The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

This album exists in my life solely because I am a huge fan of The Score by The Fugees. What I hear is a good album but it is nowhere near best of the 90’s as some people say.

Sone songs I really like and some that don't do much for me.

It's a shame about basically everything that happened after this album, and in retrospect you can kinda hear some of the things in her performance that would pop up later in that MTV Unplugged performance. The interstitials disrupt the album's flow. Rating on this one could fluctuate depending on the day honestly but after sitting with it for a while I feel ok with where I landed. (It's also hard to not side-eye some lyrics knowing "Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)" exists but) favorite track: Forgive Them Father already in collection

I liked her work better as a part of the Fugees. This certainly wasn't bad, just wasn't the spirit of the music I liked from her before.

I like it. Thats it. Thats the review.

I’m not generally a fan of hip hop, but Lauryn Hill’s enormous talent, including her ability to morph from gritty street rap to smooth R&B, is mesmerizing. Not something I’ll pull out often if ever, but it’s impossible not to be impressed by the sheer talent.

Certainly not the greatest album ever. Loses me midway through.

My favorite track was admittedly a cover

What I'm learning here is I really love her voice. I love it in spoken word, as rap, and her vocal range in song is also gorgeous. I find it impressive she produced this on her own, and I also think that's why it falls short for me. I was really expecting to be blown away, maybe the expectations were also too high. The way she raps is starting to sound dated, but it's still aesthetically pleasing. A lot of the work with the pen is intimate, delicate with a punch, but I've been exposed to enough material for it to occasionally feel slightly superficial to me. Conceptually, not very raw. 3.2/5

Love this 🧡

Soulful

If there’s one thing this album should be remembered for, aside from the music, it’s that iconic cover. Back in the late 90s, it felt like I saw that image everywhere. Musically, it’s a blend of neo-soul and conscious hip hop, and while I’ve personally lost some appetite for this sound over time, it definitely had its moment. When it first came out, it stood in stark contrast to much of the mainstream hip hop of that era. This album was lighter, groovier, and more uplifting, both emotionally and spiritually compared to the harder, more aggressive edge of commercial rap at the time. It brought something fresh and genuine, and even if it’s not in rotation for me anymore, there’s no denying its impact.

she has vocal runs that remind me of Stevie Wonder

3.4. Some greatness to be sure.

The first time I heard this, it didn't really do too much for me. The second time I heard it, I liked it better, but still nothing really stood out. I actually really enjoyed the classroom interludes though!

An undeniable classic, the first half is pure, genre-defining —that neo-soul sound is absolutely timeless. Still, the ten minutes of hidden, preachy skits are kind of unnecessary.

I see how this is critically acclaimed but I don’t get it. Not my favourite style and it didn’t grab me in a way that moved me. Wouldn’t listen again, but also didn’t hate any of it, it just reminded me of that era of music.

Rapping or singing Lauren Hill has a great voice.This is a good LP very well produced LP. Which if a few tracks had been left off would be a brilliant LP

2 and a half but 2 in unfair

It was quite good

If there’s one thing this album should be remembered for, aside from the music, it’s that iconic cover. Back in the late 90s, it felt like I saw that image everywhere. Musically, it’s a blend of neo-soul and conscious hip hop, and while I’ve personally lost some appetite for this sound over time, it definitely had its moment. When it first came out, it stood in stark contrast to much of the mainstream hip hop of that era. This album was lighter, groovier, and more uplifting, both emotionally and spiritually compared to the harder, more aggressive edge of commercial rap at the time. It brought something fresh and genuine, and even if it’s not in rotation for me anymore, there’s no denying it’s impact.

good

Too long

Great voice and some really nice songs on here. I really liked the Can't Take My Eyes Off You cover and Everything Is Everything. I found a lot of the songs to be kind of filler though. It's a long album and I didn't really care for a lot of it. Good album, but not really my thing.

Good vibes!! Even if I don’t listen to this every day, it itched my brain in a way modern music doesn’t. So 90s, so girl!

It has been a minute since I listened to this one all the way through. I think had they cut 10-15% this would ranked a bit higher. Still love the vibes. Would be 3.5 if I could.

Lauryn has a beautiful and soulful singing voice, but she also has a pretty good flow when she raps. Favorite track: Lost Ones

Starts with a strange mix of reggae and hip-hop. I really like the sections where it just turns into a monologue. Unfortunately, I feel it is not nearly as impactful by modern standards. Favorite Songs: Final Hour

When this album came out, I was living in Japan, and even there it was everywhere. A friend of mine actually became a Lauryn Hill fan because of it. I do like her voice, and for some reason To Zion, which was played a lot in Japan at the time, is a track I quite liked. The guitar that comes in during the interlude of Ex-Factor is also surprisingly cool. Listening to this album made me realize that I’m not really into hip-hop, but I do quite like soul.

Is it wrong of me to say Ms. Hill really needs Mr. Jean? Props to her for bringing this level of musicality to the genre, but the genre still leaves me cold. Kind of a mashup of two genres, neither of which I enjoy. But she's a very good vocalist in need of better writing.

It's a good album, well arranged & well produced. Classroom intervals are a cool touch that makes the listener think & binds it all together. That all said, just not something I could see myself choosing to put on.

Surprisingly I'd never listened to this before, I enjoyed it but as much as this album is put on a bit of a pedestal in the hip hop genre. I much prefer her work with The Fugees. That thing is obviously still a HUGE banger.

Hard not to enjoy this one. Nice chill beats, soulful vocals and harmonies, Reggae influences and a feature from Carlos Santana. Runtime is perhaps a touch too long though.

What a great voice and selection of styles on this strong debut album that still sounds fresh 25 years later!

1998 File under 90's MTV fodder. It's OK, but not for me Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (5/10)

It’s fine. Great voice, good vibes, just the poster child of a very middle of the road album in general. It’s overly long and well outstays its welcome, it’s very bloated, and once again this is another album where the skits completely take me out of the flow of the album. I know it matches with the premise of the album, I’m just not the most fond of them, especially with all the bloat in the mix. Again, it’s fine. Nothing really much I can say about it. It’s fine to chill out to and let it play in the background, but I wouldn’t really call any of these songs something I would immediately want to come back to hear again. My favorite song on the album is “Forgive Them Father.” I’m sure this was revolutionary at the time, but it’s extraordinarily average sounding listening to it today, I may even go so far as calling it overrated?? Apologies Ms. Hill, I enjoyed it enough, but I’m not likely to remember it after a little while. Great little feature by Santana though, he makes any album better with his presence.

The songs released as singles from this album give you the impression it should be a belter. It’s not really. It’s too long and a lot of the other songs on it don’t hit nearly the same level. Pity, as she has a lovely voice and it’s clearly well produced.

This was good but we don't really remember it so 3 stars.

me gustoo

Neo soul is very much not my bag, so it's no surprise that parts of this didn’t interest me. *But* there were quite a few decent tracks scattered throughout the album that did. It sounds musically and lyrically mature - impressive for someone in their early 20s - and it's undeniably impressive and influential piece of work, all told. Furthermore, in a rare twist, I actually enjoyed the skits; rather than breaking the momentum I think the classroom discussion theme holds the album together well and is kinda endearing rather than irritating. 3.5 stars.

Such a beautiful voice.

This felt like a good mix of 90s hip-hop and R&B. In the first half of the album, I was into more of the hip-hop songs like Lost Ones and Doo Wop. Wasn't feeling as much of the slower R&B stuff. In the second half I only found Everything Is Everything and Can't Take My Eyes Off You compelling. It's a pretty long album and while Hill is definitely a talented artist going between both genres seamlessly, I found my interest waning in and out. I probably land at about 3.5 stars, but skew more towards a High 3. Good listen with a handful of standout songs.

I am aware that there is a certain cult appeal surrounding Lauryn Hill and this album in particular. Her career is weird in that she is highly regarded for producing quality work, and yet her output is quite the opposite of prolific. Where most artists build upon the inertia of success, she released effectively this one highly-regarded solo album and never bothered with a successor. While this isn't an entirely unique trajectory it is certainly remarkable as a solo act. Listening through, I can certainly see some of the appeal. Her writing is tight and delivery often soulful bouncing between hard-hitting hip-hop (Lost Ones, Doo Wop), 90s R&B (Ex-Factor, To Zion, Nothing Even Matters), and some funkier undercuts (Every Ghetto, Every City). While she succeeds on all fronts, my gut feel is that (a) this album is entirely too long and (b) I really don't have a huge amount of love for 90s R&B. I think if I had more love for the 90s R&B sound this would be my jam. As it stands, this is certainly above average, but not something I would repeatedly come back to. For that this straddles the high 3, low 4 divide. Using relistenability as a differentiator, I'm rounding down.

Pretty long but broke it up in 2 listens with about 30 minutes in between so not terrible. Was a good listen with some great singing and good beats. Caught myself zoning out in some points though. Didn't expect to know a song on here but definitely knew Can't Take my Eyes off You

Music can be repetitive. Good beat and melody, voice is great. Not really my favorite type of music though, doesn't resonate with me.

It's a pleasant enough album. At it's best when it reaches into soul music. Carries a bit too much 90's R&B vibes for my tastes in spots, but could be worse for sure.

It's OK

Some of these songs are so good, but they don't carry the album as a whole.

Have always liked Lauryn’s voice.

Not my genre, but some sharp lyrics and flows throughout songs. 3/5

Quite samey but okay background noise. 90s r&b on the head

Feels a little written by committee

Pretty good, just not my type of music 3/5

Fine

Most songs are quite good. I'm not a fan of most of the outros because they're spoken word.

Yea was alright

honestly felt a bit overhyped? I liked the middle-end part more than the fan favorites at the beginning also. I think the message is really good, I just find it a little boring.

A smooth blend of rap, r&b, pop and other influences. I enjoyed bits and pieces of this, definitely nostalgic and super well produced just not really the kind of music I reach for.

Not bad. Has it's vibe. But repetitive.

Vahva kolmepuol pyöristyy tällä kertaa alaspäin, koska kyllä The Score nyt vaan kolahtaa kovempaa.

Pretty decent, for some reason this album sounded great in my car but less good on my headphones, though. Anyways, I liked this more than most hip hop. Favorite tracks: "When it Hurts So Bad," "Ex-Factor"

ive listened to this 3 times and it still doenst connect with me

Better than I thought. More diverse in terms of grooves and arrangements

Every night my partner and I talk about the albums that we listened to that day and what we thought of them (we both travel for work so it's usually done over the phone). I was telling her about Lauryn Hill and that I remember buying the album (on cassette tape) and that I remember the Fugees but I don't remember anything of them after this album came out. That's the thing, no albums did come out it's like Lauryn Hill leaving the Fugees killed the Fugees and then there was nothing. It's an influential album for the ages but now that I listen back to it, it's not what I remember.

It was fine

Funny my brother in law plays in a cover band and he did Linda rondstadt version and I thought I need to give the Lauryn hill record a listen. It’s always highly regarded as one of the greats. Now here it is. I shall listen. I wanted to like it more. I found it hard to find the groove I just couldn’t connect with it. Talented for sure just not for me.

I could not get into this. There were plenty of things I enjoyed though - “Zion” is one of best songs I’ve heard in awhile. The message of the album really resonated with me, and the skits were a fun add that added context to the whole album. Overall I thought the production was a little overstimulating and didn’t click with the majority of the songs. I like the bridge in “Ex-Factor” that’s a list of requests with the steady gospel notes. It’s a nice contrast. Zion is a standout track. Here the lyrical contrast stands out - I love the conflict. Superstar: “They’ll hail you, then nail you - no matter who you are” Harmonies in “I used to love him” are really nice. We listen to others - trust others too much. I didn’t really think the classroom sketches at the end of every track were that additive. They could have been used more sparingly.

3.9

I think this is a very important album

Gear: HEDD Audio HEDDphone Two Artwork: ✏️🪵🏫 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🆒🏆🤔 Rating: 📚📚📚/5

I went into this album expecting it to be an easy 5, but it didn’t land nearly as well as it did the last time I listened to this album. Not sure if it just feels a bit dated to me now compared to other hip hop releases that have come since, but the instrumentals and the skits felt stale to me this time round. A clearly influential album, but not one I’m going to return to any time soon.

good stuff

It’s…good. Not for me I guess

188/1089 - Eh... The live instruments were cool. The skits are very "on the nose," and I never liked skits in albums anyways.

2.5/5 - Why did I need to hear this album before I die? I suppose to hear what all the fuss was about. I had no connection to this album in 1998, though I've given it several listens over the last few years. I think it's fine. The hallway chatter interludes annoy me, and most of the album fades into the background for me, with a few strong standouts as the exception.

Probably not going to listen alot

I liked this solo recording from Lauryn better than her work with the Fugees - although it contained sampling the songs had a higher level of originality. I really liked the songs in which she collaborated with other singers, but ultimately would not buy this. Would have liked to have given it 3.5 stars but it will have to be 3.

Sounds lovely in many ways. Yet her bouncing melisma is very sing-song samey, and I start to wish she had the backing the Roots on this one too. It can’t help sounding a bit dated.

Not particularly my style but good beats and flow throughout

The music sounds good, lauryn's got a great voice, I thought the classroom bits on love were creative, but it didn't resonate with me and went on a bit too long.

beautiful music - the harmonies are awesome. Overall not my style though

I remember all the singles from my teenage years, and I would argue that they are the highlights from this album, especially Doo Wap (That Thing) which I've always really liked. I could have done without the skits (which seems to be a common theme with all the hip hop albums I've heard that include them) but I get that they're world building. I'd just rather a tighter running time than listen to a guy pretending to be a school teacher. The actual music I don't have a lot to say about, but I like it. 3/5

I feel like Lauryn Hill has a bit of mistique about her. Going onto her Wikipedia and finding out she only released one solo album and Fugees only released two adds to the mistique in my opinion. Firstly, the album is a bit long. Anything over an hour you best make sure every minute is worth it. This goes on a little too long. Secondly, there are skits, but they don't have their own titles. They're "hidden" at the end of tracks. Very clever Lauryn, you thought you could fool me into listening to them? Not today I'm afraid. I listened to the first one but skipped the rest to save some time. (I know it's a concept album and they help that but I couldn't be bothered, sorry). She's a good, solid rapper, with a nice flow. Having said that though, I much preferred the songs where she was showing off her vocals which I think is her more superior talent. She has a really lovely voice. 'Ex-Factor' has a nice ear worm ending and solo. 'To Zion' really shows off her great vocals, ending it with a lovely high pitched almost whistle. 'When It Hurts So Bad' and 'I Used To Love Him' are another two with some great vocal runs. 'Forgive Them Father' has a nice guitar lick beat. 'Nothing Even Matters' is a typical R'n'B track which features D'Angelo and is pretty lovely sounding though a touch long and repetitive. Overall I was pleasantly surprised but by the end I was a little tired and just wanted it to get to the end. I definitely would need more listens but right now a three is fair I think.

Histórico. Muy buenas canciones, pero igual un poco largo. 7,5/10

I remember buying the CD when it came out because the reviewers raved. Never listed more than a couple of times, this relisten reminds me why, its...ok but its hip-hop. It gets better when it moves away from the hip-hop formula but not enough to warrant regular replays imho.

Outside of my usual listening but interesting album.

How can such an unmemorable album have such a memorable cover?

Meh. Doesn't do a lot for me. Great singer. Semi interesting songs. I was pretty done with it by the end though

Не очень заинтересовала. Но не любимый стиль.

5/10

Kind of annoying. I remember this being better

Out of respect for the artistry of this album I’ll give it a 3. There were some great moments that ultimately were over shadowed by some really boring tracks. I will say I’m pretty positive I’ve never listened to this album before but it felt strangely familiar

Ahh what a classic album! But I always think of Lauryn hill and the Fugees, but still this is always considered a classic, I will say I was getting out of my car and a friend asked is that Beyonce haha 🤣 made me laugh

I get why it was important, but it’s kind of boring ,not much spark for me.

Rätt nice! Lite annorlunda (från listan hittills) men bra sound, och kul med oväntad cover av "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You".

I’ve seen this album cover multiple times and had never heard it so I was excited to be able to do so. This is cute, easy to listen to R&B. So many of the songs droned on and on and got really repetitive. Overall thought, it wasn’t anything spectacular but I didn’t mind it.

Heard it before, some bangers just not something I would personally jump to chuck on

Bom álbum. Mas as interrupções de momentos de fala são muito exageradas. Celest Rue.

Debut solo album. Rap / Hip Hop / R n B / Reggae. She has a great singing voice as well as being able to rap. The album showcases her range of talent. It's also a very personal album. Well produced. Doo Wop (That Thing) is a very cool track. It's a decent album, however I'm not blown away by the all time great, genre defining album this is supposed to be.

meh

I remember that when this album came out it was received enthusiastically. At the time I didn't like it, now I think it's quite nice

not quite as good as i remember it. lovely singing voice, and a couple of great tracks - superstar and everything is everything. .

Bon disque (de Lauryn Hill), mauvais public (moi). Je suis quand même surpris qu’elle n’ait pas continué cette carrière. Elle n’a fait que quelques albums dans sa vie : un seul (celui-ici) en solo, et deux (genre) avec les Fugees. C’est tout.

I just never understood all the hullabaloo around this one. She’s amazingly talented, but this album doesn’t do much for me.

Got some Janelle Morae vibes from this! Concept is really nice and well produced. I liked it

1998. R&B / Rap / Hip-Hop. 7/10 Lost Ones / Doo Wop / Tell Him

Cult Classic, altijd hoog in de lijstjes en verplichte mention in Hip-hop lijstjes. Ik heb dit door de jaren heen al een paar keer ff snel gechecked, maar ben er nooit echt ingedoken. De stem herken je meteen, alleen al gebaseerd op die ene track Killing Me Softly (The Fugees). Ze zingt én rapt, heeft een sterke stem en door deze verschillende smaken brengt ze heel veel karakter mee op deze plaat. Er staan een aantal bangers op: Lost Ones, Doo Wop (That Thing), Ex-Factor, Every Ghetto, Every City. Persoonlijk vind ik dit veel te uitgeklede beats. Het werkt alsnog wel als bij Lost Ones op 2:05 dat echte 'refreintje: But You Really, Lost One' komt op die melodie/ritme van 'bam bam bidam, bam bam' en heel chill synth-gitaar-lijntje. Plus ze laten daardoor wel veel ruimte over voor Ms Hill om haar ding te doen. Ze zingt met meerdere overdubs een paar nummers helemaal vol met allerhande zanglijnen en herhalingen van eerdere zinnen + adlibs. Bij het ene nummer heel sterk, bij het volgende nummer een brei met weinig richting. Ook de collab met Mary J. Blige komt hierdoor niet echt tot z'n recht. Achtergrond koortjes, en Mary en Lauren die elkaar soms afwisselen / aanvullen / strijden voor de plek vooraan in de mix, waardoor niemand eigenlijk de spotlight krijgt en het geheel een vrij messy overkomt. Ze namen ook echt wel de tijd. Het was toen nog gebruikelijk om een 3e verse te hebben in een hiphop track. Het feit dat je voor het eerst het iconische mantra 'That Thing, That Thing, That thiiiingg' hoort op 1:45 van de track (zelfde idee als bij Lost Ones), is best insane. (ik zie nu dat ze in de videoclip dat wel ff naar voren hebben geschoven) Het intro, de klaslokaal skits aan het einde van nummers waarin de leraar vraagt aan de kiddo's wat liefde is maken het in combinatie met de hoes ('t schooltafeltje) en de titel een cool thema/concept. Verdere thema's als 'wat moet een artiest zijn?' in Superstar (waar de 1e rap-verse pas begint NA 3 MINUTEN) holy hell, fuck conventies, en een hoop religie thema's en verloren liefde, en voor jezelf kiezen maken het gevarieerd genoeg, maar toch een best lange zit in de schoolbanken :))))))) Al met al dig ik de meer rap tracks harder dan de alle religieuzere tracks. Hoewel ik soms best goed ga op gospel dingen, trekt het me hier helemaal niet de kerk binnen. Ik kom ook niet echt met nieuwe inzichten naar buiten. Beste: Lost Ones, Doo Wop, Ex-Factor, Every Ghetto, Every City. Minste: The Miseducation of Lauren Hill, When It Hurts So Bad, To Zion. Albumhoes: Beaut 5/5

Cool album, concept en productie.

Sounds better than current music from this genre. Enjoyed it more than I thought. Not sure I’d listen to it again though, hence score.

It's good but not for me. The rap is a little slow, maybe it's more of the 90s rap style.

intro- 5 lost ones- 5 ex factor- how can i explain myself. 5 to zion- 5 doo wop- 6 superstar- 5 final hour- 6 when it hurts so bad- 6 i used to love him- 5. nvm 6 for mary forgive them father- 5 every ghetto, every city- 6 nothing even matters- 5 or 6 everything is everything- 5 miseducation of lauryn hill- 5 cant take my eyes off you- 6 or 7 tell him- 5 will return to this later

Un álbum que no había escuchado antes, sin embargo, reconocí algunas de sus canciones. Puedo decir que me gustó, pero no es algo que me pondría de normal. Igualmente lo disfruté

Hip-hop das antiga

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is clearly an important and deeply personal record, with moments that shine in both its lyrical honesty and musical confidence. Lauryn Hill’s voice is rich and expressive, and when everything aligns — like on “Doo Wop (That Thing)” or “Ex-Factor” — it really does feel special. The blend of hip hop, soul, reggae, and R&B is distinctive and ambitious, and there’s no question the album meant a lot to a lot of people when it came out. That said, for me, the album doesn’t fully hold up as a start-to-finish experience. The interludes feel a bit forced and can break the flow, and there are stretches where the pacing drags. While the peaks are great, the rest of the album feels uneven, with some tracks feeling more like sketches than fully realised songs. It’s a solid record, and I respect what it represents, but as a full listen it sits in the middle for me.

Didn't listen so I'll give it a 3

overstays its welcome, mostly enjoyable. a couple really huge moments, some real all timers.

I always want to like this more than I do, but I just think there are a few too many songs and a few too many long outros/intros/etc. Her voice is obviously gorgeous I just struggle with the complete album.

Really good

A great album with some great songs. Lauryn Hill showed off her vocal range as well as her creativity rapping, strong lyrics and unique blends of melody. Very much enjoyed and was surprised at learning about how much modern music has been influenced by these tracks

Alright. The Light My fire nod amused me

Amazing to hear the samples, iconic, would listen again but just personally not a 4 because I’m not going to be wanting to play many of the songs a lot. Strong 3.5?

We had the Fugees before, but it never occurred to me that that trio had solo projects to this degree. Maybe its my limited perspective on hip hop these days, but I always love how 90s and even 2000s rap had a lot of R&B baked into the various albums - im thinking my first Nelly albums. Some big songs on this one. Ex Factor and Doo Woop are yuge and I find myself still hearing them around. I was a fan of the Frankie Vallie cover of I love you baby. A Santana feature is SO late 90s/2000s Very listenable, a tish longer than id like.

This album seemed to be everywhere when it came out. Doo Wop and Everything still hold up.

Way too long. The mix makes it boring. It's all drums and vocals. The drums are nothing special, the vocals start to sound the same after a couple of songs. It sounds very one dimensional. It's better than the Fugees though. Favorite song: I used to love him

Ms. Lauryn Hill has such a smooth voice that's well suited to singing and rapping. Because of her vocals, this album doesn't sound like your usual nineties brash hip hop. She borders on soul music most often. The topics in her songs vary, but I found myself most drawn to "To Zion", a beautiful tribute to her first-born. I'm reminded of newer artists like Cardi B, who also faced the choice of pregnancy vs. career, and life really just is a circle.

(Ms.) Lauryn Hill is someone who I have always long heard about in the R&B space. I know her solo work in the form of this singular album is very well regarded. I had never listened to the album beyond "Doo Wop (That Thing)", so I was interested to check this out. Perhaps one of the most impressive things about this album is the songwriting. Hill wrote or has major songwriting credits on every track on the album. The lyrics are poetic and strong and certainly anything but half-assed. This album faithfully sticks to the R&B and neo-soul genres, and do those genres quite well. Those aren't necessarily favorite genres of mine, though, so this album had an upward climb with me, and unfortunately it didn't really quite get there. I am not undermining the impact of this album, but it just ultimately didn't wow me.

Talent is there with signing and rapping, however, no songs other than the top hits really stuck with me. A decent listen overall, not terrible, but I wasn't blown away by the album as a whole.

Has a good - kinda the same song over and over

I've always thought this album was overrated

Favoriten Ex factor When it hurts so Bad Tell him

I’ve said before that this genre isn’t my thing but an album with a reputation like this one means I especially had to give this a fair shake, and I enjoyed it fine. Like her voice is wonderful I love it a lot and I enjoyed most of the tracks I just think it goes on too long (like many double albums). If 3-5 songs were cut then this would probably be a 4 star record but it’s good but it just goes on way too long for me.

Sometimes good, but often boring

Cool listen. Will definitely listen again

Not normally a fan of RnB but this has some good tracks on it, especially the more rap-focused tracks

Solid r & b, soul, hip hop, and reggae vibes here. She dropped this album and then vanished into a mysterious, perplexing life away from the spotlight that makes this one album seem all the more impressive that it was able to come together at all. 3.75

Enjoyable enough

Not my thing but I can appreciate the quality of songwrting and production

Ich liebe d Fugees. Mit äm Wyclef Jean isch sie super. Das Soloalbum isch mega erfolgriich gsie.

lost ones isch coool, sehr chillig aber au chli hässig. ex factor kenni, sie singt suuper. beat isch au hammer. uii gitarresolo. moll coole song. schluss skit isch suuuper cute. doo wop seehr geils intro und de beat uuuuhyesssss. superstar au cute, sie oversingt chli zum teil? aber sweete song. blöser uf final hour sind seeehr geil. when it hurts so bad findi eehner langwilig? ich fühl mich gad chli schlecht dass ich so wenig mit dem album chan afange. forgove them father isch nice, aber ich gspür so wenig? ganz seltsam. every ghetto every city isch geil moll, clavinet. nothing even matters isch au cool mitem dangelo. eveything is everything sooo geile beat uiii. ich glaub ich find de vocal style afoch nöd sooo geil. aber ibjektiv isch alles seehr cool und sleek und soulful. de song slappt etz hert. find s album wird besser? hani mi dra gwöhnt? title track super schön? cant take my eyes off you au siicke beat und s lied flüsst so schön mit orgle uuuh yeah. tell him suuuuper schöni bgvs und huere süesse text okay e vieri isches.

I liked the famous tracks so would probably get to enjoy the whole album with a bit more familiarity.

So emilie

sympa mais serais mieu sans les fin de son qui sont des records de scéance studio completement osef et chiante

I gotta admit this has got a cool album cover, it immediately drew my attention. the songs aren't doing much justice unfortunately :(

Somehow I’ve heard this a lot at very periods in my life. It’s good

I like this album, but it's always felt a little overrated to me. Plenty of good stuff here, though.

can't take my eyes off of you is one of my all time favorites but the rest of the album didn't catch me, really

I would never listen to this album ever again but it's fine. I can see how other people would like it more.

Lauryn Hill is one of the artists I completely missed growing up. Lost Ones is great. To Zion is pretty cool too. Doo Wop is one I had heard even if I didn't realise I knew it. The first part of this album is excellent, the middle part doesn't quite hot the same high, but then you get to Every Ghetto, Every City and it picks up again.

vibes. 3,5.

This album passed without leaving a strong impression on me. Maybe I have become too familiar with artists who were inspired by Lauryn Hill to recognise how ground breaking the album was on its release

Давно был наслышан о том что это один из лучших альбомов вообще, но по итогу...это просто норм

bit long. when she sings, she has a good voice

Eén van de beste rappers (female en male) die op deze aardkloot rondloopt, met een album waar ze de 'miseducated' bijspijkert op het gebied van kritieke thema's, vooral voor de jonge, zwarte vrouw in de US. Dat kan niet anders dan een powerhouse van een record opleveren. En alhoewel de piekmomenten de cross-over van Hip Hop naar R&B van eind jaren 90 in al haar glorie belichamen, is dit blokuur aan sociale, seksuele en spirituele voorlichting toch echt aan de lange kant. Ik begin halverwege de les steeds verder weg te zakken in mijn stoel. Het begin is magisch, met de intro die de toon zet, en daarna 'Lost Ones', 'Ex-Factor', 'To Zion' en 'Doo Wop (That Thing'. Thematisch en muzikaal horen we direct het meesterbrein en die brandende ziel van Ms. Lauryn op volle toeren draaien. Zoveel wijsheden, gebracht in zoveel verschillende gedaantes. Soul, R&B, Hip Hop, Reggae, Gospel. Het is 'Black History Month' verpakt in een vijftal songs. Helaas - en niet geheel verrassend als je begint met de interessantste en leukste stof van de voorlichting - weet de plaat mij daarna niet altijd bij de les te houden. Waar de dynamiek en de beats zelfs de mindere songs van ''The Score'' van Fugees overeind houden, zijn de fillers op dit album onmiskenbaar aanwezig. Het middenstuk draait in cirkels en herhaalt zichzelf telkens. Elk nummer voelt repetitief aan, tot het punt dat je niet eens meer écht kan genieten van de muzikaliteit van de crew. Ze had naast Mary J. Blige ook echt wel wat meer assistentie kunnen gebruiken voor de klas, om het toch iets spannender te maken. Het einde pakt de draad wel weer enigszins op, met 'Everything is Everything' en de mooie cover van de klassieker 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You', maar ik liep toch aardig verduft de klas uit. Later, nadat de dufheid plaatsmaakte voor bezinking, realiseerde ik wel dat het alsnog een hele belangrijke plaat is, genre-wise maar vooral ook als 'educational en spiritual guide' voor de jeugd, toen en nu. Maar kon het niet iets beknopter zonder dat de boodschap daar onder zou lijden? Ik denk het wel. 7,5/10 Highlights: Lost Ones Ex-Factor Doo Wop (That Thing) Everything is Everything

Eerlijk is eerlijk, ik moet mijzelf tot de miseducated rekenen als het aankomt op neo-soul, RnB en 90-s hiphop (eigenlijk als hiphop). Dit album was dan ook weer een leerzame ervaring die mij weer heeft verrijkt met de klasse van volgens mij een unieke artiest. Rap en zang gaan moeiteloos in elkaar over, wat denk ik extra mooi is bij een vrouwenstem. Ik ben wel onder de indruk maar raak er ook op uitgekeken, daarvoor staat het genre te ver van me af denk ik. 7/10 Highlights Lost Ones Doo Wop

Drags on a bit in places but my word she can rap and sing so well. Production is awesome too

Ihan hyvää settiä, joskaan en oikein löytänyt omille listoille lisättävää.

Not my style, but sounds good. It has "flow" 3/5

Dope shit. A true classic

Is pretty OK. Somewhat generic R&B with a good number of love songs

3.4

Greatest album of all time?

Not really into 90s r&b, or her voice, or her lyrics. But I was in a pretty good mood when I listened to it, on a nice sunny afternoon, so it was alright.

I wanted to like this a little more than I did. Some songs I loved, others kind of dragged for me. I think it balances out to a three.

This was a fun blast from the past. I might be underrating it because I listened to it while doing a bike workout whereas it would probably be better appreciated in the evening with a glass of wine.

lil bit 2 long, lil bit 2 in love with your oOoOooOoOoouuuouuUOuuIoYeiyyeeaaoOuuoyeeeyyyeyeeeaae

High highs. Good singer. Too long, in the 90s CD way. The skits almost ruin it.

Great album by a disastrous person lol. Are any artists heroes? But the album is wonderful. Prefer the Fugees' The Score out of everything any of them made, but this is close second.

I liked this one more than I was expecting! It's got a narrative through-line, and the sketches between songs tied in nicely with that. It's not really my preferred genre, and it did feel long at over an hour, but it never felt like a chore to listen to. Ventures a bit too religious at times.

Honestly not sure of this. I like the fugees but this is a bit of a miseducation on what Lauryn is about

It's kind of crazy this is the only solo album she ever released. I guess when you release a debut album with that level of success, there's no need to ty and top it.

The album itself is nice with interesting songs about the woes of love. The sound is diverse on the first half with the occasional funky sound and kinda falters on the second half. However, this kind of music is also a big part of the soundtrack to many of the boring car rides I had as a kid. So I am biased, sue me.

3.5/5

Heard it before. It's a really nice album, if only it wasn't so long for no reason 3/5

Yllätyin positiivisesti. Hyvää räppiä höystettynä kuoroilla, torvilla ja mulla mielenkiintoa tuovilla höysteillä.

This was quality stuff but I think it deserves a second listen. 3.5/5

It is nice but quite short !

Одна песня неплохая. Остальное не очень

R&B/ hip hop with soul influence I don't really get it - better on a second listen! Interesting instrumentation - brass, latin guitar, harps and harpsichord? Best track - Forgive them father, lost ones

Pretty good album. I've never followed Lauryn Hill or the Fugees, but I like them well enough to enjoy them when they are on. This is a long album so probably not going to be replaying in whole often, but it was consistently good all of the way through.

Fun album, and was really feeling it initially. It's just too long for its own good! 3/5

Good. Not earth-shattering, but good.

This is #day215 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it feels like a lifetime ago since I got The Score by Fugees. I loved that album and gave it a 4, but I never ventured into Lauryn Hill’s solo work, even though this is her only album. Still, I’ve seen it pop up on the list, so here I am, diving into a concept album about self-education in love, touching on themes like relationship struggles, interpersonal conflicts, motherhood, and faith. The fusion of neo-soul and R&B with hints of hip-hop, reggae, and soul? I don't mind. I’m giving it a 3 out of 5, though. I’d rather revisit The Score. Looking forward to #day216.

сначала было круто! потом просто надоели одни и те же темки из раза в раз, одно и то же звучание, если бы меня на днях бросил парень, наверное, мне бы очень понравился альбом, а так да - устала честно очень интересно как выглядит ебик, которому посвятили столько страдальческих песен?? My emancipation don't fit your equation было сильно

Good fairly mellow with some funky stuff thrown in

Overall, I enjoyed this album. Would I listen to the whole album again? Maybe not. Personally, it felt like a bit of a rollercoaster. At the start, I didn’t think I would make it to the end, but then I started to enjoy it—though some songs I just didn’t like were sprinkled in. I did appreciate the message of love and the throwback to an older way of thinking. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, or maybe times were better back then with more acceptance. Solid 6.5 out of 10.

could i write poetry to this? n

Anybody else have a problem listening to this album on on Spotify™? Every time I tried to play this, it automatically turned on "shuffle" mode and played songs that aren't even on this album. Sometimes the songs don't even feature Ms. Lauren Hill! This chaotic lack of access to the record seems very on-brand for Ms. Hill.

3 or 4 really good songs, but the rest all sort of blend together. 2.5 stars.

Potential 4, some good tunes

The good songs are very good. The rest is filler, the skits are boring and the album goes on WAAAYYYY too long. I think this album is overhyped by people who want to like it more than they actually like it.

Great voice. But so slooowww, kept sending me to sleep, lucky I didn’t listen to this while driving.

I can see why people like it. Some decent stuff on the album, but not my jam. 3.5*

Not as good as I remember

Some really good tracks. Some filler.

Solid listen all the way through.

I will admit that I knew nothing of this album going in, except that it is very highly regarded both in and outside of its genre, and that Apple Music recently proclaimed it to be the best album of all time. So my ignorance did not serve me well here. I could've read up on it before listening. I could've relistened to get a better understanding. I could've not listened to it only in the car. I could've done so many things. I still could. And definitely will in the future. Hell I may even come back to this review and change it. But for now, I just have to say this. I didn't get it. I can recognize its technical excellence; the production alone is worth a listen, if not a little dated in places (those R&B chimes just don't land for me, man. Cliche). I can recognize the beautiful harmonies for their lushness and synergy, and how they elevate each track. I can recognize all that. But in doing so, I still don't understand the hype. I desperately want someone to explain it to me because I would love to know. I didn't dislike this album, don't get me wrong. I just lack the context to understand its greatness. Hell, I couldn't have even told you if Hill was singing, rapping or both at any given moment. I thought the concept was great; the roll call at the beginning where she's absent (hence, her miseducation), and the subsequent interludes of conversations had in a classroom are great and clearly point to the idea that this album and Hill herself have something to say about a handful of topics. I just didn't quite pick up on what those things were. I might've if I'd had the context. I might've if I'd done my homework. But I didn't. I will return to this. It deserves at least that. For now, three stars. Sorry, y'all. I, too, am miseducated. Standout Tracks: I Used to Love Him, Forgive Them Father, Every Ghetto, Every City

I thought I'd like this more since I know it's considered to be among the best albums ever or something. I really like her voice but I dislike the genre, I had to skip some songs because I found them irritating and also, the album felt a bit too long.

She has a wonderful voice, and Everything is Everything as well as Ex-Factor are great songs. Rest of the album is ok 3/5

В целом, «The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill» — это альбом, который заслуживает внимания. Он показывает талант и мастерство Lauryn Hill, а также разнообразие её музыкального стиля. Однако, как и любой другой альбом, он не лишён недостатков. Оценка 3 из 5 отражает моё личное восприятие этого альбома.

Honestly, I never understood what sets this album apart from others. It’s all fine, but none of it really stands out in particular to me. How did this rank as Rolling Stone’s 10th greatest album ever?

It's been a long time since I last listened to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, but I can't help feeling like its shine has dulled a little since its release. There's undoubtedly some great tracks in here, but I was never a big fan of audio skits and dialogue that was so prevalent in this era of Hip Hop and RnB, as I find it just breaks the flow of the music.

I remember this albums release.

Reminds me of a secret crush I had on this guy in high school.

She missed class the day they taught about love. Enjoyed the sketches, would have liked...I dunno, except for the singles I would have liked some melody. Beautiful harmonies, beautiful riffs, but it did not stick with me.

I appreciated it and liked some of the songs but it was a bit too long and got repetitive. I’m just not super into 90s r&b

At first glance, I thought i wasn't going to like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill seeing as it didn't give off the best first impression with the first two songs (not counting the intro) but as the album kept going, it did start to have some good songs. The main issue with the first few songs (which bleeds into a few of the other songs a little by the way) was that the composition of both the vocals and the instruments could get messy and disorganized to the point where it becomes sensory overload but in a lot of the other songs, the beats were cool, Lauryn had some good vocals and the lyrics were decent as well. This album's issues do hold it back but not enough to make it bad. Best Song: I Used To Love Him Worst Song: Lost Ones

Listened to this one before. It's good, but not something I'd continually go back to. I don't understand exactly why it's hailed as one of the top albums of all time, but again, just not my genre.

90’s R&B/hip hop isn’t my jam, but this album was very good

I've seen this album get such high praise, and I just don't get it. Like, it's a pretty good album, I enjoyed it, but I don't find anything that exciting to it.

A hip hop, neo-soul, r&b fusion in which Ms. Hill swaps swiftly between reflective rapping and emotional singing. Smooth instrumentals where a prominent bass holds a steady groove, and airy arrangements of unique instruments fill the spaces (harp, flute). A concept album with Hill’s musings on love, which she seems to reflect more maturely than one would expect of her age. Not afraid to have extended track lengths, sometimes to a fault (almost all are a bit longer then feels necessary). A lot of good stuff here, but some that didn’t have much impact which makes it hard to justify the track length. I understand the importance and influence if this album, but it just comes off as fine to me. I’m also interested to explore it sometime again.

This is a very good album. Doo Wop (That Thing) is obviously outrageous and there’s plenty of other highlights, such as Lost Ones, To Zion and When It Hurts So Bad. I enjoyed listening to this. I don’t really get what’s THAT good about it though. What with the recent push to make this be considered one of the best/if not the best album ever, I kind of expected a bit more than what I got? I think I’m slightly put off the album by its crushing length and the fact I could feel more of my life force drain away with every new skit. I do also find Lauryn Hill kind of annoying as a person, and some of that annoyance infects the album for me. There’s a bit too much of that spiritual faux deep ‘all is love’ type vibe here, which is my literal least favourite thing in the world. That sort of thing often disguises a deep centred preachiness and conservatism, and this album is lyrically no exception. Doo Wop (That Thing) though…

A good and ground-breaking album. While it makes sense that it's on this list, I don't find it ultra exciting in the second half, I find the barrage of skits with identical themes to be tedious, and only a few tracks were deeply memorable for me. 3.4/5 -> 3/5

OK

quite overrated

For me it is an okay album for a genre I don't like much. 3 stars or C.

Buen disco, no es mi estilo favorito pero tiene un rollo espectacular. Tengo que analizarlo con más detenimiento

The little kid chats about love in between the songs were cute. It’s not a good omen when I remember them more than the actual music. I mean, it’s good, it’s fine. But it doesn’t distinguish itself from lots of other R&B music. I listened to it this morning and tonight I’m looking at the song titles and can’t remember what they sound like.

Very important but not to my taste.

She’s got a stunning voice but this let down by the pretty nondescript backing.

OK, not my jam. 3/5

Good

Vahva kolmepuol pyöristyy tällä kertaa alaspäin, koska kyllä The Score nyt vaan kolahtaa kovempaa.

For as much as I've heard great things about this album for almost 30 years now, my expectations for it were pretty high. At the same time, however, the praise never encouraged me to give it a listen before now, and I couldn't recall ever hearing a song from it either. Now that I've finally heard it, I can't say I'm very impressed. Ms. Hill sings pretty and raps well enough, and the music is put together well for what it is. "Every Ghetto, Every City" and "Everything Is Everything" are good songs, and the closing title track has some interesting choices going on musically. But overall, none of it connected with me. None of it was bad, but I didn't think any of it was very great either. Possibly it's just not my taste, which is fine. And that could be why I felt like it was overlong too, a fact not helped much by the skits (which make sense as a backbone to tie it all together, but they did wear out their welcome with me). I had hoped to like it more than I did, but oh well, at least now I've heard it. Insane to me that Rolling Stone recently placed it above Revolver and Thriller in their 500 greatest albums of all time list.

I can hear that it’s got qualities, and I find myself liking a few of the tracks, but it’s not quite my thing. Ex-Factor, That Thing and I Used to Love Him are standouts

I appreciate and enjoy. Sorry that I find the background repeat voice to become interfering and eventually annoying.

I ended up liking this more than I thought I would. There's a nice mix of R&B, Soul, and Hip-Hop. The story-telling was good as well. I would not mind listening to this again.

Very solid, I like the theme.

Pretty great album, I'm sick at the moment so this'll probably not be my most coherent review but it has some solid bangers. Still not as great as my previous album but I may listen to it time to time.

A really nice album except for the laughs... Her voice is amazing...

In an alternative universe were Kendrick is a woman this is TPAB Favourite songs: To Zion, When it hurts so bad, Everything is everything Alright but not as good as most people say (rym glorified track)

I enjoyed the first half a lot. Lyrics were top notch. But the beats didn't have a lot of variety per song. The second half of the album lost me with too much singing

one or twp bangers, but the rest just wasn't it for me

It wasn't bad at all... That's just too distant from me so I can judge, I think. But looking at the reputation of this one, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill deserves its spot on this list!

It was alright... Bit waily though.

Nice for what? Like her voice, decent

I remember this being pretty big when it came out, but I didn’t give it much credence. Listening now, it was okay but not mind blowing. Went on too long and too many skits in my opinion. Definitely not as awful as some of the reviews I read. 3/5

Listenable R&B. Lost Ones, Superstar and When It Hurts So Bad the highlights

Classic!

Look, autocorrect, it’s Lauryn. Just let it happen. This is a good album. Lauryn Hill has a fantastic voice, her rapping is sharp, and the songs are well-crafted. There’s a lot to appreciate here. That said, I feel like she leans into over-singing at times, which can be a bit much. And I absolutely could not stand the skits, intros, and outros scattered throughout the album. They felt intrusive and took away from the overall experience. If there’s a version that cuts all that out and just leaves the songs, I’d prefer it by far. Standout Track: Ex-Factor Score: 3/5

I'm on both sides of this one. You can hear — even feel — the talent Lauryn Hill has, and she's got production credits and writing credits and she can clearly sing. And the smooth flow of the entire album is a plus. But an hour in and I was feeling pretty tired of this, partly because it seemed more about the groove and the vibe, and those distinctive harmonies, and I didn't have songs to hang onto. I also feel physically worn by the eight-notes per note vocalizing. I guess it's impressive, but I've never been a huge fan of that singing style — certainly not as a feature throughout. Oh, and I liked the schoolroom theme for the interludes — that landed with me. So this is better than a 3, but I'm not personally there for more after this one listen. Good stuff to set a mood, but I'm not ready for another active listening session.

There are a handful of classics on here, no doubt. The production and arrangements are on point, and Lauryn has talent as a writer, rapper, and singer. But the skits annoy me (why was this such a popular trend?), and her melismas drive me crazy. This would be a 2 for my personal enjoyment, but it gets an extra star because it influenced so many great albums.

I found it pretty boring. Nothing offensive but nothing exciting. A glass of water. 2.5

Didn’t make it alll the way through yet but maybe that also says something?! Hmm

A solid album with a few standout tracks. But I probably won't listen to the album as a whole much

I really enjoyed the rapping sections of this album and thought the albums theme was interesting. I didn't care for the more R&B styled sections or Hill's singing voice though, so it's a 3

Great vocals and drums. Gets a bit boring after a while though. I also like the conversations about love blended in the intros and outros

It's a good album. Hip hop and rap aren't really my thing but still had a great time listening to this one.

Ganz ok.

3 out of 5. I saw this album everywhere back in the day. It didn't do much for me but I can see how people say it's influential.

i like ex-factor and the one with d'angelo

Enjoyable and interesting at times, but it often didn't seem much better than other R&B stuff I've heard from the era. I can often appreciate the greatness of an album even when I don't enjoy it, but it's harder for me to see why this album is so acclaimed by some. The production is great and the vocals are good, but the songwriting didn't really wow me (apart from a few tracks)

Was alright

Dragged a bit this, few bangers tho

Some tracks are pretty good, like Lost Ones and Every Ghetto, Every City. Not sure it warrants being an hour and 15 minutes long. It gets boring about halfway in. At least it's something different on this list

Mid to high threes, a classic.

It's got some 10/10 songs, but it's not The Score is it?

That Thing is great, rest was okay

Alright it were! Felt a bit same ish, but that's also consistent? Hmm It was interesting, not sure I'd seek it out again, but glad I've heard it! :)

Since rap has never been a genre that I really enjoyed I was hesitant to listen this and then I surprised myself with starting to think that by Ex-factor this might be one of my new favourite albums. Sadly after Doo Wop (That Thing) i found myself being less and less captivated with the songs and really feeling the fact that almost every song on this album is 5 minutes long. Maybe I need to sit with this and give it another listen but for right now a 3 is really the highest I can give this, which hurts since so many people love this album, but it just hasn’t fully clicked for me yet.

It's ok, maybe would be better if I listened younger. It's DNA is in everything RnB afterwards so maybe that's why. Beats are ok but sometimes repetitive. Drags out. Not the best album ever as I was led to believe To zion, Superstar, Nothing ever matters

I was really looking forward to this having heard so many good things about it so perhaps my expectations were too high, but I wasn't blown away. Sorry, Lauryn.

Not bad, but lost me in the second half. Should have been only one half anyway. Something about this exaggerated R&B and soul vibrato singing makes the music feel hollow and unauthentic to me. I just don't buy that you feel every single line of every track that much, Lauryn. The melody is not that captivating and the lyrics are not that profound, stop acting.

When this album first came out, people went apeshit and I never really got it. I still don’t, I just hear a decently done R&B album with some rap elements. 3.3 stars

Three all-time great songs a couple good ones, but most were just mid

I did like that not every song on this album sounded the same -- as far as hip-hop goes for me, a decent album to have on in the morning for breakfast and chores.

Decent, but didn't really offer anything too memorable to me

Not my vibe, not my type of music. I liked that one famous single, but otherwise it was just a bit too much for me. Not a bad album though, from an outsiders perspective.

Alright

Really soulful and beautiful, no always into the rap parts, but really cool.

I know many people love this album, but it’s only okay to me. It’s certainly not bad, there just isn’t that much that interests my ears.

Pretty good. Not as good as I remember the critics raving about when it came out but some overall good songs.

Kinda boring honestly. Not much differentiated one song from the next. The little classroom sections were interesting and felt organic but it was still 77 minutes long with not much happening

3/5 Didn't like it but didn't hate it, not my style of music

Just ok, nothing really grabbed my attention. The songs mixing reggae and hip hop were interesting, but I don't care for reggae so wasn't super into it

Incredibily overrated album. Very few songs were enjoyable and/or memorable, the rest were filler. The album also went on for way too long which made it less enjoyable to listen to.

Drags a bit in the middle I think but starts and ends strong

Good hip-hop, she sings well, however it is way too long. Stand-out: Doo Wop (That Thing)

Not the worst album I’ve ever listened to, but certainly not the best. Apple is out of their minds saying this is the GOAT. If it wasn’t for Zion and Doo Wop this would’ve been an easy 2. Good vibes throughout, but felt too long and I’d be hard pressed to say I’d listen again.

Good album think I thought I’d enjoy it more than I did, maybe the weight of expectation was a bit too high.

pleasant enough but not my thing

I somehow never listened to this whole album when it came out, even though I loved all of the singles. It took me 25 years and this challenge to finally hear the album (insert joke about being very late to things, just like Ms. Lauryn Hill — also the fact that it opens with a skit about her not showing up for roll call is chef’s kiss irony). I expected to like it a lot more than I actually did. The singles all still hold up, and some of the other songs have grown on me with repeated listens, but it just didn’t blow me away like I was expecting it to. It’s also very long as an album, with several songs running longer than they need to. To Zion and Doo Wop (That Thing) are the best songs on the album. —To Zion always sounded gorgeous with the gospel chorus (and it’s one of the few overtly religious songs on here that doesn’t bother me). Lauryn has always had one of the most beautiful voices in R&B, but I’d somehow forgotten about her whistle notes at the end of this song — I didn’t know her range was that impressive. I’d forgotten about the Santana feature on it too. —And, although some of the lyrics on Doo Wop haven’t aged all that well, it’s still catchy af. Lost Ones, Superstar, Final Hour, and a few other tracks are pretty good, but the length of this album and the number of songs that either don’t have a great hook or just seem to drag on forever (a couple have both problems) makes it a chore to get through after a while. And I know it’s an autobiographical project and her faith is a huge part of her life, but it gets really preachy and irritating after a while. I’m sure other people are fine with that, but it’s just not something that I connect with. The fake vinyl static on the title track is really irritating. I get that she’s trying to make it sound like an old song on a well-loved record, but it just sounds like someone didn’t take care of their music collection. It’s so distracting that I couldn’t even pay attention to the music. I feel like Lauryn’s words in When It Hurts So Bad sort of sum the album up for me — “And it sounds nice, but it may not always be right for you.” This album deserves to be on this list — it was hugely influential on neo-soul, and Lauryn’s voice is one of the best in the biz. However, while I don’t regret listening to this album and may give it some time to grow on me, I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. 3/5

Overall, this album tended to play as background music. The tracks all meld together with a similar tempo and few dynamics or heavy chorus to differentiate. Lots of talent and artistry, just didn't grab me on first listen.

Not bad musically, but did not enjoy the classroom interludes.

Rap in der Form ist nicht so meine Musik, aber ganz ok.

Good album. I am reminded of the history of the era which this was released. A time when the music industry was not manufacturing vinyl, it was all CDs or mp3. Yet the musicians had effects put on their songs to replicate the sound of listening to vinyl. This amuses me.

Perfectly good R&B album, not as convinced by her rapping. I think the topics on the back half of the album are good, and it sonically improves as it goes. Honestly I don't really understand the praise it receives

Good Friday listen, only every really heard this in background.

Lauryn Hill has a lovely voice, but the amount of vocal riffs she packs into a single song is exhausting. I much prefer her rap songs, and as such, could do without the back half of this album.

I’m finding I don’t love the R&B sound

That thing is great, but nothing else left much of an impression on me. It was decent though.

Confesso che mi dispiace molto ma non mi ci sono connesso. Sono certo che ci sia un motivo per cui è un album così acclamato e premiato però io non ho trovato una sola canzone che mi facesse dire "questa devo assolutamente salvarmela".

I will never forgive Apple Music for calling this the best album ever.

It's ok. I wouldn't complain if someone put this album on, but I would probably be waiting my turn to choose the next one. I wouldn't pay money for it. Low three stars I think.

I love hearing the kids talk about love in between some of the songs. It's not what I usually listen to, but I understand the importance of this album, and I look forward to studying the lyrics and listening again.

Die R&B Laier hat nicht überzeugt. Die Mischung aus Hip-Hop, Rap, Soul und R&B ist einfach nicht mein Fall. Positiv hervorzuheben ist, dass ich das Album ohne Kopfschmerztabletten durchhören konnte. Lauryn Hill’s Stimme und die Produktion mögen vielleicht von hoher Qualität sein. Dennoch musste ich ein paar Mal die Skip-Taste nutzen, da mich einige Tracks ärgerten und wie die Vorgänger wirkten. Einzig “Can’t Take My Eyes Off (I Love You Baby” war ein winziges Licht im Dunkeln des Albums. Insgesamt trifft das Album nicht meinen persönlichen Musikgeschmack trifft und ich werde es bestimmt nicht nochmal hören.

Musically it is lovely. Lauryn has a great voice. I didn’t know she could reach the Mariah Carey notes! Tho sometimes the songs are too screamy for me. I also don’t feel hood enough for this, somehow.

After the first song I thought I was going to hate this, but fortunately, it got better from there. Still not my jam though

When this album first came out it was on fire. Everyone loved it - critics and fans. I never listened. It wasn’t my thing. I wish I been more open-minded when it came to music. But here I am now, 26 years later, and I finally listened. It’s nice but I don’t connect.

Songs are way too long. Feel like this is an overrated album. 3 stars is stretching it

I’ve never enjoyed rap music (I lack the vocabulary to define why) and was expecting to rate this album a 2, but I listened to it a couple of times and it grew on me—I might even listen again! This kind of discovery is why I am doing One Album a Day.