A few times lately, in conversation, I’ve mentioned that in my opinion Lauryn Hill is one of the greatest artists of our time. The story of her life is complex and sad in many ways — reflecting so much personal torment, as well as the dehumanizing commodification that saturates popular commercial arts — but one thing is clear: rare is the musician who combines such virtuosic technical ability with such profound emotional expression. For me, she’s right up there with Miles Davis, with Stevie Wonder, with the best of them.
Here’s one of my favorites. Enjoy, and enjoy the weekend — see y’all on Monday!
Kloncke 
Kid you not… I was *just* listening to this song thanks to a little Pandora action. I was recalling how this album soothed my heart in the summer of 98. Sigh….
Grrrrl, I wish I was singin this song.
I recently discovered the Fugees, and for a short time (and still, although not as much) I was flabbergasted that music this amazing could exist. Especially Lauryn’s lines in Fu-Gee-La, Vocab, Ready or Not, and Manifest. I ended up memorizing her parts with the amount I listened. I haven’t listened to Miseducation yet, though… I don’t know if I’m trying to save it, or if I have some trepidation about music made after (or just as) things started to fall apart for her. I was heartbroken when I went and looked up her bio after getting into the Fugees, and especially after watching some of the Fugees videos and finding myself completely enchanted with her. Also, I think that while Wyclef has made some great music since, it’s nothing compared to what the Fugees were.
One thing I found particularly amazing is that Lauryn comes from a background similar to something that is familiar to me. Middle-class suburban family, and she briefly went to Columbia before dropping out to pursue music. Not that middle-class suburbanites who go to elite universities can’t make good music (although such a background makes the production of meaningful music extremely unlikely), but I’m surprised that she could make music that fit in so seamlessly with Pras and Wyclef’s background, especially since The Score is so much about the experience of the two of them being Haitian and immigrants. Not that I plan on becoming a musician, but I am certainly encouraged and inspired by her example.
In case you haven’t seen this: