My Lauryn Hill Rant: The Set-Up

So, you know Lauryn Hill is one of the headliners for Rock the Bells this year, right? Here's a quick video of her discussing her defining solo effort The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

About a year ago I was watching videos of live Lauryn shows that have occurred in the last three or four years. What I saw wasn't adding up, so I tracked down some word-of-mouth from people who had seen her live recently for some context. Everything I saw and heard led me to a conclusion about Lauryn's work that was incredibly difficult. While we take in this video, I'll compose my conclusion for your reading pleasure over the next couple of days.

Some of you won't like what I have to say.

peace.

The Rhymes of Our Lives

Yes. This track came out 15 years ago. If this song were a child, it'd be taking driver's education this year.

The Fugees album The Score, along with OutKast's ATLiens album, was one of the gateways through which I discovered a modern sense of my taste in hip hop. I've told the story here before a few times now.

This track was almost magical for me. The rhymes sounded like nothing I'd heard before. The instrumental sounded like nothing I'd heard before. And everyone was talking about this chick named Lauryn and how they thought she was so much better than the other two cats. Personally, I felt they complemented each other remarkably well. Even Pras (whose sense of rhyme could be best described as unorthodox, even for The Fugees) seemed to fit comfortably within the overall aesthetic. It really is a shame, at least for us humble fans, that Clef and Co. decided to go their separate ways in the late 1990s.

They were super-dope.

peace.