We Heard Lauryn Hill, But Did We Listen?

Still Processing

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)