Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hil
Sony Music CMG
not just a crossover record but a collection of overtly personal & political statements.
hill's verses are both intelligent & hardcore & the choruses move from tough to smooth in a flash, with stunning vocal prowess. hill, of haitian heritage, rhymes in a tough caribbean patois on opener, ‘lost ones’, wasting little time to excoriate her former bandmates &/or record-label executives for caving in to commercial success. ‘doo wop (that thing)’ is an intelligent dissection of the sex game that looks at both angles whilst ‘superstar’ takes to task musicians with more emphasis on the bottom line than making great music. & if her performing talents, vocal range, & songwriting smarts weren't enough, hill also produced much of the record, ranging from stun-gun hip-hop to smoother r&b with little trouble.
