We Heard Lauryn Hill, But Did We Listen?

It’s the 20th anniversary of the release of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s 5-time Grammy-winning debut solo album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Still very much a part of our contemporary musical landscape — being sampled by everyone from Drake to Cardi B to Kanye — her prophecies on fame, artistry and the music industry reflect her own career trajectory and serve as a cautionary tale for other artists on the rise. We take a closer look at “Miseducation,” alongside her follow-up “MTV Unplugged No. 2.0” album, and try to understand both her meteoric rise, and what she means when she says it “all falls down.”

Discussed this week:

“The Score” (The Fugees, 1996)“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (Lauryn Hill, 1998)“MTV Unplugged No. 2.0” (Lauryn Hill, 2002)“Ooo Baby Baby” (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “Smokey Robinson and the Miracles LIVE!,” 1969)"They Won't Go When I Go" (Stevie Wonder, "Fulfillingness' First Finale," 1974)“All Falls Down” (Kanye West, “The College Dropout,” 2004)“Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” (Directed by Michel Gondry, 2006)

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