Lauryn Hill | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Hill performing in 2019 | |
| Born | Lauryn Noelle Hill (1975-05-26)May 26, 1975 (age 50) East Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Works | Discography |
| Partner | Rohan Marley (1996–2009) |
| Children | 6, includingSelah andYG Marley |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Musical artist | |
| Website | mslaurynhill |
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Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is recognized by music critics as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation.[2] Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to themainstream success of bothhip-hop andneo soul, and blending rap with melodic vocals. She has been honored as one of the50 Great Voices byNPR, and one of the200 Greatest Singers of All Time byRolling Stone. In 2015,Billboard named herthe greatest female rapper. Amongher accolades are eightGrammy Awards—themost for any female rapper.
Hill began her career as ateen actress, appearing inAs the World Turns (1991) andSteven Soderbergh's drama filmKing of the Hill (1993). Her performance as Rita in the filmSister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) earned widespread praise.[3] Hill gained further prominence as the frontwoman of theFugees, which she formed in 1990 withWyclef Jean andPras. Their second album,The Score (1996), topped theBillboard 200 and made Hill the first woman to win aGrammy Award for Best Rap Album. The album featured the hit single "Killing Me Softly", which became the best-selling single of 1996 in multiple regions, includingthe UK. Its popularity was so immense that it was pulled from stores to prioritize the release of the album's next single, "Ready or Not". That same year, she guest appeared onNas's single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)".
Her debut solo album,The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), became the first album by a female rapper to debut atop theBillboard 200. Along with critical acclaim, its lead single, "Doo Wop (That Thing)", debuted atop theBillboard Hot 100, making Hill the first artist to do so on both charts with their first entries.[4]The Miseducation became the first recording by a female rapper to becomediamond certified by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned three hit songs: "Ex-Factor", "Nothing Even Matters", and "Lost Ones". At the41st Grammy Awards, she became the first rapper to winAlbum of the Year. The album remains one of thebest-selling albums worldwide and toppedApple Music's 100 Best Albums in history list.[5]
In 1999, Hill became the first rapper to appear on the cover ofTime. Later that year, her duet withBob Marley, "Turn Your Lights Down Low", entered several international music charts. In 2002, Hill's Grammy-nominated live albumMTV Unplugged No. 2.0, peaked within theBillboard 200's top five and receivedplatinum certification. In the years following, she collaborated withJohn Legend and Nas on songs like "So High (remix)" and "Nobody", while also remaining an active touring artist.Billboard ranks her as the second highest-grossing female rapper in live music history.[6]
Hill has contributed as a producer and songwriter to projects byWhitney Houston,CeCe Winans, and her sonYG Marley, as well asMary J. Blige's "All That I Can Say" andAretha Franklin's "A Rose Is Still a Rose", atop 40 hit that became Franklin's final signature song. She also co-producedSantana's albumSupernatural (1999), for which she won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. She has been recognized with honors including theASCAP Golden Note Award, theNAACPPresident's Award,[7] and inductions into theGrammy Hall of Fame (twice), theNational Recording Registry, and theBlack Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Lauryn Noelle Hill was born on May 26, 1975, inEast Orange, New Jersey.[8][9] Her mother, Valerie Hill, was an English teacher and her father, Mal Hill, a computer and management consultant. She has one sibling, an older brother named Malaney Hill, a computer engineer, who was born in 1972 and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania .[10][11][12] HerBaptist family moved to New York for a short period before settling inSouth Orange.[9][13]
Hill has said of her musically oriented family: "there were so many records, so much music constantly being played. My mother played the piano, my father sang, and we were always surrounded by music."[9] Her father sang in local nightclubs and at weddings.[14][15] While growing up, Hill frequently listened toCurtis Mayfield,Stevie Wonder,Aretha Franklin, andGladys Knight;[16] years later she recalled playingMarvin Gaye'sWhat's Going On repeatedly until she fell asleep to it.[9]
In middle school, Hill performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a basketball game. Due to its popularity, subsequent games featured a recording of her rendition.[10] In 1988, Hill appeared as an Amateur Night contestant onIt's Showtime at the Apollo. She sang her version of theSmokey Robinson track "Who's Lovin' You". Stumbling out of the gate to hit her notes, she initially garnered a mixed reaction from the crowd, but persevered through the performance, which ended in applause.[17]
Hill attendedColumbia High School, where she was a member of the track team, cheerleading squad[10][11] and was a classmate of actorZach Braff.[18] She also took violin lessons, went to dance class, and founded the school's gospel choir.[15] Academically, she took advanced placement classes and received primarily'A' grades.[11][15] School officials recognized her as a leader among the student body.[15] Later recalling her education, Hill commented, "I had a love for—I don't know if it was necessarily for academics, more than it just was for achieving, period. If it was academics, if it was sports, if it was music, if it was dance, whatever it was, I was always driven to do a lot in whatever field or whatever area I was focusing on at the moment."[9]
While afreshman in high school,[12] through mutual friends,Prakazrel "Pras" Michel approached Hill about a music group he was creating.[16][19] Hill and Pras began under the name Translator Crew. They came up with this name because they wanted to rhyme in different languages.[16] Another female vocalist was soon replaced by Michel's cousin, multi-instrumentalistWyclef Jean.[16] The group began performing in local showcases and high school talent shows.[12] Hill was initially only a singer, but then learned to rap too; instead of modeling herself on female rappers likeSalt-N-Pepa andMC Lyte, she preferred male rappers likeIce Cube and developed herflow from listening to them.[14] Hill later said, "I remember doing my homework in the bathroom stalls of hip-hop clubs."[20]
While growing up, Hill took acting lessons inManhattan.[15] She began her acting career in 1991 appearing with Jean inClub XII, MC Lyte'sOff-Broadway hip-hop rendering of Shakespeare'sTwelfth Night.[12] While the play was not a success, an agent noticed her. Later that year, Hill began appearing on the soap operaAs the World Turns in a recurring role as troubled teenager Kira Johnson.[10][20] She subsequently co-starred alongsideWhoopi Goldberg in the 1993 releaseSister Act 2: Back in the Habit, playing Rita Louise Watson, an inner-city Catholic school teenager with a surly, rebellious attitude.[10][12] In it, she performed the songs "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" (a duet withTanya Blount) and "Joyful, Joyful".[21]
DirectorBill Duke credited Hill with improvising a rap in a scene: "None of that was scripted. That was all Lauryn. She was amazing."[10] CriticRoger Ebert called her "the girl with the big joyful voice", although he thought her talent was wasted,[22] whileRolling Stone said she "performed marvelously against type ... in the otherwise perfunctory [film]".[12] Hill also appeared inSteven Soderbergh's 1993 motion pictureKing of the Hill, in a minor but pivotal role as a 1930s gum-popping elevator operator. Soderbergh biographer Jason Wood described her as supplying one of the warmest scenes in the film.[23] Hill graduated from Columbia High School in 1993.
Pras, Hill and Jean renamed their groupFugees, a derivative of the word "refugee", which was a derogatory term forHaitian Americans.[12] Hill began a romantic relationship with Jean.[19] The Fugees, who signed a contract withColumbia/Ruffhouse Records in 1993,[20] became known for their genre blending, particularly of reggae, rock and soul,[16] which was first experimented on their debut album,Blunted on Reality, released in 1994. It reached No. 62 on theBillboardTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart[24] but overall sold poorly[10][20] and was met by poor critical reviews due to their management's insistence they adoptgangsta rap attitudes.[12] Although the album made little impact, Hill's rapping on "Some Seek Stardom" was seen as a highlight.[25] Within the group, she was frequently referred to by the nickname "L. Boogie".[26] Hill's image and artistry, as well as her full, rich, raspyalto voice, placed her at the forefront of the band, with some fans urging her to begin a solo career.[12][25]
The Fugees' second album,The Score (1996), peaked at No. 1 on the U.S.Billboard 200[27] and stayed in the top ten of that chart for over half a year.[12] It sold about seven million copies in the United States[28] and more than 20 million copies worldwide.[29] In the 1996Pazz & Jop Critics Poll,The Score came second in the list of best albums and three of its tracks placed within the top 20 best singles.[30] It won theGrammy Award for Best Rap Album,[31] and was later included onRolling Stone'slist of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[32]The Score garnered praise for being a strong alternative to the gangsta idiom, and Hill stated, "We're trying to do something positive with the music because it seems like only the negative is rising to the top these days. It only takes a drop of purity to clean a cesspool."[14]
Singles fromThe Score included "Fu-Gee-La" and "Ready or Not", which highlighted Hill's singing and rapping abilities,[33] and theBob Marley cover "No Woman, No Cry". Her rendition of "Killing Me Softly" became the group's breakout hit.[34] Buttressed by whatRolling Stone publications later called Hill's "evocative" vocal line[16] and her "amazing pipes",[32] the track became pervasive on pop, R&B, hip hop, andadult contemporary radio formats.[16] It won theGrammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[31][35] On the album, Hill combinedAfrican-American music andCaribbean music influences with socially conscious lyrics.[33]Newsweek mentioned Hill's "irresistibly cute looks" and proclaimed her "the most powerful new voice in rap".[14]
When she was 21 years old, Hill was still living at home with her parents.[12] She had been enrolled atColumbia University during this period, and considered majoring in history as she became a sophomore,[12][14] but left after about a year of total studies once sales ofThe Score went into the millions.[10] In 1996, she responded to a false rumor onThe Howard Stern Show that she had made a racist comment onMTV, saying "How can I possibly be a racist? My music is universal. And I believe in God. If I believe in God, then I have to love all of God's creations. There can be no segregation."[20][36]
In 1996, Hill founded the Refugee Project, a non-profit outreach organization that sought to transform the attitudes and behavior of at-risk urban youth.[37] Part of this was Camp Hill, which offered stays in theCatskill Mountains for such youngsters; another was production of an annualHalloween haunted house in East Orange.[37] Hill also raised money for Haitian refugees, supported clean water well-building projects in Kenya and Uganda, and staged a rap concert inHarlem to promotevoter registration. A 1997 benefit event for the Refugee Project introduced a board of trustees for the organization that includedSean Combs,Mariah Carey,Busta Rhymes,Spike Lee, and others as members.[38]
In 1997, the Fugees split to work on solo projects,[39] which Jean later blamed on his tumultuous relationship with Hill and the fact he married his wife Claudinette while still involved with Hill.[39][40] Meanwhile, in the summer of 1996 Hill had metRohan Marley, a son ofBob Marley and a formerUniversity of Miami football player.[17] Hill subsequently began a relationship with him, while still also involved with Jean.[17] Hill became pregnant in late 1996, and on August 3, 1997, Marley and Hill's first child, Zion David, was born.[13] The couple lived in Hill's childhood house in South Orange after she bought her parents a new house down the street.[20]
Hill had a cameo appearance in the 1997 filmHav Plenty. In 1998, Hill took up another small, but important role in the filmRestaurant;[41]Entertainment Weekly praised her portrayal of the protagonist's pregnant former girlfriend as bringing vigor to the film.[42]
Hill recorded her solo recordThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill from late 1997 through June 1998 atTuff Gong Studios inJamaica.[8][36] The title was inspired by the bookThe Mis-Education of the Negro (1933) byCarter G. Woodson andThe Education of Sonny Carson, a film and autobiographical novel.[43] The album featured contributions fromD'Angelo,Carlos Santana,Mary J. Blige and the then-unknownJohn Legend.[44] Wyclef Jean initially did not support Hill recording a solo album, but eventually offered his production help; Hill turned him down.[17]
Several songs on the album concerned her frustration with the Fugees; "I Used to Love Him" dealt with the breakdown of the relationship between Hill and Wyclef Jean.[43] Other songs such as "To Zion" spoke about her decision to have her first baby (Zion David Marley, the first of five she was to have withRohan Marley), even though some at the time encouraged her to have an abortion so to not interfere with her blossoming career.[20][43][45] Indeed, Hill's pregnancy revived her from a period ofwriter's block.[36]
In terms of production, Hill collaborated with a group of musicians known as New Ark, consisting ofVada Nobles, Rasheem Pugh, Tejumold Newton, and Johari Newton.[43] Hill later said that she wanted to "write songs that lyrically move me and have the integrity ofreggae and the knock of hip-hop and the instrumentation of classic soul" and that the production on the album was intended to make the music sound raw and not computer-aided.[43] Hill spoke of pressure from her label to emulatePrince, wherein all tracks would be credited as written and produced by the artist with little outside help.[43] She also wanted to be appreciated as an auteur as much as Jean had within the Fugees.[17] She also saw a feminist cause: "But step out and try and control things and there are doubts. This is a very sexist industry. They'll never throw the 'genius' title to a sister."[33] While recording the album, when Hill was asked about providing contracts or documentation to the musicians, she replied, "We all love each other. This ain't about documents. This is blessed."[17]
Released on August 25, 1998, the album received rave reviews from contemporary music critics,[46] and was the most acclaimed album of 1998.[47] Critics lauded the album's blending of the R&B, doo-wop, pop, hip-hop, and reggae genres and its honest representation of a woman's life and relationships.[20][47]David Browne, writing inEntertainment Weekly, called it "an album of often-astonishing power, strength, and feeling", and praised Hill for "easily flowing from singing to rapping, evoking the past while forging a future of her own".[48]Robert Christgau quipped, "PC record of the year—songs soft, singing ordinary, rapping skilled, rhymes up and down, skitsde trop, production subtle and terrific".[49] In 2017,NPR rated the album as the second-best album of all time created by a woman.[50]
It sold nearly 423,000 copies in its first week (boosted by advance radio play of two non-label-sanctioned singles, "Lost Ones" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You")[51] and topped theBillboard 200 for four weeks and theBillboard R&B Albums chart for six weeks. It went on to sell about 10 million copies in the United States,[28][52] and 20 million copies worldwide.[53] During 1998 and 1999, Hill earned $25 million from record sales and touring.[17] Hill, along with Blige,Missy Elliott,Meshell Ndegeocello,Erykah Badu, and others, found a voice with theneo soul genre.[54]
The first single released from the album was "Doo Wop (That Thing)", which debuted at No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart.[55] It exemplified Hill's appeal, combining feelings of self-empowerment with self-defense.[54] Other charted singles from the album were "Ex-Factor", which has been sampled byDrake andCardi B,[56] "Everything Is Everything" and "To Zion".[55] In the 1998Pazz & Jop Critics Poll,Miseducation came second in the list of best albums and "Doo Wop (That Thing)" second in best singles.[57]
In November 1998, Marley and Hill's second child,Selah Louise, was born.[11] Of being a young mother of two, Hill said, "It's not an easy situation at all. You have to really pray and be honest with yourself."[20]
In the run-up to the1999 Grammy Awards, Hill became the first woman to be nominated in ten categories in a single year. In addition toMiseducation works, the nominations included her rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" for the 1997 filmConspiracy Theory, which had appeared onBillboard charts,[58] and Hill's writing and producing of "A Rose Is Still a Rose", which became a late-in-career hit forAretha Franklin.[59] She appeared on several magazine covers, includingTime,Esquire,Rolling Stone,Teen People, andThe New York Times Fashion Magazine.[33] During the ceremony, Hill broke another record by becoming the first woman to win five times in one night,[33] taking home the awards forAlbum of the Year,Best R&B Album,Best R&B Song,Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, andBest New Artist.[60] During an acceptance speech, she said, "This is crazy. This is hip-hop!"[33] Hill had brought forth a new, mainstream acceptance of the genre.[15][33]
In February 1999, Hill received four awards at the 30th AnnualNAACP Image Awards.[61] In May 1999, she became the youngest woman ever named toEbony magazine's 100+ Most Influential Black Americans list;[62] in November of that year, the same publication named her as one of "10 For Tomorrow" in the "Ebony 2000: Special Millennium Issue".[63] In May 1999, she madePeople magazine's50 Most Beautiful People list.[11] The publication, which has called her "model-gorgeous",[26] praised the 5-foot-4-inch (1.63 m) Hill for her idiosyncratic sense of personal style.[11] In June 1999, she received anEssence Award, but her acceptance speech, where she said there was no contradiction in religious love and servitude and "[being] who you are, as fly and as hot and as whatever",[64] drew reaction from those in the public who thought she was not a good role model as a young, unwed mother of two.[65] This was a repetition of criticism she had received after the birth of her first child, and she had said that she and Marley would soon be married.[20] In early 2000, Hill was one of the producers to share the Grammy Award for Album of the Year awarded forSantana's 1999 multi-million-sellingSupernatural, whereon she had written, produced, and rapped on the track "Do You Like the Way" (a rumination on the direction the world was headed, it also featured the singing ofCeeLo Green and the signature guitar runs ofCarlos Santana). She was also nominated for Best R&B Song for "All That I Can Say", which she had written and produced forMary J. Blige. Also, her concocted duet with Bob Marley on "Turn Your Lights Down Low" for the 1999 remix tribute albumChant Down Babylon additionally appeared in the 1999 filmThe Best Man and later received a Grammy nomination forBest Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
In November 1998, New Ark filed a fifty-page lawsuit against Hill, her management, and record label, claiming that Hill "used their songs and production skills, but failed to properly credit them for the work" onMiseducation.[66] The musicians claimed to be the primary songwriters on two tracks, and major contributors on several others, though Gordon Williams, a prominent recorder, engineer, and mixer onMiseducation, described the album as a "powerfully personal effort by Hill" and said, "It was definitely her vision."[47] Hill responded that New Ark had been appropriately credited and now were seeking to take advantage of her success.[66] New Ark requested partial writing credits on most of the tracks on the album as well as monetary reimbursement.[67] After many delays, depositions took place during the latter part of 2000.[66][67] In part, the case illustrated the difficult boundaries between songwriting and all other aspects that went into contemporary arranging, sampling, and recording.[66] The suit was eventually settled out of court in February 2001, with Hill paying New Ark a reported $5 million.[43] A friend of Hill's later said of the suit, "That was the beginning of a chain effect that would turn everything a little crazy."[17]
Hill began writing a screenplay about the life ofBob Marley, in the production of which she planned to play his wifeRita.[17] She also began producing aromantic comedy aboutsoul food with a working title ofSauce, and accepted a starring role in thefilm adaptation ofToni Morrison's novelBeloved;[17] she later dropped out of both projects due to pregnancy.[17] She also reportedly turned down acting roles in the remake forA Star Is Born (the movie was later released in 2018, with the part going toLady Gaga),[68][69]Dreamgirls (the role of Deena, later played byBeyoncé),[70]Charlie's Angels (the part that went toLucy Liu),The Bourne Identity,The Mexican,The Matrix Reloaded, andThe Matrix Revolutions.[17]
In 2000, Hill dropped out of the public eye. The pressures of fame began to overwhelm her.[17][26] She disliked not being able to go out of her house to do simple errands without having to worry about her physical appearance.[17][43] She fired her management team and began attendingBible study classes five days a week; she also stopped doing interviews, watching television, and listening to music.[43] She started associating with a "spiritual advisor" named Brother Anthony.[17] Some familiar with Hill believe Anthony more resembled acult leader than a spiritual advisor,[17][71] and thought his guidance probably inspired much of Hill's more controversial public behavior.[71]
She later described this period of her life toEssence saying "People need to understand that the Lauryn Hill they were exposed to in the beginning was all that was allowed in that arena at that time ... I had to step away when I realized that for the sake of the machine, I was being way too compromised. I felt uncomfortable about having to smile in someone's face when I really didn't like them or even know them well enough to like them."[72] She also spoke about her emotional crisis, saying, "For two or three years I was away from all social interaction. It was a very introspective time because I had to confront my fears and master every demonic thought about inferiority, about insecurity or the fear of being black, young and gifted in this western culture."[72] She went on to say that she had to fight to retain her identity, and was forced "to deal with folks who weren't happy about that."[72]
In July 2001, while pregnant with her third child, Hill unveiled her new material to a small crowd, for a taping of anMTV Unplugged special.[17][73] A live album of the concert, titledMTV Unplugged No. 2.0, was released in May 2002 and featured only her singing and playing an acoustic guitar.[73] Unlike the near-unanimous praise ofMiseducation,2.0 sharply divided critics.AllMusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying that the recording "is the unfinished, unflinching presentation of ideas and of a person. It may not be a proper follow-up to her first album, but it is fascinating."[74]Rolling Stone called the album "a public breakdown",[17] andRobert Hilburn of theLos Angeles Times said the album's title opened Hill up for jokes that she had become unhinged.[75]NME wrote that "Unplugged 2.0 is a sparse and often gruelling listen, but there is enough genius shading these rough sketches to suggest that all might not yet be lost." With the mixed reviews and no significant radio airplay,2.0 debuted at No. 3 on theBillboard 200.[76][75] The album was later certifiedPlatinum in the U.S. by theRIAA.[77]
Her song "Mystery of Iniquity" from the album was nominated for aGrammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance,[78] and was used as aninterpolation byKanye West for his single "All Falls Down" featuringSyleena Johnson, leading to Hill being credited as a songwriter on the song.[79]
Around 2001, Marley and Hill's third child,Joshua Omaru, was born. He was followed a year later by their fourth, John Nesta.[80] While Hill sometimes had spoken of Marley as her husband, they never married, and along the way she was informed that Marley had been previously married at a young age.[17] According to a 2003Rolling Stone report, he had never secured a divorce.[17] Marley later disputed this and made public to a blog a 1996 divorce document fromHaiti.[81] The two had been living in a high-end Miami hotel, but around 2003 she moved out into her own place in that city.[17] Hill later said that she and Marley "have had long periods of separation over the years".[82] Hill slowly worked on a new album and it was reported that by 2003,Columbia Records had spent more than $2.5 million funding it, including installing a recording studio in the singer's Miami apartment and flying different musicians around the country.[17]
By 2002, Hill had shut down her non-profit Refugee Project.[83] She said, "I had a nonprofit organization and I had to shut all that down. You know, smiling with big checks, obligatory things, not having things come from a place of passion. That's slavery. Everything we do should be a result of our gratitude for what God has done for us. It should be passionate."[83]
In December 2003, Hill, during a performance inVatican City, spoke of the "corruption, exploitation, and abuses" in reference to themolestation of boys by Catholic priests in the United States and the cover-up of offenses by Catholic Church officials.[84] High-ranking church officials were in attendance, butPope John Paul II was not present.[84] TheCatholic League called Hill "pathologically miserable" and claimed her career was "in decline".[85] The following day, several reporters suggested that Hill's comments at the Vatican may have been influenced by her spiritual advisor, Brother Anthony.[71]
In 2004, Hill contributed a new song, "The Passion", toThe Passion of the Christ: Songs. A remix version withJohn Legend of his "So High" ended up receiving a Grammy Award nomination forBest R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Around this time, Hill began selling apay-per-view music video of the song "Social Drugs" through her website.[86] Those who purchase the $15 video would only be able to view it three times before it expired. In addition to the video, Hill began selling autographed posters andPolaroids through her website, with some items listed at upwards of $500.[86]
For the first time since 1997, the Fugees performed in September 2004 atDave Chappelle's Block Party in theBedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood ofBrooklyn. The concert featured Hill's nearlya cappella rendition of "Killing Me Softly". The event was recorded by directorMichel Gondry and was released on March 3, 2006, to universal acclaim.[87] The Fugees also appeared atBET Awards 2005 during June 2005, where they opened the show with a 12-minute set. One track, "Take It Easy", was leaked online and thereafter was released as an Internet single in late September. It peaked at No. 40 on theBillboardR&B Chart.[88]
In 2005, she toldUSA Today, "If I make music now, it will only be to provide information to my own children. If other people benefit from it, then so be it."[89] When asked how she now felt about the songs on2.0, she stated "a lot of the songs were transitional. The music was about how I was feeling at the time, even though I was documenting my distress as well as my bursts of joy."[89]
The Fugees embarked on a European tour in late 2005.[90] Old tensions between Hill and the other members of the group soon resurfaced, and the reunion ended before an album could be recorded; Jean and Michel both blamed Hill for the split.[26] Hill reportedly demanded to be addressed by everyone, including her bandmates, as "Ms. Hill"; she also considered changing her moniker to "Empress".[26] Hill's tardiness was also cited as a contributing factor.[26]
Hill began touring on her own, although to mixed reviews; often arriving late to concerts (sometimes by over two hours), performing unpopular reconfigurations of her songs and sporting an exaggerated appearance.[26][91] On some occasions, fans booed her and left early.[92] In June 2007,Sony Records said Hill had been recording through the past decade, had accumulated considerable unreleased material and had re-entered the studio with the goal of making a new album.[93] Later that same year, an album titledMs. Hill, which featured cuts fromMiseducation, various soundtrack contributions and other "unreleased" songs, was released. It features guest appearances from D'Angelo,Rah Digga andJohn Forté.[94] Also in June 2007, Hill released a new song, "Lose Myself", on the soundtrack to the filmSurf's Up.[95]
In early 2008, Marley and Hill's fifth child, Sara, was born.[26] The couple were not living together, although Marley considered them "spiritually together" even while listing himself as single on social media.[26] Hill later said that she and Marley "have [had] a long and complex history about which many inaccuracies have been reported since the beginning" and that they both valued their privacy.[82] By August 2008, Hill was living with her mother and children in her hometown of South Orange, New Jersey.[26]
Reports in mid-2008 claimed that Columbia Records then believed Hill to be on hiatus.[26] Marley disputed these claims, telling an interviewer that Hill has enough material for several albums: "She writes music in the bathroom, on toilet paper, on the wall. She writes it in the mirror if the mirror smokes up. She writes constantly. This woman does not sleep".[92] One of the few public appearances Hill made in 2008 was at aMartha Stewart book signing in New Jersey, perplexing some in the press.[96]
In April 2009, it was reported that Hill would engage in a 10-day tour of European summer festivals during mid-July of that year. She performed two shows for the tour and passed out on stage during the start of her second performance and left the stage. She refused to provide refunds for angry consumers.[97] On June 10, Hill's management informed the promoters of theStockholm Jazz Festival, which she was scheduled to headline, that she would not be performing due to unspecified "health reasons".[97] Shortly afterward, the rest of the tour was canceled as well.[97]
In January 2010, Hill returned to the live stage and performed in stops across New Zealand and Australia on theRaggamuffin Music Festival.[98] Many of the songs that Hill had performed and recorded over the past six years were included on an April 2010 unofficialcompilation album titledKhulami Phase.[99] The album also features a range of other material found on theMs. Hill compilation.[99] Hill appeared at the Harmony Festival inSanta Rosa, California, in June 2010, her first live American performance in several years.[100] An unreleased song called "Repercussions" was leaked via the Internet in late July 2010, debuting at No. 94 onBillboard'sHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (and peaked at No. 83 the following week), making it her firstBillboard chart appearance as a lead artist since 1999.[101]
Hill joined theRock the Bells hip-hop festival series in the U.S. during August 2010, and as part of that year's theme of rendering classic albums, she performedThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in its entirety for the first time.[102] She increased the tempo and urgency from the original recording, but at times had difficulty in communicating with her band.[102] Hill continued touring, including a set at the 6th Annual Jazz in the Gardens, inMiami Gardens, Florida in December.[103] In Spring 2011, Hill performed at theCoachella Valley Music Festival,[104]New Orleans Jazz Fest,[105] and at theCosmopolitan of Las Vegas.[106] In July 2011, Hill gave birth to her sixth child, Micah, her first not with Rohan Marley; the father remains publicly unknown.[82]
In February 2012, Hill performed a new song titled "Fearless Vampire Killer", during a sold-out performance at theWarner Theater in Washington, D.C.[107] In late 2012, Hill toured with rapperNas; her portion of the tour, titled Black Rage, is named after her song, released October 30.[108] Hill has described the song as being "about the derivative effects of racial inequity and abuse" and "a juxtaposition to the statement 'life is good,' which she believes can only be so when these long standing issues are addressed and resolved."[109]
In June 2012, Hill was charged with three counts of tax fraud or failing to file taxes (Title 26 USC § 7202 Willful failure to collect or pay over tax) nottax evasion on $1.8 million of income earned between 2005 and 2007.[110] During this time she had toured as a musical artist, earned royalties from both her records and from films she had appeared in, and had owned and been in charge of multiple corporations.[111] In a long post to herTumblr, Hill said that she had gone "underground" and had rejected pop culture's "climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism, and ageism." She added, "When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes. This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family."[112][113]
In June 2012, Hill appeared in theUnited States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark and pleaded guilty to the charges. Her attorney said she would make restitution for the back taxes she owed.[110] By April 2013, Hill had paid back only $50,000 of the $554,000 she owed immediately. U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo criticized Hill, saying "This is not someone who stands before the court penniless. This is a criminal matter. Actions speak louder than words, and there has been no effort here to pay these taxes."[113] Hill faced possible eviction from her rented home in South Orange as well as a civil lawsuit from the town for running a business out of a home without a zoning permit.[114]
On May 4, 2013, Hill released her first official single in over a decade, "Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)".[115] She later published a message on her Tumblr describing how she was "required to release [it] immediately, by virtue of the impending legal deadline".[115] The release received some criticism for lyrics that appeared to tie societal decay to certainLGBT social movements.[116] Hill responded that the song was not targeted at any particular group but was instead focused on anyone hiding behind neurotic behavior.[117] Following a deal withSony Music, which involves Hill creating a new record label within the company, Hill was said to be scheduled to release her first album in fifteen years during 2013.[115]
On May 6, 2013, Hill was sentenced by Judge Arleo to serve three months in prison for failing to file taxes/tax fraud and three months'house arrest afterwards as part of a year of supervised probation.[118][119] She had faced a possible sentence of as long as 36 months,[113] and the sentence given took into account her lack of a prior criminal record and her six minor-aged children.[119][120] By this point Hill had fully paid back $970,000 in back taxes and penalties she owed, which also took into account an additional $500,000 that Hill had in unreported income for 2008 and 2009.[120] In the courtroom, Hill said that she had lived "very modestly" considering how much money she had made for others,[119] and that "I am a child of former slaves who had a system imposed on them. I had an economic system imposed on me."[118] Hill reported to the minimum-securityFederal Correctional Institution, Danbury, on July 8, 2013, to begin serving her sentence.[121]
Hill was released from prison on October 4, 2013, a few days early for good behavior, and began her home confinement and probationary periods.[122] She put out a single called "Consumerism" that she had finished, via verbal and e-mailed instructions, while incarcerated.[123] Judge Arleo allowed her to postpone part of her confinement in order to tour in late 2013 under strict conditions.[124]
During 2014, Hill was heard as the narrator ofConcerning Violence, an award-winning Swedish documentary on theAfrican liberation struggles of the 1960s and 1970s.[125] She also continued to draw media attention for her erratic behavior, appearing late twice in the same day for sets atVoodoo Fest in November 2014.[126]
In May 2015, Hill canceled her scheduled concert outsideTel Aviv in Israel following a social media campaign from activists promoting theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. She said she had wanted to also perform a show inRamallah in theWest Bank but logistical problems had proved too great. Hill stated: "It is very important to me that my presence or message not be misconstrued, or a source of alienation to either my Israeli or my Palestinian fans."[127]
Hill contributed her voice to the soundtrack forWhat Happened, Miss Simone?, a 2015 documentary about the life ofNina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist. Hill was originally supposed to record only two songs for the record, but ended up recording six. She also served as a producer on the compilation alongsideRobert Glasper. Hill said of her connection to Simone: "Because I fed on this music ... I believed I always had a right to have a voice. Her example is clearly a form of sustenance to a generation needing to find theirs. What a gift."[128]NPR critically praised Hill's performance on the soundtrack, stating: "This album mainly showcases Lauryn Hill's breadth and dexterity. Not formally marketed as Hill's comeback album, her six tracks here make this her most comprehensive set of studio recordings sinceThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998."[129]
In April 2016, Hill hosted and headlined what was billed as the inauguralDiaspora Calling! festival at theKings Theatre in Brooklyn.[130] The festival's purpose was to showcase the efforts of musicians and artists from around theAfrican diaspora like Brooklyn Haitian Rara band Brother High Full Tempo.[131] The following month, Hill was approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes late for her show at theChastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta,[132][133] though members of Hill's team claimed it was only an hour after their scheduled start time.[134] Moments after the less-than-40-minute show ended due to the venue's strict 11:00 p.m. closing time, Hill said her driver had gotten lost and she could not help that.[132] Less than 48 hours later, after a large backlash from her fans on Twitter, she took to herFacebook page and stated she was late for the concert because of certain needs, including her need to "align her energy with the time".[133]
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Hill recorded a studio version of her song, "Guarding the Gates", for the movieQueen & Slim, which was released on November 27, 2019. This song appears on the album,Queen & Slim: The Soundtrack.[135]
On April 14, 2024, Lauryn Hill made her return to the stage atCoachella. Hill's son,YG Marley, was performing when Hill surprised the crowd by making an appearance. Hill performed several solo songs from her career, but was also reunited with former Fugees bandmate, Wyclef Jean, to perform numerous beloved hit songs.[136]
The Fugees were scheduled to start a reunion tour in August 2024 but the U.S. dates were quietly canceled three days before the first show, with no reason given to customers receiving refunds,[137] but Hill cited "clickbait headlines" and low ticket sales as an explanation.[138] The cancellations received media scrutiny, to which Hill responded "I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform than I am."[139] Pras released adiss track titled "Bar Mitzfa" which criticized Hill that same month.[140] In October 2024, Pras sued Hill forbreach of contract and fraud, accusing her of mismanaging the budgeting of their tour in "a veiled and devious attempt to make a big score for herself".[141] Hill responded to each of the claims made in the lawsuit on Instagram, and said it "is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks. It notably omits that he was advanced overpayment for the last tour and has failed to repay substantial loans extended by myself as an act of good will."[142]
In 2024, Hill appeared onWarriors, aconcept album byLin-Manuel Miranda andEisa Davis based on the1979 film of the same name.[143]
Well known for styling her hair inlocs,braids,bantu knots andafros,[144] Hill is often associated with the revival of thenatural hair movement.[145] She has been credited as one of the people who have helped normalize locs, and introduced them to pop culture.[146] AuthorJoan Morgan noted that "for a young person who was growing up in the '90s and liked that natural look but didn't want to identify asRasta, there was really no example until Lauryn Hill."[147] Hill is also frequently listed among the people who have defined modern bantu knots[148] and afros.[149]Ebony noted that she "helped to usher in a new standard of beauty for Black women -one grounded in the richness and authenticity of their African heritage."[150]
PopSugar placed her on their list of the "18 Moments in Hair History That Changed the World", and wrote, "When searching for the originator in the recent natural hair revival, you must look to Lauryn Hill. She emerged as the feminine lead in The Fugees and broke Grammy records as a soloist, all while popularizing dreadlocks in the mainstream."[151]Stylist mentioned Hill gracing the cover ofTime in locs, and being named one ofPeople's50 Most Beautiful People in 1999, as one of the most definitive moments in the history of black hair.[152]
In an interview withVogue, R&B singerSZA, stated "The only girl that I could look to for natural hair inspiration growing up was Lauryn Hill."[153] According to celebrity hairstylist Yusef Williams, who styledRihanna's hair on the set ofOcean's 8, the singer "channeled her inner Lauryn Hill" while wearing locs for her role in the movie.[154]Halle Bailey named Hill as one of her beauty icons, while mentioning "I love Lauryn Hill's hair".[155]
In 1999, Hill partnered withLevi Strauss & Co. to create custom outfits for herMiseducation Tour. Journalist Thembisa Mshaka ofOkayplayer wrote: "when Levi Strauss put its name next to Lauryn Hill, a new course was charted. The Fortune 500 brand partnerships with black musicians that are ubiquitous today were seeded by the success of Lauryn's solo debut".[156] A custom ensemble made for Hill by Levi's was put on display during theLevi Strauss: A History of American Style exhibit at theContemporary Jewish Museum.[157] Hill also partnered withArmani during the late 1990s; the brand designed multiple custom looks for Hill and helped sponsored herMiseducation of Lauryn Hill tour.[158] A design created by Armani for the tour was on put display for the 1999 "Rock Style" themedMet Gala.[159][160]
In 2015,Vogue mentioned her as one of the female hip hop entertainers of1990s, whose style they considered to be influential to2010s fashion, with Emily Barasch ofVogue, writing "Lauryn Hill's sense of style endures today, as nineties nostalgia continues to pervade the runways."[161] She was hailed as a "fashion and music icon" byCR Fashion Book[162] and was also included on the list of the most stylish rappers of all time byComplex.[163]
She is often named as a leading contributor in the modern popularization of thehoop earring,[164] which first grew in popularity among black women in the1970s, before reaching a wider audience after female hip hop artists like Hill wore them in the1980s and 1990s.[165] Considered as an inspiration forKanye West's fashion,[166] singerSolange Knowles also cited Hill among her style influences in an interview forFashionista.[167]
British fashion designerJohn Galliano chose Hill as his muse for the 2000 Spring/SummerDior collection, he designed;[168][169] The Hill-inspired collection featured models wearing dreadlocks and hoop earrings,[170] and introduced the Dior'Saddle Bag',[171][172] which was made famous by the characterCarrie Bradshaw in the television seriesSex and the City; and according toWho What Wear, it is one of the ten most popular designer handbags ever.[173][174] In 2017, the hip hop-based collection designed byAlexander Wang,[175][176] as well asTory Burch's resort collection,[177] were both inspired by Hill.
The Men's Spring/Summer 2021Louis Vuitton collection designed byVirgil Abloh, drew influence from Hill, with Abloh mentioning Hill as his "forever muse".[178][179] Hill later performed at Abloh's memorial service after he died from a rare form of cancer in December 2021.[180] She was also named amongDaniel Roseberry's influences for the Spring/Summer 2022Schiaparelli collection.[181] DesignersEsteban Cortazar,[182]Kerby Jean-Raymond ofPyer Moss,[183] andHumberto Leon ofKenzo,[184] andDemna Gvasalia ofBalenciaga,[185] have also noted her as an inspiration.
In the late 1990s, Hill presided over the Refugee Project, anonprofit organization that served youth in New Jersey.[186] The organization offered New Jersey youth scholarships, mentoring, after-school programs, a reading club and a summer camp program. The Refugee Project's board of directors includedMariah Carey,Spike Lee, actorMalcolm Jamal Warner, and rappersBusta Rhymes,Q-Tip, andNas.[187]
In 1999, she collaborated with theFederal government of the United States for an anti-drug campaign.[188] On July 11, 2000, a hearing evaluating theNational Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign was held atCongress.[188] During the hearing, it was announced that Hill's ad from the campaign was the most popular amongst a group of polled youth, with nearly 95 percent stating that they were affected by the ad.[189] That same year, Hill participated inUNCF's 'Evening of Stars'telethon fundraiser, which raised $13.5 million.[190]
In 2003, Hill was scheduled to perform at a Christmas benefit concert at theVatican, located in a 7,500-seat concert hall customarily used by thePope for his weekly general audiences. During the concert, Hill spoke out againstsexual abuse of children by priests, stating "God has been a witness to the corruption of his leadership, to the exploitation and abuses. It is the least one can say about the clergy." Hill added "I realize some of you may be offended by what I'm saying, but what do you say to the families who were betrayed by the people in whom they believed?". The Pope was not in attendance; however, concert attendees included CardinalCamillo Ruini, the pope'svicar for Rome and the head ofItalian bishops conference, his deputy,MonsignorRino Fisichella, andEdmund Szoka. The comments sparked controversy at the time, and were edited out of the broadcast, which was set to air onMediaset's flagshipCanale 5 station.[191][192] In retrospect, many critics have applauded Hill for speaking out.[193][194]
Hill later performed during the 2005Live 8 benefit concert, to help raise awareness onglobal poverty.[195]
She published the song "Black Rage" toSoundCloud in protest of the 2014killing of Michael Brown.[196] That same year, she performed at theAmnesty International 'Bringing Human Rights Home' benefit concert in New York, in support ofPussy Riot; where she gave a rendition of her protest song "Black Rage".[197][198]
In 2015, she canceled a show in Israel after she was faced with a social media campaign by activists who urged her to boycott Israel over its occupation of Palestinian land.[199] She later clarified that she does not take sides in theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict, but "believes in dignity for all sides", according to professorNoura Erakat.[200]
Hill released an updated version of her 2002 track "I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel)" from herMTV Unplugged No. 2.0 album entitled "Rebel" in 2016.[201] The 2002 song was originally written about theKilling of Amadou Diallo, and was updated due to the influx ofPolice brutality in the United States at the time.[202] The updated song was released exclusively onTidal, and was performed at the Tidal X 1015 charity concert hosted byJay-Z.[203]
Variety reported that Hill declined an offer by theNational Football League to join pop rock bandMaroon 5 during theirSuper Bowl LIII halftime show, in solidarity with American football playerColin Kaepernick, after he received backlash fortaking the knee.[204]
According toBillboard, Hill provided 10 scholarships for the 2019–2020 academic year to students at Alpha Institute in Kingston, Jamaica, through her MLH Fund.[205]
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Hill is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time and has often been called the greatest female rapper.[206][207][208]The New York Times once referred to Hill as "the most popular woman in hip-hop".[209] RapperKool Moe Dee gave Hill the highest score of any rapper on his rap "Report Cards" list from the book,Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists.[210] Furthermore,Beyoncé once stated that she is "one of the best hip-hop rappers ever".[211]Donna Summer named her as a favorite in a 1999 interview.[212] In 1998,Time declared her as the "Queen of Hip Hop";[213] whileAcademy of Achievement,[214]The Boston Globe,[215] andBillboard,[216] among others,[217] have also crowned her with the same title. In 2015,Billboard ranked Hill as the seventh greatest rapper of all time on their "10 Best Rappers of All Time" list, with her being the only woman on the list.[218][219]
Music critic Brandon Tensley argued that "few artists have marked culture as profoundly as Hill did with her solo debut".[220] In 2012,VH1 ranked Hill as one of the Greatest Woman in Music.[221] In 2014, she was named the most influential woman in hip hop history byAllHipHop.[222] Hill was also included on theNPR list of the '50 Great Voices';[223] and on theConsequence of Sound list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.[224] In 2019, Hill ranked No. 1 on theRanker poll of the greatest singer/rappers.[225] In 2023,Rolling Stone ranked Hill at number 136 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[226] American JournalistTouré stated that "She was—she is—the greatest female MC of all time".[227]
In the peak of her career, Hill had earned over $25 million for her work.[228] She is one of thebest-selling female rappers of all time, with an estimated 50 million records sold worldwide, throughout the course of her career.[229]
A trail has been named after Lauryn Hill inSaint-Jean-d'Heurs, a rural commune ofFrance.[230]
With her solo music and work with Fugees, Hill is often credited as the artist who popularized the technique of blending rap and melodic singing together into one single song, sometimes referred to asmelodic rap; this has since become popular, with many modern artists likeBeyoncé,Drake,Nicki Minaj andKanye West emulating it.[231] Writing forThe Ringer, authorMusa Okwonga wrote "Decades before the ubiquity of the MC who could also croon, she could channel the greatness ofNina Simone andRakim in the same set."[232] InComplex, Andy Gee commented that "the modern music landscape is dominated by artists like Drake and Nicki Minaj, who fall in the Lauryn Hill archetype as traditionalist-appeasing MCs who have records where they're singing their hearts out."[233]XXL argued that "she set the bar high, not just for woman creators, but for anyone who wanted to rap or sing."[234]
Former RIAA presidentHilary Rosen, recognized Hill as a leading contributor to the blurring of lines that distinguished hip hop and R&B.[235] Minaj alluded to Hill's impact on melodic rap on the song "Can Anybody Hear Me", where she mentions that prior to fame,Def Jam Recordings wouldn't sign her because she wanted to integrate rapping and singing on her album, but the record label told her she "wasn't Lauryn Hill".[236]Lizzo who started her career as a rapper, later incorporated singing into her debut record. She stated in an interview in 2018, "I was always afraid of being a singer, but then when I heard Lauryn Hill, I was like, maybe I can do both", further adding that herdebut album drew influence fromThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, "rapping, singing, being political".[237] According toDa Brat, Hill's "sound shifted the whole game".[238]
In 1999,Billboard considered Hill's success to be a breakthrough for female rappers, which resulted in a brief increase of female rappers in the music industry at the time, that the publication dubbed 'The Lauryn Hill Effect'. AuthorNelson George noted, "the presence of women is increasing"; whileMissy Elliott also added that "Latifah opened the door for doing TV, and she might have opened it forBrandy. Now, it's open for everybody. This is just the beginning".[239] That same year, a public survey was conducted byMTV, which directly impacted its programming. In the survey, she was ranked the most respected solo artist, and placed among the acts that participants thought best defined their generation; with formerViacom executive Todd Cunningham referring to Hill as a "massive phenomenon".[240] Music journalistDanyel Smith credited Hill with reviving the hip hop genre, following the murders ofThe Notorious B.I.G. andTupac Shakur.[241]
Hill has often been cited as one of the most influential entertainers of her generation.[242] In 2021,Pitchfork named her as one of the 200 most influential artists since 1996.[243] Many artists have named Lauryn Hill as an inspiration to their careers, including pop artistsAdele,[244]Beyoncé,[245]Dua Lipa,[246]Christina Aguilera,[247]Britney Spears,[248][249]Mumford & Sons,[250]Doja Cat,[251]H.E.R.,[252]P!nk,[253]Alessia Cara,[254]Kelly Clarkson,[255]Babyface,[256]Summer Walker,[257] rappersKanye West,[258]Jay-Z,[259]Missy Elliott,[260]Nicki Minaj,[261]Nas,[262]Lil' Kim,[263]Brent Faiyaz,[264]Rapsody,[265]Lizzo,[266]Doechii,[267]Afrobeats singersTems,[268] andWizkid;[269] andK-pop artistsJennie ofBlackpink,[270]CL of2NE1,[271] andRM ofBTS.[272]
Nicki Minaj has made mention of Hill's influence on her on multiple occasions; Including on 2020 U.S. number one single "Say So Remix",[273] In which Minaj raps, "Spittin' like Weezy, Foxy, plus Lauryn".[274] Minaj has also referred to Hill as her idol and quoted the artist in her high school yearbook.[275]John Legend attributes his early career success and his launch into the music industry to Hill, who gave him his first major opportunity as a pianist on the song "Everything Is Everything".[276]Rapsody[277] andBebe Rexha[278] have both cited Hill as their biggest musical inspiration, as well as UKgrime rapperStormzy naming her his biggest female musical influence.[279]
Furthermore, musiciansErykah Badu andJazmine Sullivan have both mentioned her as their musical hero.[280][281] In additionKehlani has a tattoo of Hill on her arm.[282] After performing with Hill,The Weeknd described the experience as the "most important experience of my life".[283] During her 2018 Grammy award acceptance speech, Spanish singerRosalía thanked her for being influential to her.[284]
Billboard stated that Hill "is to hip-hop as agardener is to soil", and added that "the rapper/singer planted classic gems in her catalog — especially her pristine 1998 debutThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill — that have become samples for many rap game MVPs".[285]
Her single "Doo Wop (That Thing)", was sampled byDrake (on the song "Draft Day"),[286] Kanye West (on "Believe What I Say"),[287] andinterpolated by Lizzo (on the song "Break up Twice" from her albumSpecial). In 2018, Hill became one of the most sampled artists of the year, when her single "Ex-Factor" was sampled onCardi B's "Be Careful" and Drake's "Nice for What", whileA$AP Rocky andFrank Ocean released "Purity" which sampled "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind".[288][289]J. Cole's songs "Cole Summer" and "Can I Holla at Ya" from his EPTruly Yours, both contain samples of songs fromThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.[290]
Hill's vocals from her work with the Fugees has been sampled or interpolated by countless artists, includingDJ Khaled andNas,Busta Rhymes,[285]the Weeknd andKendrick Lamar,[291]Meek Mill,[292]Jay-Z,[293] andMariah Carey (on the single "Save the Day", from hercompilation albumThe Rarities).[294] Furthermore, multiple artists have sampled Hill's songs from her live albumMTV Unplugged No. 2.0 including Frank Ocean (on theJazmine Sullivan-featured "Rushes" from his 2016 albumEndless),[295]Method Man ("Say"),[290] and most notably Kanye West ("All Falls Down" featuringSyleena Johnson).[296]
As an actress, Hill's most memorable role was portraying Rita Watson in the 1993 filmSister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Hill's performance in the film inspiredJanelle Monáe to pursue an acting career.[297] Multiple publications have listed her performance in the film as one of the best acting performances by a rapper.[298][299]
The 2015 Broadway musicalHamilton was heavily influenced by Hill,[300] with creatorLin-Manuel Miranda naming Hill as one of his favorite rappers.[301] Miranda also referenced the track "Lost Ones" during the song "We Know",[302] and Hill's verse from the Fugees single "Ready or Not", on the song "Helpless" from the musical.[303]
Hill has earned a reputation for being late to her own concerts.[304] She irritated Wyclef Jean during a short 2005 tour by failing to appear on stage with the rest of the Fugees until 45–50 minutes into the performance. At the 2007Nice Jazz Festival, Hill was 90 minutes late for her set, and she sang too softly to be heard.[26] She was 2.5 hours late for a Brooklyn show in August 2007: the freeMartin Luther King Jr. Concert Series.[91] In December 2010, she took the stage in Boston two-and-a-half hours late.[305][306] She was two hours late in Atlanta in May 2016, performing for only 40 minutes because the venue had a strict 11 pm curfew; she explained she had been "aligning my energy with the time".[307][308][309]
In November 2023, she was widely criticized for being late to a show in Los Angeles. She responded by saying her fans should consider themselves "lucky" that she appears on stage "every night".[310] The comments were made a week after she said her doctors ordered her to vocal rest after she postponed a series of shows due to vocal injuries.[311] According to Paul Meara ofBET, Hill later shared an extended version of her comments that could be perceived as directed more toward the music industry than Hill's fans.[312]
Hill has won numerous accolades throughout her career, including eightGrammy Awards (includingAlbum of the Year), the most won by a female rapper. She has also received sixMTV Video Music Awards (includingVideo of the Year), fourNAACP Image Awards (including thePresident's Award), fourGuinness World Records, and threeAmerican Music Awards. In 2021, she was among the inaugural nominees for theBlack Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame,[313] and was inducted in 2022.[314]
Hill won theGrammy Award for Best Rap Album as a member of The Fugees, for their albumThe Score, becoming the first woman to win the award.[315]The Score also peaked at number one on theBillboard 200 chart.[316] Her first solo studio album,The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, also peaked at number one, making Hill the first solo female hip hop act to reach number one on that chart.[317] The album sold more than 422,000 copies in its first week, which had broken the record previously held byMadonna, for highest first-week sales by a female artist.[318] BothThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and its lead single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at number one in the U.S., making Hill the first act to have debuted at number one on both theBillboard 200 andHot 100 with their first entries on each chart.[319] The album also topped theBillboard Year-EndTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it the first album by a female artist to accomplish this feat.
At the41st Annual Grammy Awards, Hill received ten Grammy Award nominations and won five that night, including Album of the Year, withThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill being the first Hip hop album to win the award. She also set the record for most nominations for a female artist in one night, broke the record at the time previously set byCarole King for the most wins by a female artist in one night,[320] and became the first female rapper to win theBest New Artist award.[321][322] Furthermore, she also became the first black solo act to win MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year at the1999 MTV Video Music Awards.
In 1999, following the success of her first solo album, Hill landed on the cover ofTime magazine, being the only black musician to land on the cover during that decade.[323] WithThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she became a pioneer in the neo soul movement, when the album was one of the first in the genre to achieve mainstream success,[324] and became the best-selling neo soul album of all time.[325] The album has also been inducted into theLibrary of Congress.[326]NPR ranked it 2nd on its list of "The 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women".[327]Rolling Stone listed it as the 10th-Greatest Album of All Time, on their500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, in 2020.[328]
In 2021,The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was certifiedDiamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making Hill the first female hip hop artist to ever receive a Diamond certification in the United States.[329] That same year,Rolling Stone placed her single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and the Fugees version of "Killing Me Softly" on their revised list of the500 Greatest Songs.[330] TheSmithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture included "Doo Wop (That Thing)" on theirAnthology of Hip-Hop and Rap box set.[331] In 2024,The Recording Academy selected it to be inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.[332] It was also featured as the number one album ofApple Music's 2024 list of the 100 best albums.[333]
Along with having a successful music career as a member of The Fugees and as a solo artist, Hill also achieved success as a songwriter and producer for other artists. Hill has written songs forAretha Franklin,Mary J. Blige,CeCe Winans and produced songs forWhitney Houston andSantana,[334] among others. In 2015, she received the Golden Note Award fromAmerican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Hill has also won ASCAP songwriting awards for her credits onDrake's "Nice for What",Aretha Franklin's "A Rose Is Still a Rose",Cardi B's "Be Careful",Mary J. Blige's "All That I Can Say", andKanye West's "All Falls Down".
Fugees studio albums
Solo studio albums
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | As the World Turns | Kira Johnson (television, recurring) |
| 1992 | Here and Now | Benita (television, single appearance) |
| 1993 | King of the Hill | Elevator Operator |
| 1993 | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Rita Louise Watson |
| 1996 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Malika (television, single appearance) |
| 1997 | Restaurant | Leslie |
| 1997 | Hav Plenty | Debra (cameo) |
| 2014 | Concerning Violence | Narrator |
Hill's sound fuses hip-hop, soul, and reggae with socially conscious lyrics and helped to usher in the neo-soul movement.
Hill is a fantastic singer, as well as one of the greatest MCs of all time, and the story of her voice is the story of a generation.*"The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time".Rolling Stone. January 1, 2023.Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. RetrievedJuly 22, 2025.
Hill has encouraged a generation of performers to tap into their dualities.*"1Xtra Salutes Lauryn Hill".BBC.Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. RetrievedJuly 22, 2025.
1Xtra salutes one of the greatest and most influential artists of our generation – Lauryn Hill.*"Lauryn Hill's 90s Style Proves She's One of the Most Influential Musicians of All Time".Nylon.Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. RetrievedJuly 22, 2025.
Lauryn Hill is undoubtedly one of the most influential musicians of all time.
{{cite web}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) *"The return of hoop earrings".Farfetch.com. RetrievedJuly 14, 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Kaufman, Gil (April 15, 2024),Lauryn Hill Joined By Wyclef For Mini Fugees Reunion During Coachella Set By Son YG Marley, billboard
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Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Live albums | |
| Singles | |
| Featured singles | |
| Other songs | |
| Concert tours | |
| Related articles | |
