Lauryn Hill began her career as an actress, but soon found herself making waves in the music industry. One of her first acting gigs was ‘Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit’ with Whoopie Goldberg. In the early 90’s, Hill joined Pras Michel and Wyclef Jean to form a hip-hop band known as the Fugees. Their music combined different elements and genres of music such as hip-hop, soul, and reggae.
Fugees went on to record two albums, Blunted on Reality in 1994 and The Score in 1996. Their second album was a Grammy Award winning album, and features some of their most famous hits ‘Killing Me Softly’ and ‘Ready or Not’. In 1997 the Fugees split up, reportedly due to a volatile romantic relationship between Lauryn and Wyclef.
Lauryn went on to record her first solo album in 1998 – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The album was a huge success, selling over eight million copies. This album included some of her most famous singles such as ‘Doo Wop’ and ‘Everything Is Everything’.
After the release of her first and only album, Lauryn Hill crumbled under the pressure and decided to remove herself from the spotlight. Lauryn went on a musical hiatus, until the release of her MTV Unplugged concert in 2002. The album was not well received by fans or critics. For the past few years, Hill has had a few performances and appearances but nothing on a consistent basis.
In 2013, Lauryn released her first single in over ten years called ‘Neurotic Society’. The same year, she was sentenced to three months in jail for tax evasion. Although Lauryn has had some hardships along the way, she definitely made her impact in the music industry in her short career. Hopefully, one day we will all hear her powerful and unique voice again.
Albums
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2002)
Photos
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