtrack to What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) a documentary about singer Nina Simone.

Significance

Fusing her vocal talents, Motown roots, reggae influences, and religious beliefs, Hill cemented her reputation as one of hip-hop’s most beloved artists. Her work as a solo artist and with the Fugees has influenced musicians in a multitude of genres.

Bibliography

Blau, Max. "Deconstructing Lauryn Hill's Rise and Fall, 15 Years after The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Stereogum. SpinMedia, 23 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Gordinier, Jeff. X Saves the World: How Generation X Got the Shaft But Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking. New York: Viking, 2008. Print.

"Lauryn Hill." Academy of Achievement, 2 Feb. 2021, achievement.org/achiever/lauryn-hill/. Accessed 20 July 2021.

Pitts, Emma Thomas. People and Programs That Make a Difference in a Multicultural Society: Volunteerism in America. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen, 1999. Print.

Raftery, Brian. "Lauryn Hill: Biography." AllMusic. AllMusic, 2016. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Touré. “The Mystery of Lauryn Hill” and “Lauryn in Love.” In Never Drank the Kool-Aid: Essays. New York: Picador, 2006. Print.