The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is my favorite cd! This is the only cd that i have been able to enjoy every single song on and some how relate and feel connected to the artist. Lauryn Hill touched on life, love, self and letting go. When Hill's cd came out, I played it every single day, for approximately 2 months straight. Hill started her career with the Fugees, which were a hip hop jazz/rap group that consisted of Wyclef, Hill and Pras. You all my recognize Hill from the movie Sister Act. Lauryn Hill is well known for her revised version of Roberta Flack's "killing me softly". The production of this cd was phenomenal. There are multiple people who had a hand on this project. You have the writers who write the songs, you have the musicians and each intrument plays a part in the delivery of the song.
I have attached one of the most popular songs from her cd "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill"
Another song that you might me familiar with even if you are not familiar with Hill, is "Can't take my eyes off of you"
Genine Byrd
I actually bought this album twice, a copy for myself and, as a birthday present, a copy for my cousin. We were 13 year olds listening to this album on repeat, we knew all the words to all the songs, the intro, and interludes; we were her biggest fans, we loved her since she and her vocals were featured on Sister Act 2. Her debut album, The Miseducation of Lauren Hill featured songs dealing with love as it relates break-ups, love as it relates to deciding to chose life and give birth to a child, it was melodious, it is DEEP; it was thoughtful and profound; we expecting songs from Rita Louise Watson, Hill’s youthful character in Sister Act 2 and we got songs from the adult, Ms. Lauren Hill. Lauren was eighteen when she appeared in Sister Act 2, her album came out five years later. The film featured lively gospel songs, were as her album featured a more mellow and somber vibe. It wasn't what we expected, lyrically and energetically but we grooved to none-the-less!
ReplyDeleteI recently acquire a new copy, its a nice album to sit back and relax to.
I have never really listened to Ms Hill but I understand she has really strong beliefs that come across in her lyrics and that those lyrics are powerful. I know what it is like to have an album you love, memorize and identify with...for me it was Pearl Jam's album Ten...I knew everyword to every song (at least I thought I did, Eddie Vedder is a mumbler!) and it was so profound for me to have that as my first major introduction to music that I liked and I picked out! It was my very first experience as far as having a group of musicians that I discovered on my own (via radio) that my parents weren't listening to. It's stuck with me to this day, 17 years later and I'm still a big fan
ReplyDeleteThe title carries an important significance in that it was inspired in part by Carter G. Woodson's "The Mis-Education of the Negro". This was a book published in 1993 that explored the idea that African American children were being indoctrinated into white culture in schools rather than being taught what it takes to be successful in the world. Woodson believed that African American children were being conditioned to accept lower positions and remain within an inferior power position in society. To this day the idea of whether accepting the education that society deems appropriate or to seek out your own is debated: http://library3.webster.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,uid&db=aph&AN=19427435&site=ehost-live
ReplyDeleteThe article linked above from the library gives a little more insight into this idea of being "unschooled" and therefore having the opportunity to seek out experiences and learning opportunities, to shape thoughts about the world and society around you that are your own instead of just being learned.
This reminds me of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. That is an incredible book still applicable to today. The boy in that book does not even think to question why he should have to react to survive, or if there could ever be any other way to live. “He registers with his senses but short-circuits his brain….he’s learned to repress not only his emotions but his humanity” (p. 94). He is a product of years of repression.
ReplyDeleteBTW, if you haven't read that book.. you really should.
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