Lauryn Hill
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Lauryn Hill (born May 25, 1975 in South Orange, New Jersey), is an eight-time Grammy award winning musician, and record producer, initially establishing her reputation as the most visible and vocal member of The Fugees, then continuing on to a solo career, releasing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and then the controversial MTV Unplugged No. 2.0.
Biography
Early Career and The Fugees
Lauryn Hill attended Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. She was an extremely active, vocal student, a cheerleader, and a performer at several talent shows and school functions. As a child, she performed "Who's Loving You" at Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater, in which she confidently finished her song before an initially hostile audience. Hill began an acting career very early, and her roles included the TV show As the World Turns (as "Kira Johnson" in 1991), and the film . Hill performed a wedding song on an episode of the former, but it was Sister Act 2 that truly showcased her vocal abilities.The Refugee Camp (Fugees), or Tranzlator Crew, as they were once called, formed after Prakazrel "Pras" Michel approached Hill in high school with an invitation to join his music group. Soon after, she met Pras' cousin and fellow Haïtian immigrant, Wyclef Jean, rather comically in the studio. Hill recalls that Wyclef's clothing was adorned with Batman logos and sergeant badges the day she met him, and he spoke in a thick patois accent (which fooled Hill into believing that he was Jamaican). At some point, Lauryn Hill was christened L Boogie, as she began to convert her poetic writing into increasingly impressive rap verses. Though the Fugees had formed in 1988, Hill's membership was somewhat disrupted by her acting and her education at Columbia University.
The Fugees' first album, Blunted on Reality, which featured the songs Nappy Heads and Vocab, was much-hyped but fell short of expectations. This was followed by The Score, a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning album that established all three Fugees as international successes. Singles from The Score include Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, and No Woman, No Cry. The most well-know song of the album, however, is Killing Me Softly, which brought fame to the group. A versatile, urban flavor was added to covers of Roberta Flack, Bob Marley, and the Delfonics, to create songs that many consider to be hip-hop classics.
Hill has an incredibly acrobatic and soulful voice, which was demonstrated early on, in her renditions of Joyful, Joyful and His Eye is on the Sparrow (a duet with Tanya Blout) in Sister Act 2. Her nuanced, honey-sweet singing voice first dominated a popular music record in the Fugees' remake of Killing Me Softly, accompanied by a sample from A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum". Since her emergence, Lauryn Hill has made her presence known as one of the few artists in the industry who can both sing and rap skillfully, switching between the two styles more frequently than other talented artists such as Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott.
Her other acting work includes the film King of the Hill (film) (as "Arletta the Elevator Operator"), the play "Club XII" with MC Lyte, and the motion pictures Hav Plenty (1997) and Restaurant (1998). She appeared as a singer on the soundtracks for Conspiracy Theory in 1997 (on the track "Can't Take My Eyes Off You") and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood in 2002 (on the track "Selah", a song dedicated to her second child, daughter Selah ).
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
In 1998, Hill released The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, a critically and commercially successful album. The first, and biggest, single off the album was "Doo Wop (That Thing)", which went to number one in the United States in the summer of 1998. In 1999's Grammy Awards, Hill was nominated eleven times and won Album of the Year (beating Madonna's critically acclaimed album Ray of Light), Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, setting a new record for women in the industry.Soon after the album became a success, Hill and her recording company were sued by Vada Nobles, Rasheem Pugh, Johari Newton and Tejumold Newton, known as "New Ark Entertainment," who claimed to have been denied full credit and compensation for their assistance on the album. They received an undisclosed amount of money and were given credit for drum programming and a small amount of lyrical, instrumental and production work.
Self-Imposed Exile and MTV Unplugged
In July 2001, Lauryn Hill unveiled her highly-anticipated new material on an MTV Unplugged special. Fans had waited three years for Hill's follow-up to the critical and commercial smash hit, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Those fans who were selected as audience members for the MTV filming had high expectations of the former Fugees frontwoman. What they got was a display by an almost unrecognizable Hill, who had recently cut off her hair and wore plain clothing. The 2002 MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 album exhibited a different side of Hill, as she focused more on the lyrics and the message she was spreading rather than the musical arrangements.“Fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they need,” she said during the concert. “I’ve just retired from the fantasy part.”
Most of the songs featured only her voice, accompanied by acoustic guitar. Hill used the set as an opportunity to give information on why she had been absent from the world for a period of time and what she found while away. The album was released to mixed reviews. While some critics praised Hill's passion, brilliance, and honesty, others called the album's songs "unlistenable". Nevertheless, the album received platinum status.
Despite Hill's intentional escape from the media, Hill continued to record commercially and critically successful music. Her song Mystery of Iniquity was nominated for a Grammy without promotion or radio airplay and used as an interpolation by hip-hop mega-producer Kanye West for his single All Falls Down (eventually recorded by Syleena Johnson). John Legend, who played piano on Everything is Everything, collaborated with Hill on the Grammy-nominated remix of So High. Talib Kweli (solo emcee and a member of the groups Black Star and Reflection Eternal) dedicated a song entitled Ms. Hill to her, rapping reverently that "you give us hope, you give us faith, you the one / they don't like what you got to say but they still beg you to come." Artists and former collaborators such as Common still include Ms. Hill in their album thank you's and dedications.
In the months and years after the release of her debut album, Hill began to become increasingly disappointed with the music industry. In the February 2006 issue of Essence Magazine, Hill speaks about this time in her life: "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. It took a considerable amount of courage, faith and risk to gain the confidence to be myself." During this time, she ceased to be a public figure and stopped doing interviews. She stopped watching television and listening to music completely. During this time, Hill explored alternate methods of expressing herself, including writing a considerable amount of music, poetry, screenplays, clothing designs, etc.
Humanitarism, Activism, and Controversy
Hill is noted as a humanitarian, and in 1996 she received an Essence Award for work which has included the 1996 founding of the Refugee Project, an outreach organization that supports a two-week overnight camp for at-risk youth, and for supporting well-building projects in Kenya and Uganda, as well as for staging a rap concert in Harlem to promote voter registration. In 1999 Hill received three awards at the 30th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California. In 1999 Ebony magazine named her one of "100+ Most Influential Black Americans". She was named with Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. and others among the "10 For Tomorrow," in the EBONY 2000: Special Millennium Issue. ."Around 1996 a rumor began that Hill had stated in an interview that she would "rather have my children starve than have white people buy my albums", or something along these lines. Hill has consistently denied this sentiment, and no recordings or evidence of these statements have emerged. [The Miselucidation of Lauryn Hill] Snopes.com, 3 November 2000 Nonetheless, the belief in Hill's virulent racism has spread, even appearing in the lyrics of several Eminem songs, including "Bought Lauryn Hill's tape so her kids could starve", on the track Cum on Everybody from The Slim Shady LP. It is speculated that the rumour was spawn out of backlash to a rumour of Tommy Hilfiger's alleged racist remarks. She repeatedly offers that she has no ill-will towards white people.
On December 13, 2003, Hill shocked officials at the Vatican by denouncing "corruption, exploitation, and abuses," in reference to the child molestation of boys by Catholic officials in the United States of America and the cover-up of offenses by Catholic Church officials. Among those in attendance were Edmund Cardinal Szoka, American-born President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City, and President of the Governatorate of Vatican City.
Return of The Fugees
-->The three Fugees reunited & performed on September 18, 2004 at Dave Chappelle's Block Party in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. They headlined a bill that included a star-studded cast of hip hop celebrities. The concert received mostly positive reviews, many of which praised Hill's nearly-a capella rendition of "Killing Me Softly". The block party was recorded and directed by Michel Gondry and released on March 3, 2006 to movie theatres.
The Fugees also appeared at BET's 2005 Music Awards on June 28, 2005, opening the show with a twelve minute set.
A new album is supposedly in the works. One track, "Take It Easy", was leaked online and eventually released as a single on the internet on September 27, 2005. It peaked at #40 on the Billboard R&B Chart. However, the track was also met with much critical disapointment, with Pitchfork Media rating it with [2 out of 5 stars] and prompted The Village Voice to say, "Turns out that a Fugees reunion wasn't really what anyone was waiting for; we just wanted Lauryn to start rapping again." [The Fugees: Reunited and Not Very Good] Tom Breihan, Villagevoice.com, September 26, 2005
The Fugees embarked on a European tour from November 30, 2005 through December 20, 2005. The group played Austria, Finland, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, France, England and Switzerland.
Also, it has been noted that Lauryn Hill now prefers to be called "Ms. Hill". As she explained to Essence magazine in the February 2006 edition, "I’m Ms. Hill because I know I’m a wise woman. That is the respect I deserve.”
On February 6, 2006, the Fugees did a special "Reunion Concert" in Hollywood, California, that was offered as a live webcast on the Verizon Wireless website. The Fugees have been featured in numerous Verizon Wireless VCast advertisements in magazines and TV commercials. A new song entitled "Foxy" was made available on VCast. Also recently, a third new song has been leaked, unofficially entitled "Wannabe", which uses the same hook as the Michael Jackson song "I Wanna Be Where You Are".
Projects
Hill is reportedly working on her own LP, and completing it little by little, with some reports of a great quantity and great quality of music. The Wailers are reported to be on the album. John Legend has reportedly recorded two songs with Hill, including a remix of his song So High, which was nominated for a Grammy. Hill was supposedly wrapping up a project entitled "Khulami Phase" over a year ago (as of 10/9/2005) but nothing is official. Also, recent performances in Europe, and appearances at the Vibe and Mobo Awards hint toward a possible return into a solo music career.Music producer DJ Quixotic has said he and Lauryn have been in the studio together, although a confirmation by Lauryn Hill is still being eagerly awaited by her fans.
Personal
Hill has four children with former college football player Rohan Marley, son of the late reggae music icon Bob Marley: Zion David, born 4 August 1997, Selah Louise, born 12 September 1998, Joshua, born January 2002, and John Omaru, born summer 2003. She has written songs about her two eldest children (To Zion and Selah). Though she refers to Marley as her husband, it has not been confirmed publically that they are legally married. According to a 2003 Rolling Stone Magazine article, Marley never divorced his first wife, whom he married while a sophomore at the University of Miami. [The Mystery of Lauryn Hill] Rolling Stone, RS 934, October 30, 2003 Though, in the more recent summer 2005 Trace magazine interview with Lauryn Hill herself, Rohan Marley said none of this was true and that many lies had been written about them. In 2006 Rohan Marley was said to have written that he and Ms. Hill were not married, but would not confirm whether or not they were still together.Discography
Albums with The Fugees
- 1993: Blunted on Reality
- 1996: The Score US Certification: 6x Platinum, #1 US (WW Sales: 18 million)
- 1996: Refugee Camp - Bootleg Versions
- 2003: Fugees - Greatest Hits
- 2006: Reunion Album (Proposed)
Solo Albums
- 1998: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill US Certification: 8x Platinum, #1 US #2 UK (WW Sales: 16 million)
- 2002: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 US Certification: Platinum, #3 US
Singles (Solo)
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 1997 | "The Sweetest Thing" | - | - | - | - | Love Jones SDTK |
| 1998 | "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" | - | - | - | - | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| 1998 | "Doo Wop (That Thing)" | #1 | #2 | #1 | #3 | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| 1999 | "Ex-Factor" | #21 | #7 | - | #4 | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| 1999 | "Everything Is Everything" | #35 | #14 | - | #19 | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| 1999 | "To Zion" | - | #77 | - | - | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| 1999 | "Nothing Even Matters" | - | #25 | - | - | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| 1999 | "Turn The Lights Down Low" (with Bob Marley) | - | - | - | - | '"Chant Down Babylon"' |
| 2000 | "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" | - | #45 | - | - | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill |
| 2002 | "Selah" | - | - | - | - | Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood SDTK |
| 2002 | "Mr. Intentional" | - | - | - | - | MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 |
| 2005 | "So High" (with John Legend) | - | #53 | - | - | Get Lifted |
Sound samples
- [Download sample] of Hill covering Bob Marley's "Redemption Song"
References
External links
- [Rolling Stone Magazine], "The Mystery of Lauryn Hill: She made one of the greatest albums of the Nineties -- then what happened?" October 30, 2003, by Toure
- [Fugees-Online.de] international The Fugees fansite with news on Lauryn Hill
- [Lauryn Hill message board and fan community]
- [Lauryn Hill interview with Trace Magazine, July 2005]
- [Laurynet.com] international Lauryn Hill Forum
- [Lauryn-Hill.prv.pl] the first Polish Lauryn Hill fansite
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