LAURYN HILL
May 26, 1975
SINGER, SONGWRITER, RAPPER, RECORD PRODUCER, ACTRESS
Her music infuses reggae and hip-hop and the instrumentation of classic soul
The iconic role model Lauryn Hill forged a future of her own legacy which is embraced by her family and a legion of fans of all age groups. In the late 1990s, successful female artists in hip-hop were rare, with women mostly seen as scantily clad dancers at best. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was released on August 25, 1998; the album received rave reviews from contemporary music critics, and was the most acclaimed album of 1998. Critics lauded the album’s blending of the R&B, doo-wop, pop, hip-hop, and reggae genres and its honest representation of a woman’s life and relationship
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill title was inspired by The MisEducation of the Negro book by Carter G. Woodson and The Education of Sonny Carson, a film and autobiographical novel. The Album sold over 423,000 copies in its first week and topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks and the Billboard R&B Album chart for six weeks. It went on to sell approximately 8 million copies in the U.S. and 12 million copies worldwide. During the years of 1998 and 1999, Lauryn earned $25 million from record sales and touring.
At the 1999 Grammy Awards, Lauryn Hill became the first WOMAN TO BE NOMINATED IN TEN CATEGORIES in a single year. the nominations included her rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” for the 1997 film Conspiracy Theory, which had appeared on Billboard charts, and her writing and producing of “A Rose Is Still a Rose”, which became a late-in-career hit for Aretha Franklin which she also appeared in the video. She appeared on many magazine covers, including Ebony, Jet, Essence, Time, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Teen People and The New York Times Fashion Magazine. During the ceremony, Hill broke another record by becoming the FIRST WOMAN TO WIN FIVE TIMES IN ONE NIGHT AT THE GRAMMYS. Lauryn won the awards for Album of the Year, Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist.