This former Fugee had the world in the palm of her slender brown hand with the release of her solo debut, never letting anyone forget: This is hip hop. The formidable lyricist with the raspy voice of an angel delicately fused R&B, reggae, and hip hop into one powerful, cohesive piece of work. (Vibe, 9/04). The songs on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill are mostly about her growth as an individual. In Billboard, she said "Every time I got hurt, every time I was disappointed, every time I learned, I just wrote a song." On February 24, 1999, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill became the first-ever hip-hop album to win the Grammy for album of the year. Lauryn Hill earned a record-breaking total of ten Grammy nominations, five of which she won. At the time, L-Boogie's five Grammy wins set a record for the most Grammys ever to win in one year for a female artist. She performed her song "To Zion" with Carlos Santana during the awards. On the 20th anniversary (last year), Goodie Mobb shared a letter to Ms. Hill via Spotify, saying "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was a breath of fresh air, especially coming from a female MC's point of view. As you also paid homage to Dr. Carter G. Woodson's book The Mis-Education of the Negro, we knew that the impact of this album would definitely stand the test of time." It has stood the test of time, revisit it below.
In 2015, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was inducted into the Library of Congress. "By preserving these recordings, we safeguard the words, sounds and music that embody who we are as people and a nation," said the Library's curator, James H. Billington. Also included was the following message: "Lauryn Hill’s debut solo record, following the breakup of the Fugees, is a work of honesty in which Hill explores her feelings on topics that included the deep wonder of pregnancy, the pitfalls of modern relationships and the experience of the sacred. The album effortlessly fuses soul, rhythm and blues, rap and reggae. Hill’s vocal range, smooth clear highs and vibrato are stunning. The rapping is rhythmically compelling while always retaining, and frequently exploiting, the natural cadences of conversational speech. Standout guest performances include Carlos Santana’s soulful acoustic guitar solo on “Zion,” and duets with Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo on “I Used to Love Him” and “Nothing Even Matters,” respectively." Lauryn Hill's album was released on August 25, 1998.
