| The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | ||||
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| Released | August 19, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | September 1997 – June 1998 | |||
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| Length | 77:39 | |||
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| Singles from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | ||||
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The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill. It was released on August 19, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. Recorded after the Fugees embarked on a hiatus, the album was almost entirely written and produced by Hill. It is a concept album about educating oneself on love, with lyrical themes encompassing relationship complexities, interpersonal conflicts, motherhood, and faith. Predominantly a neo soul and R&B record, it incorporates genres such as hip hop, reggae, and soul, and features guest appearances from Carlos Santana, Mary J. Blige, and D'Angelo.
After touring with the Fugees, Hill became involved in a romantic relationship with Jamaican entrepreneur Rohan Marley, and shortly after, became pregnant with their first child. The pregnancy, as well as other circumstances in her life, inspired Hill to create a solo album. Recording sessions for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill took place from September 1997 to June 1998, initially in New York and New Jersey, before relocating to the Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, as Hill collaborated with a group of musicians known as New Ark in writing and producing the songs. Gordon "Commissioner Gordon" Williams supervised the project, while Che Pope and James Poyser also contributed to a majority of the tracks. Hill strived to differentiate her musical style from that of the Fugees, and wrote songs discussing the turmoil within the group. As she refrained from following mainstream music trends and sounding overproduced, live instruments were heavily incorporated into the recordings.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was met with universal critical acclaim and became one of the most acclaimed albums of 1998, with most praise directed towards Hill's presentation of a woman's view on life and love, and her artistic range. A substantial commercial success, the album debuted atop the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 422,000 copies, largest for a female artist at the time. At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards (1999), it won Album of the Year and Best R&B Album, while Hill broke records for most nominations and wins in a single ceremony for a woman. The album produced three singles—"Doo Wop (That Thing)", which peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and broke numerous chart records; "Ex-Factor", and "Everything Is Everything". Hill further promoted the record with multiple televised performances and a sold-out worldwide concert tour; since 2018, she has also embarked on two anniversary world tours.
The success of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill propelled Hill to global prominence, and contributed to bringing hip hop and neo soul to the forefront of popular music. New Ark, however, felt Hill and her record labels did not properly credit them for their contributions, and filed a lawsuit, which was settled out of court in 2001. Regardless of the controversy, various critics have exalted the album as one of the best of its era and of all time, due to its tremendous influence on other artists and ubiquitous impact on the music industry; the album was ranked atop Apple Music's 100 Best Albums. In addition, it has been selected for inclusion at a multitude of cultural institutions, including the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and the Grammy Hall of Fame. The album eventually went on to be certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for 10 million units consumed in the US. With over 20 million copies sold worldwide, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is among the best-selling albums of all time. Despite its immense success and achievements, it remains Hill's sole studio album.
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