On this date in 1998, Fugees singer, Lauryn Hill embarked on her solo journey and released one of the most influential albums in hip-hop/R&B history.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was a play on the titles of Carter G. Woodson’s The Mis-Education of the Negro and the 1972 film The Education Of Sonny Carson.
Hill’s album fused neo-soul, reggae, R&B and Hip Hop to create an album that dominated the charts. The 16 track classic was a mainstream hit, because of the cross over appeal of singles like “Everything Is Everything”, “Doo Wop(That Thing}”, Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” and “Ex-Factor”, which made the album timeless.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, made history.
20 years after its release, one of the greatest albums of all time, reached diamond status.
The Miseducation sold more than ten million units since 1998, marking the first album by a female rapper to earn a Diamond certification.
Lauryn joins Prince and the Revolution's Purple Rain (1984, 13x Platinum), The Beatles' Abbey Road (1969, 12x Platinum), Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982, 33x Platinum), TLC's CrazySexyCool (1995, 11x Platinum), Adele's 21 (2011, 14x Platinum), and Notorious B.I.G.'s Life After Death (1997, 10x Platinum).
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill debuted at number one in 1998, selling 422,624 copies in its first week, and was also the first hip-hop LP to ever receive a Grammy Award for Album of The Year.
Despite the critical acclaim and commercial success, the project was the only solo album Lauryn ever released.
"The wild thing is no one from my label has ever called me and asked how can we help you make another album, EVER…EVER. Did I say ever? Ever!” Hill said, “With the Miseducation, there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment and express. After the Miseducation, there were scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations, and saboteurs EVERYWHERE. People had included me in their own narratives of THEIR successes as it pertained to my album, and if this contradicted my experience, I was considered an enemy.”
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