The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse/Columbia)
Rating: 6 out of 7
By Billy Johnson Jr.
Fugees fans have been begging for a Lauryn Hill solo record since the New Jersey trio's 1994 debut, Blunted On Reality. Finally, four years later, Hill's solo disc arrives--with no "Killing Me Softly" Part IIs lurking in the commercial vicinity. The album is dominated by her singing, opposed to rapping, and the music's scope travels from shattering, hip-hop drums ("Lost Ones") and reggae rhythms ("Forgive Them Father") to retro Stevie Wonder vibes ("Every Ghetto, Every City") and Spanish guitar, compliments of Carlos Santana ("To Zion").
Hill, soon the mother of two, has plenty of concerns--expressing her true self rests at the top of the list--but she's got nothing to prove. Her collabs with Mary J. Blige ("I Used To Love Him") and D'Angelo ("Nothing Even Matters") are far more relevant than the simple name-dropping collabs rap records tend to include. Mary J.'s work on "I Used To Love Him," for instance, casts hip-hop's queen of soul over a stuttering piano loop and an uninhibited bass groove that puts the simplistic hip-hop and R&B blends to shame. Even aside from the production, which should simply be defined as soul--no rhythm and blues please--Lauryn's lyrics testify. "To Zion" shuns those who said her career was more important than having her child. "Superstar" condemns celebrities who believe their own hype. "Forgive Them Father" is literally an intercessory prayer. "Ex-Factor," "When It Hurts So Bad," and "I Used To Love Him" address real relationship issues.
The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill defies everything that commercial pop music represents, but it will still garner a few million sells.
