The legendary Lauryn Hill released The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill when she was just 23 years old, exactly 20 years ago. Since 1998, the project has steadily and rightfully cemented its place in music culture in more ways than one. Aside from being able to boast incredible success in numbers, such as how it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 422,624 copies in its first week, it also grabbed countless spots on top of “Best Album of The Decade” lists and won Lauryn multiple Grammys.
She made the decision to work on a solo project after she face life’s twists and turns, including the decision for The Fugees to disband, and the pregnancy of her first child. The lead single, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” became the first debut song in Billboard history to debut at #1. Lauryn Hill also became the first woman since Debbie Gibson to have a #1 song that she wrote, produced, and recorded on her own. The beat samples the 1971 5th Dimension song “Together Let’s Find Love.”
Photo Credit: John Parra/Getty Images
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has weaved itself into hip-hop and R&B culture as its sampled and interpolated by artist even to this day. The hooks have become unmistakeable while the lyrics prove to have withstood the test of time as they still touch the hearts of many. “To Zion,” one of the most moving tracks on the project, is a song that Lauryn wrote about her first son and child, Zion David. Over an iconic guitar feature from Carlos Santana, it details the intimate thoughts of a soon-to-be mom, and its honesty has gotten many through early motherhood. The song was sampled by J. Cole in “Can I Holla At Ya” in 2013.
As each year goes by, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill continues to sound more and more like the classic it is. Revisit the album below.