Lauryn Hill - WikiHQ

Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, rapper, actress and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential musicians of her time. A pioneer of rap-singing and a key figure in the neo soul movement, The Telegraph credited her with helping popularize hip-hop music. Hill was the only woman named on the lists of "Greatest MCs of All Time" (2006) by MTV and 10 Greatest Rappers by Billboard, and ranked the highest amongst women on the 2013 NME readers' poll of "Greatest Rappers Ever". She also appeared on Rolling Stone<nowiki/>'s 200 Greatest Singers, VH1's 100 Women in Music, and NPR's 50 Great Voices.

Hill began her career as a teen actress, portraying Kira Johnson in the soap opera As the World Turns (1991) before appearing in Steven Soderbergh's film King of the Hill (1993). She received acclaim for her role as Rita Watson in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), which featured her rendition of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow". Hill achieved prominence as the frontwoman of the Fugees. Their second album, The Score (1996), included the hits "Killing Me Softly" and "Ready or Not", and sold over 22 million copies worldwide. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making Hill the first woman to receive the honor.

Her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), debuted atop the Billboard 200 with the highest first-week sales for a female artist at the time and became the first recording by a female rapper to be certified diamond. Its lead single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Hill the first artist whose first entries on both charts debuted at number one. The album produced several hits, including "Ex-Factor", "Everything Is Everything", and "Lost Ones". At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, Hill became the first rapper to win Album of the Year and the first woman to win five awards in a single night. It remains one of the best-selling albums worldwide and ranked atop Apple Music's 100 Best Albums. Afterwards, she embarked on The Miseducation Tour and became the first rapper to appear on the cover of Time.

Around this period, Hill became a noted collaborator, featuring on "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" by Nas and "The Sweetest Thing" by Refugee Camp All-Stars. She produced recordings for Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, and Santana, wrote Aretha Franklin's "A Rose Is Still a Rose", and released the Bob Marley duet "Turn Your Lights Down Low". In 2002, she released the new-material live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0, which developed a cult status, with "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" and "Mystery of Iniquity" being sampled by ASAP Rocky and Kanye West, respectively. In the years that followed, Hill made fewer public appearances while occasionally releasing songs such as "Black Rage" and "Nobody".

Hill is the recipient of numerous accolades including ASCAP's Golden Note Award, eight Grammy Awards (the most for any female rapper), four NAACP Image Awards (including the President's Award), and six MTV Video Music Awards (including Video of the Year), with inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the National Recording Registry, and the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. She is the highest-grossing American female rapper in live music. In 2026, she was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Life and career

1975–1990: Early life

Lauryn Noelle Hill was born on May 26, 1975, in East Orange, New Jersey. Her father sang in local nightclubs and at weddings. She also took violin lessons, went to dance class, and founded the school's gospel choir. Academically, she took advanced placement classes and received primarily 'A' grades. Hill and Pras began under the name Translator Crew. They came up with this name because they wanted to rhyme in different languages.

Director Bill Duke credited Hill with improvising a rap in a scene: "None of that was scripted. That was all Lauryn. She was amazing." while Rolling Stone said she "performed marvelously against type ... in the otherwise perfunctory [film]". Hill graduated from Columbia High School in 1993.

1993–1998: Success with the Fugees and motherhood

Pras, Hill and Jean renamed their group Fugees, a derivative of the word "refugee", which was a derogatory term for Haitian Americans. Hill began a romantic relationship with Jean. but overall sold poorly Within the group, she was frequently referred to by the nickname "L. Boogie". and stayed in the top ten of that chart for over half a year. and more than 20 million copies worldwide. In the 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll, The Score came second in the list of best albums and three of its tracks placed within the top 20 best singles. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, and was later included on Rolling Stones list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The Score garnered praise for being a strong alternative to the gangsta idiom, and Hill stated, "We're trying to do something positive with the music because it seems like only the negative is rising to the top these days. It only takes a drop of purity to clean a cesspool." Buttressed by what Rolling Stone publications later called Hill's "evocative" vocal line It won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. On the album, Hill combined African-American music and Caribbean music influences with socially conscious lyrics.

When she was 21 years old, Hill was still living at home with her parents. In 1996, she responded to a false rumor on The Howard Stern Show that she had made a racist comment on MTV, saying "How can I possibly be a racist? My music is universal. And I believe in God. If I believe in God, then I have to love all of God's creations. There can be no segregation." Part of this was Camp Hill, which offered stays in the Catskill Mountains for such youngsters; another was production of an annual Halloween haunted house in East Orange.

In 1997, the Fugees split to work on solo projects, which Jean later blamed on his tumultuous relationship with Hill and the fact he married his wife Claudinette while still involved with Hill. Meanwhile, in the summer of 1996 Hill had met Rohan Marley, a son of Bob Marley and a former University of Miami football player. Hill subsequently began a relationship with him, while still also involved with Jean. The couple lived in Hill's childhood house in South Orange after she bought her parents a new house down the street.

Hill had a cameo appearance in the 1997 film Hav Plenty. In 1998, Hill took up another small, but important role in the film Restaurant; Entertainment Weekly praised her portrayal of the protagonist's pregnant former girlfriend as bringing vigor to the film.

1998–1999: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Hill recorded her solo record The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill from late 1997 through June 1998 at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica. The title was inspired by the book The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933) by Carter G. Woodson and The Education of Sonny Carson, a film and autobiographical novel. The album featured contributions from D'Angelo, Carlos Santana, Mary J. Blige and the then-unknown John Legend. Wyclef Jean initially did not support Hill recording a solo album, but eventually offered his production help; Hill turned him down. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill riffs on Carter G. Woodson's book The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933). Hill used the idea of "miseducation" to talk about learning real self-love and identity outside of what school or society teaches

Several songs on the album concerned her frustration with the Fugees; "I Used to Love Him" dealt with the breakdown of the relationship between Hill and Wyclef Jean. Indeed, Hill's pregnancy revived her from a period of writer's block. and was the most acclaimed album of 1998. Critics lauded the album's blending of the R&B, doo-wop, pop, hip-hop, and reggae genres and its honest representation of a woman's life and relationships. Robert Christgau quipped, "PC record of the year—songs soft, singing ordinary, rapping skilled, rhymes up and down, skits de trop, production subtle and terrific". In 2017, NPR rated the album as the second-best album of all time created by a woman.

It sold nearly 423,000 copies in its first week (boosted by advance radio play of two non-label-sanctioned singles, "Lost Ones" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You") and topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks and the Billboard R&B Albums chart for six weeks. It went on to sell about 10 million copies in the United States, and 20 million copies worldwide. During 1998 and 1999, Hill earned $25 million from record sales and touring.

The first single released from the album was "Doo Wop (That Thing)", which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It exemplified Hill's appeal, combining feelings of self-empowerment with self-defense. "Everything Is Everything" and "To Zion".

In November 1998, Marley and Hill's second child, Selah Louise, was born. and Hill's writing and producing of "A Rose Is Still a Rose", which became a late-in-career hit for Aretha Franklin. She appeared on several magazine covers, including Time, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Teen People, and The New York Times Fashion Magazine. During the ceremony, Hill broke another record by becoming the first woman to win five times in one night, During an acceptance speech, she said, "This is crazy. This is hip-hop!" In May 1999, she became the youngest woman ever named to Ebony magazine's 100+ Most Influential Black Americans list; in November of that year, the same publication named her as one of "10 For Tomorrow" in the "Ebony 2000: Special Millennium Issue". In May 1999, she made People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People list. The publication, which has called her "model-gorgeous", drew reaction from those in the public who thought she was not a good role model as a young, unwed mother of two. This was a repetition of criticism she had received after the birth of her first child, and she had said that she and Marley would soon be married. The musicians claimed to be the primary songwriters on two tracks, and major contributors on several others, though Gordon Williams, a prominent recorder, engineer, and mixer on Miseducation, described the album as a "powerfully personal effort by Hill" and said, "It was definitely her vision." After many delays, depositions took place during the latter part of 2000. Dreamgirls (the role of Deena, later played by Beyoncé), Charlie's Angels (the part that went to Lucy Liu), The Bourne Identity, The Mexican, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions.

In 2000, Hill dropped out of the public eye. The pressures of fame began to overwhelm her. and thought his guidance probably inspired much of Hill's more controversial public behavior. She also spoke about her emotional crisis, saying, "For two or three years I was away from all social interaction. It was a very introspective time because I had to confront my fears and master every demonic thought about inferiority, about insecurity or the fear of being black, young and gifted in this western culture." Unlike the near-unanimous praise of Miseducation, 2.0 sharply divided critics. AllMusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying that the recording "is the unfinished, unflinching presentation of ideas and of a person. It may not be a proper follow-up to her first album, but it is fascinating." Rolling Stone called the album "a public breakdown", The album was later certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA.

Her song "Mystery of Iniquity" from the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance, and was used as an interpolation by Kanye West for his single "All Falls Down" featuring Syleena Johnson, leading to Hill being credited as a songwriter on the song.

Around 2001, Marley and Hill's third child, Joshua Omaru (YG Marley), was born. He was followed a year later by their fourth. While Hill sometimes had spoken of Marley as her husband, they never married, and along the way she was informed that Marley had been previously married at a young age. The two had been living in a high-end Miami hotel, but around 2003 she moved out into her own place in that city. She said, "I had a nonprofit organization and I had to shut all that down. You know, smiling with big checks, obligatory things, not having things come from a place of passion. That's slavery. Everything we do should be a result of our gratitude for what God has done for us. It should be passionate." High-ranking church officials were in attendance, but Pope John Paul II was not present. The following day, several reporters suggested that Hill's comments at the Vatican may have been influenced by her spiritual advisor, Brother Anthony. Those who purchase the $15 video would only be able to view it three times before it expired. In addition to the video, Hill began selling autographed posters and Polaroids through her website, with some items listed at upwards of $500. The Fugees also appeared at BET Awards 2005 during June 2005, where they opened the show with a 12-minute set. One track, "Take It Easy", was leaked online and thereafter was released as an Internet single in late September. It peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard R&B Chart.

In 2005, she told USA Today, "If I make music now, it will only be to provide information to my own children. If other people benefit from it, then so be it." When asked how she now felt about the songs on 2.0, she stated "a lot of the songs were transitional. The music was about how I was feeling at the time, even though I was documenting my distress as well as my bursts of joy." Old tensions between Hill and the other members of the group soon resurfaced, and the reunion ended before an album could be recorded; Jean and Michel both blamed Hill for the split. On some occasions, fans booed her and left early. In June 2007, Sony Records said Hill had been recording through the past decade, had accumulated considerable unreleased material and had re-entered the studio with the goal of making a new album. Later that same year, an album titled Ms. Hill, which featured cuts from Miseducation, various soundtrack contributions and other "unreleased" songs, was released. It features guest appearances from D'Angelo, Rah Digga and John Forté. Also in June 2007, Hill released a new song, "Lose Myself", on the soundtrack to the film Surf's Up.

In early 2008, Marley and Hill's fifth child, Sara, was born.

Reports in mid-2008 claimed that Columbia Records then believed Hill to be on hiatus.

In April 2009, it was reported that Hill would engage in a 10-day tour of European summer festivals during mid-July of that year. She performed two shows for the tour and passed out on stage during the start of her second performance and left the stage. She refused to provide refunds for angry consumers. On June 10, Hill's management informed the promoters of the Stockholm Jazz Festival, which she was scheduled to headline, that she would not be performing due to unspecified "health reasons". Many of the songs that Hill had performed and recorded over the past six years were included on an April 2010 unofficial compilation album titled Khulami Phase. The album also features a range of other material found on the Ms. Hill compilation. An unreleased song called "Repercussions" was leaked via the Internet in late July 2010, debuting at No. 94 on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (and peaked at No. 83 the following week), making it her first Billboard chart appearance as a lead artist since 1999.

thumb|Hill and her backing musicians performing at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, 2011]]

Hill joined the Rock the Bells hip-hop festival series in the U.S. during August 2010, and as part of that year's theme of rendering classic albums, she performed The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in its entirety for the first time. She increased the tempo and urgency from the original recording, but at times had difficulty in communicating with her band. In Spring 2011, Hill performed at the Coachella Valley Music Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, and at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. In July 2011, Hill gave birth to her sixth child, Micah, her first not with Rohan Marley; the father remains publicly unknown.

In February 2012, Hill performed a new song titled "Fearless Vampire Killer", during a sold-out performance at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. In late 2012, Hill toured with rapper Nas; her portion of the tour, titled Black Rage, is named after her song, released October 30. Hill has described the song as being "about the derivative effects of racial inequity and abuse" and "a juxtaposition to the statement 'life is good,' which she believes can only be so when these long standing issues are addressed and resolved."

In June 2012, Hill was charged with three counts of tax fraud or failing to file taxes (Title 26 USC § 7202 Willful failure to collect or pay over tax) not tax evasion on $1.8 million of income earned between 2005 and 2007. During this time she had toured as a musical artist, earned royalties from both her records and from films she had appeared in, and had owned and been in charge of multiple corporations. In a long post to her Tumblr, Hill said that she had gone "underground" and had rejected pop culture's "climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism, and ageism." She added, "When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes. This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family."

In June 2012, Hill appeared in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark and pleaded guilty to the charges. Her attorney said she would make restitution for the back taxes she owed.

On May 4, 2013, Hill released her first official single in over a decade, "Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)". The release received some criticism for lyrics that appeared to tie societal decay to certain LGBT social movements. Hill responded that the song was not targeted at any particular group but was instead focused on anyone hiding behind neurotic behavior. Following a deal with Sony Music, which involves Hill creating a new record label within the company, Hill was said to be scheduled to release her first album in fifteen years during 2013. She had faced a possible sentence of as long as 36 months, In the courtroom, Hill said that she had lived "very modestly" considering how much money she had made for others,

Hill was released from prison on October 4, 2013, a few days early for good behavior, and began her home confinement and probationary periods. She put out a single called "Consumerism" that she had finished, via verbal and e-mailed instructions, while incarcerated. Judge Arleo allowed her to postpone part of her confinement in order to tour in late 2013 under strict conditions.

During 2014, Hill was heard as the narrator of Concerning Violence, an award-winning Swedish documentary on the African liberation struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. She also continued to draw media attention for her erratic behavior, appearing late twice in the same day for sets at Voodoo Fest in November 2014.

In May 2015, Hill canceled her scheduled concert outside Tel Aviv in Israel following a social media campaign from activists promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. She said she had wanted to also perform a show in Ramallah in the West Bank but logistical problems had proved too great. Hill stated: "It is very important to me that my presence or message not be misconstrued, or a source of alienation to either my Israeli or my Palestinian fans."

Hill contributed her voice to the soundtrack for What Happened, Miss Simone?, a 2015 documentary about the life of Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist. Hill was originally supposed to record only two songs for the record, but ended up recording six. She also served as a producer on the compilation alongside Robert Glasper. Hill said of her connection to Simone: "Because I fed on this music ... I believed I always had a right to have a voice. Her example is clearly a form of sustenance to a generation needing to find theirs. What a gift." NPR critically praised Hill's performance on the soundtrack, stating: "This album mainly showcases Lauryn Hill's breadth and dexterity. Not formally marketed as Hill's comeback album, her six tracks here make this her most comprehensive set of studio recordings since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998."

In April 2016, Hill hosted and headlined what was billed as the inaugural Diaspora Calling! festival at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. The festival's purpose was to showcase the efforts of musicians and artists from around the African diaspora like Brooklyn Haitian Rara band Brother High Full Tempo. The following month, Hill was approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes late for her show at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Moments after the less-than-40-minute show ended due to the venue's strict 11:00 p.m. closing time, Hill said her driver had gotten lost and she could not help that. A 2021 Rolling Stone piece is one of her few in-depth interviews in recent years. She used it to clear up myths about Miseducation and talk honestly about protecting her family and mental space from the pressures of fame.

2023–present: Fugees reunion tour controversy

On April 14, 2024, Lauryn Hill made her return to the stage at Coachella. Hill's son, YG Marley, was performing when Hill surprised the crowd by making an appearance. Hill performed several solo songs from her career, but was also reunited with former Fugees bandmate, Wyclef Jean, to perform numerous beloved hit songs.

The Fugees were scheduled to start a reunion tour in August 2024 but the U.S. dates were quietly canceled three days before the first show, with no reason given to customers receiving refunds, but Hill cited "clickbait headlines" and low ticket sales as an explanation. The cancellations received media scrutiny, to which Hill responded "I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform than I am." Pras released a diss track titled "Bar Mitzfa" which criticized Hill that same month. In October 2024, Pras sued Hill for breach of contract and fraud, accusing her of mismanaging the budgeting of their tour in "a veiled and devious attempt to make a big score for herself". Hill responded to each of the claims made in the lawsuit on Instagram, and said it "is full of false claims and unwarranted attacks. It notably omits that he was advanced overpayment for the last tour and has failed to repay substantial loans extended by myself as an act of good will." Also in 2024, Hill appeared on Warriors, a concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis based on the 1979 film of the same name.

In 2026, Hill performed at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, leading the "In Memoriam" tribute to her late inspiration Roberta Flack and collaborator D'Angelo, who both died in 2025. This marked her first Grammy Awards performance since 1999, appearing alongside her former Fugees bandmate, Wyclef Jean. The tribute included a performance of her 1998 song recorded with D'Angelo, "Nothing Even Matters", and was topped off by a full-ensemble performance led by Hill and Jean of the Fugees' 1997 hit, "Killing Me Softly With His Song", which was first popularized by Flack's 1974 Grammy-winning rendition. They were joined throughout the performance by other artists such as: Lucky Daye, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas, Bilal, Jon Batiste, Leon Bridges, Lalah Hathaway, October London, John Legend, and Chaka Khan. In April of 2026, Hill made a surprise appearance during a Kanye West concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. She joined West for performances of "All Falls Down" and "Believe What I Say" (both of which sample her work) as well as solo renditions "Lost Ones" and "Doo Wop (That Thing)."

Public image

Fashion and beauty

Well known for styling her hair in locs, braids, bantu knots and afros, Hill is often associated with the revival of the natural hair movement. She has been credited as one of the people who have helped normalize locs, and introduced them to pop culture. Author Joan Morgan noted that "for a young person who was growing up in the '90s and liked that natural look but didn't want to identify as Rasta, there was really no example until Lauryn Hill." Hill is also frequently listed among the people who have defined modern bantu knots and afros. Ebony noted that she "helped to usher in a new standard of beauty for Black women -one grounded in the richness and authenticity of their African heritage."

PopSugar placed her on their list of the "18 Moments in Hair History That Changed the World", and wrote, "When searching for the originator in the recent natural hair revival, you must look to Lauryn Hill. She emerged as the feminine lead in the Fugees and broke Grammy records as a soloist, all while popularizing dreadlocks in the mainstream." Stylist mentioned Hill gracing the cover of Time in locs, and being named one of Peoples 50 Most Beautiful People in 1999, as one of the most definitive moments in the history of black hair.

In an interview with Vogue, R&B singer SZA, stated "The only girl that I could look to for natural hair inspiration growing up was Lauryn Hill." According to celebrity hairstylist Yusef Williams, who styled Rihanna's hair on the set of Ocean's 8, the singer "channeled her inner Lauryn Hill" while wearing locs for her role in the movie. Halle Bailey named Hill as one of her beauty icons, while mentioning "I love Lauryn Hill's hair".

Endorsements

In 1999, Hill partnered with Levi Strauss & Co. to create custom outfits for her Miseducation Tour. Journalist Thembisa Mshaka of Okayplayer wrote: "when Levi Strauss put its name next to Lauryn Hill, a new course was charted. The Fortune 500 brand partnerships with Black musicians that are ubiquitous today were seeded by the success of Lauryn's solo debut". A custom ensemble made for Hill by Levi's was put on display during the Levi Strauss: A History of American Style exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Hill also partnered with Armani during the late 1990s; the brand designed multiple custom looks for Hill and helped sponsor her Miseducation of Lauryn Hill tour. A design created by Armani for the tour was on put display for the 1999 "Rock Style" themed Met Gala.

Activism

Philanthropy

In the late 1990s, Hill presided over the Refugee Project, a nonprofit organization that served youth in New Jersey. The organization offered New Jersey youth scholarships, mentoring, after-school programs, a reading club and a summer camp program. The Refugee Project's board of directors included Mariah Carey, Spike Lee, actor Malcolm Jamal Warner, and rappers Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, and Nas.

In 1999, she collaborated with the Federal government of the United States for an anti-drug campaign. On July 11, 2000, a hearing evaluating the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign was held at Congress. That same year, Hill participated in UNCF's 'Evening of Stars' telethon fundraiser, which raised $13.5 million. Hill later performed during the 2005 Live 8 benefit concert, to help raise awareness on global poverty.

According to Billboard, Hill provided 10 scholarships for the 2019–2020 academic year to students at Alpha Institute in Kingston, Jamaica, through her MLH Fund.

2003 Vatican performance

In 2003, Hill was scheduled to perform at a Christmas benefit concert at the Vatican, located in a 7,500-seat concert hall customarily used by the Pope for his weekly general audiences. During the concert, Hill spoke out against sexual abuse of children by priests, stating "God has been a witness to the corruption of his leadership, to the exploitation and abuses. It is the least one can say about the clergy." Hill added "I realize some of you may be offended by what I'm saying, but what do you say to the families who were betrayed by the people in whom they believed?". The Pope was not in attendance; however, concert attendees included Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the pope's vicar for Rome and the head of Italian bishops conference, his deputy, Monsignor Rino Fisichella, and Edmund Szoka. The comments sparked controversy at the time, and were edited out of the broadcast, which was set to air on Mediaset's flagship Canale 5 station. In retrospect, many critics have applauded Hill for speaking out.

In 2014, Hill published the song "Black Rage" to SoundCloud in protest of the killing of Michael Brown. That same year, she performed at the Amnesty International "Bringing Human Rights Home" benefit concert in New York, in support of Pussy Riot, where she performed "Black Rage".

In 2015, she canceled a show in Israel after she was faced with a social media campaign by activists who urged her to boycott Israel over its occupation of Palestinian land. She later clarified that she does not take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but "believes in dignity for all sides", according to professor Noura Erakat.

Hill released an updated version of her 2002 track "I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel)" from her MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 live album, retitled "Rebel" in 2016. The updated song was released exclusively on Tidal, and was performed at the Tidal X 1015 charity concert hosted by Jay-Z. The song was originally written about the Killing of Amadou Diallo, and was updated due to the influx of Police brutality in the United States at the time.

Variety reported that Hill declined an offer by the National Football League to join pop rock band Maroon 5 during their Super Bowl LIII halftime show, in solidarity with American football player Colin Kaepernick, after he received backlash for taking the knee.

Legacy

Music

thumb|Hill performing in 2019Hill is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time and has often been called the greatest female rapper. The New York Times once referred to Hill as "the most popular woman in hip-hop". Rapper Kool Moe Dee gave Hill the highest score of any rapper on his rap "Report Cards" list from the book, Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists. Furthermore, Beyoncé once stated that she is "one of the best hip-hop rappers ever". Donna Summer named her as a favorite in a 1999 interview. In 1998, Time declared her as the "Queen of Hip Hop"; while Academy of Achievement, The Boston Globe, and Billboard, among others, have also crowned her with the same title. In 2015, Billboard ranked Hill as the seventh greatest rapper of all time on their "10 Best Rappers of All Time" list, with her being the only woman on the list.

Music critic Brandon Tensley argued that "few artists have marked culture as profoundly as Hill did with her solo debut". In 2012, VH1 ranked Hill as one of the Greatest Woman in Music. In 2014, she was named the most influential woman in hip hop history by AllHipHop. Hill was also included on the NPR list of the '50 Great Voices'; and on the Consequence of Sound list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2019, Hill ranked No. 1 on the Ranker poll of the greatest singer/rappers. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Hill at number 136 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. American Journalist Touré stated that "She was—she is—the greatest female MC of all time".

With her solo music and work with Fugees, Hill is often credited as the artist who popularized the technique of blending rap and melodic singing together into one single song, sometimes referred to as melodic rap; this has since become popular, with many modern artists like Beyoncé, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West emulating it. Writing for The Ringer, author Musa Okwonga wrote "Decades before the ubiquity of the MC who could also croon, she could channel the greatness of Nina Simone and Rakim in the same set." In Complex, Andy Gee commented that "the modern music landscape is dominated by artists like Drake and Nicki Minaj, who fall in the Lauryn Hill archetype as traditionalist-appeasing MCs who have records where they're singing their hearts out." XXL argued that "she set the bar high, not just for woman creators, but for anyone who wanted to rap or sing."

Former RIAA president Hilary Rosen, recognized Hill as a leading contributor to the blurring of lines that distinguished hip hop and R&B. Minaj alluded to Hill's impact on melodic rap on the song "Can Anybody Hear Me", where she mentions that prior to fame, Def Jam Recordings wouldn't sign her because she wanted to integrate rapping and singing on her album, but the record label told her she "wasn't Lauryn Hill". Lizzo who started her career as a rapper, later incorporated singing into her debut record. She stated in an interview in 2018, "I was always afraid of being a singer, but then when I heard Lauryn Hill, I was like, maybe I can do both", further adding that her debut album drew influence from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, "rapping, singing, being political". According to Da Brat, Hill's "sound shifted the whole game".

In 1999, Billboard considered Hill's success to be a breakthrough for female rappers, which resulted in a brief increase of female rappers in the music industry at the time, that the publication dubbed 'The Lauryn Hill Effect'. Author Nelson George noted, "the presence of women is increasing"; while Missy Elliott also added that "Latifah opened the door for doing TV, and she might have opened it for Brandy. Now, it's open for everybody. This is just the beginning". That same year, a public survey was conducted by MTV, which directly impacted its programming. In the survey, she was ranked the most respected solo artist, and placed among the acts that participants thought best defined their generation; with former Viacom executive Todd Cunningham referring to Hill as a "massive phenomenon". Music journalist Danyel Smith credited Hill with reviving the hip hop genre, following the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

Influence on other artists

Hill has often been cited as one of the most influential entertainers of her generation. In 2021, Pitchfork named her as one of the 200 most influential artists since 1996. Many artists have named Lauryn Hill as an inspiration to their careers, including pop artists Adele, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Mumford & Sons, Doja Cat, H.E.R., P!nk, Alessia Cara, Kelly Clarkson, Babyface, Summer Walker, rappers Kanye West, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, Nas, Lil' Kim, Brent Faiyaz, Rapsody, Raye, Lizzo, Doechii, Afrobeats singers Tems, and Wizkid; and K-pop artists Jennie of Blackpink, CL of 2NE1, and RM of BTS.

Nicki Minaj has made mention of Hill's influence on her on multiple occasions; Including on 2020 U.S. number one single "Say So Remix", In which Minaj raps, "Spittin' like Weezy, Foxy, plus Lauryn". Minaj has also referred to Hill as her idol and quoted the artist in her high school yearbook. John Legend attributes his early career success and his launch into the music industry to Hill, who gave him his first major opportunity as a pianist on the song "Everything Is Everything". Rapsody and Bebe Rexha have both cited Hill as their biggest musical inspiration, as well as UK grime rapper Stormzy naming her his biggest female musical influence.

Furthermore, musicians Erykah Badu and Jazmine Sullivan have both mentioned her as their musical hero. In addition Kehlani has a tattoo of Hill on her arm. After performing with Hill, The Weeknd described the experience as the "most important experience of my life". During her 2018 Grammy award acceptance speech, Spanish singer Rosalía thanked her for being influential to her.

The 2015 Broadway musical Hamilton was heavily influenced by Hill, with creator Lin-Manuel Miranda naming Hill as one of his favorite rappers. Miranda also referenced the track "Lost Ones" during the song "We Know", and Hill's verse from the Fugees single "Ready or Not", on the song "Helpless" from the musical.

Music sampling

Billboard stated that Hill "is to hip-hop as a gardener is to soil", and added that "the rapper/singer planted classic gems in her catalog — especially her pristine 1998 debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill — that have become samples for many rap game MVPs".

Her single "Doo Wop (That Thing)", was sampled by Drake (on the song "Draft Day"), Kanye West (on "Believe What I Say"), and interpolated by Lizzo (on the song "Break up Twice" from her album Special). In 2018, Hill became one of the most sampled artists of the year, when her single "Ex-Factor" was sampled on Cardi B's "Be Careful" and Drake's "Nice for What", while A$AP Rocky and Frank Ocean released "Purity" which sampled "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind". J. Cole's songs "Cole Summer" and "Can I Holla at Ya" from his EP Truly Yours, both contain samples of songs from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Hill's vocals from her work with the Fugees has been sampled or interpolated by countless artists, including DJ Khaled and Nas, Busta Rhymes, Meek Mill, Jay-Z, and Mariah Carey (on the single "Save the Day", from her compilation album The Rarities). Furthermore, multiple artists have sampled Hill's songs from her live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 including Frank Ocean (on the Jazmine Sullivan-featured "Rushes" from his 2016 album Endless), Method Man ("Say"),

Film and stage

As an actress, Hill's most memorable role was portraying Rita Watson in the 1993 film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Hill's performance in the film inspired Janelle Monáe to pursue an acting career. Multiple publications have listed her performance in the film as one of the best acting performances by a rapper.

Tardiness in concert

Hill has earned a reputation for being late to her own concerts. She irritated Wyclef Jean during a short 2005 tour by failing to appear on stage with the rest of the Fugees until 45–50 minutes into the performance. At the 2007 Nice Jazz Festival, Hill was 90 minutes late for her set, and she sang too softly to be heard. She was two hours late in Atlanta in May 2016, performing for only 40 minutes because the venue had a strict 11 pm curfew; she explained she had been "aligning my energy with the time".

In November 2023, she was widely criticized for being late to a show in Los Angeles. She responded by saying her fans should consider themselves "lucky" that she appears on stage "every night". The comments were made a week after she said her doctors ordered her to vocal rest after she postponed a series of shows due to vocal injuries. According to Paul Meara of BET, Hill later shared an extended version of her comments that could be perceived as directed more toward the music industry than Hill's fans.

Fashion

In 2015, Vogue mentioned her as one of the female hip hop entertainers of 1990s, whose style they considered to be influential to 2010s fashion, with Emily Barasch of Vogue, writing "Lauryn Hill's sense of style endures today, as nineties nostalgia continues to pervade the runways." She was hailed as a "fashion and music icon" by CR Fashion Book and was also included on the list of the most stylish rappers of all time by Complex.

She is often named as a leading contributor in the modern popularization of the hoop earring, which first grew in popularity among black women in the 1970s, before reaching a wider audience after female hip hop artists like Hill wore them in the 1980s and 1990s. Considered as an inspiration for Kanye West's fashion, singer Solange Knowles also cited Hill among her style influences in an interview for Fashionista.

British fashion designer John Galliano chose Hill as his muse for the 2000 Spring/Summer Dior collection, he designed; The Hill-inspired collection featured models wearing dreadlocks and hoop earrings, and introduced the Dior 'Saddle Bag', which was made famous by the character Carrie Bradshaw in the television series Sex and the City; and according to Who What Wear, it is one of the ten most popular designer handbags ever. In 2017, the hip hop-based collection designed by Alexander Wang, as well as Tory Burch's resort collection, were both inspired by Hill.

The Men's Spring/Summer 2021 Louis Vuitton collection designed by Virgil Abloh, drew influence from Hill, with Abloh mentioning Hill as his "forever muse". Hill later performed at Abloh's memorial service after he died from a rare form of cancer in December 2021. She was also named among Daniel Roseberry's influences for the Spring/Summer 2022 Schiaparelli collection. Designers Esteban Cortazar, Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss, and Humberto Leon of Kenzo, and Demna Gvasalia of Balenciaga, have also noted her as an inspiration.

Achievements

In the peak of her career, Hill had earned over $25 million for her work. She is one of the best-selling female rappers of all time, with an estimated 50 million records sold worldwide, throughout the course of her career. A trail has been named after Lauryn Hill in Saint-Jean-d'Heurs, a rural commune of France.

Hill has won numerous accolades throughout her career, including eight Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year), the most won by a female rapper. She has also received six MTV Video Music Awards (including Video of the Year), four NAACP Image Awards (including the President's Award), four Guinness World Records, and three American Music Awards. In 2021, she was among the inaugural nominees for the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame, and was inducted in 2022.

Hill won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album as a member of the Fugees, for their album The Score, becoming the first woman to win the award. The Score also peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Her only solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, also peaked at number one, making Hill the first solo female hip hop act to reach number one on that chart. The album sold more than 422,000 copies in its first week, which had broken the record previously held by Madonna, for highest first-week sales by a female artist. Both The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and its lead single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at number one in the U.S., making Hill the first act to have debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 with their first entries on each chart. The album also topped the Billboard Year-End Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it the first album by a female artist to accomplish this feat.

At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, Hill received ten Grammy Award nominations and won five that night, including Album of the Year, with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill being the first Hip hop album to win the award. She also set the record for most nominations for a female artist in one night, broke the record at the time previously set by Carole King for the most wins by a female artist in one night, and became the first female rapper to win the Best New Artist award. Furthermore, she also became the first black solo act to win MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.

In 1999, following the success of her first solo album, Hill landed on the cover of Time magazine, being the only black musician to land on the cover during that decade. With The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she became a pioneer in the neo soul movement, when the album was one of the first in the genre to achieve mainstream success, and became the best-selling neo soul album of all time. The album has also been inducted into the Library of Congress. NPR ranked it 2nd on its list of "The 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women". Rolling Stone listed it as the 10th-Greatest Album of All Time, on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, in 2020.

In 2021, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making Hill the first female hip hop artist to ever receive a Diamond certification in the United States. That same year, Rolling Stone placed her single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and the Fugees version of "Killing Me Softly" on their revised list of the 500 Greatest Songs. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture included "Doo Wop (That Thing)" on their Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap box set. In 2024, The Recording Academy selected it to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It was also featured as the number one album of Apple Music's 2024 list of the 100 best albums.

Along with having a successful music career as a member of the Fugees and as a solo artist, Hill also achieved success as a songwriter and producer for other artists. Hill has written songs for Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, CeCe Winans and produced songs for Whitney Houston and Santana, among others. In 2015, she received the Golden Note Award from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Hill has also won ASCAP songwriting awards for her credits on Drake's "Nice for What", Aretha Franklin's "A Rose Is Still a Rose", Cardi B's "Be Careful", Mary J. Blige's "All That I Can Say", and Kanye West's "All Falls Down".

Discography

Solo albums

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

With Fugees

Blunted on Reality (1994)
The Score (1996)

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+List of film and television roles

!scope="col"| Year

!scope="col"| Film

!scope="col"| Role

| 1991

|scope="row"| As the World Turns

| Kira Johnson (television, recurring)

| 1992

|scope="row"| Here and Now

| Benita (television, single appearance)

| 1993

|scope="row"| King of the Hill

| Elevator Operator

| 1993

|scope="row"| Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

| Rita Louise Watson

| 1996

|scope="row"| ABC Afterschool Specials

| Malika (television, single appearance)

| 1997

|scope="row"| Restaurant

| Leslie