The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

I loved this album; Lauryn Hill beautifully blends hip-hop and soul (while sprinkling in a little bit of Reggae, which I love) while also employing some incredible storytelling. I had heard of this album before but never listened to it before, but I understand its legendary status.

I like the Fugees. Lauryn Hill's voice is good too. I tried to listen to the whole album. But there was too much rap for my taste. 2/5

Didn't know Ex-Factor was the sample in Drakes song Nice for What. The slowed down original sounds really good. The R&B songs were absolute heat but some of her rap songs were iffy. Specifically Lost Ones I thought was honestly really tough to listen to, however forgive them father was really good. Great features. Favorite Song: Ex-Factor

Better than yesterday for sure

Lauryn Hill has such a beautiful voice. This album is amazing!! I think she is the GOAT of female rappers. ❤️❤️

Fantastic and influential album

sweet and cool

Great vibe, great voice

Drit chill, nice gitarspill i bakgrunn

Too much soul yodeling for me, pick a note and fecking sing it.

More annoying rap nonsense.

Excellent album!

miseducation? lauryn, this was elite

If you like hip-hop, then go for it.

I really loved this album.

Awesome album!

I think this is a great album with lots of filler but lots of bangers. In terms of my enjoyment it's probably a 3 but in terms of the cultural impact and change to hip hop its a 4

Nej men jäklar. Ska jag betygsätta på gamla meriter eller lyssna? Jag lyssnar såklart. Det är verkligen en bra skiva. Everything is Everything kan vara bäst eller Doo Wop eller jag vet inte. Svårt att välja. Gillar snacket mellan låtarna. Kanske några låtar för lång. En stabil 4a

Aldrig riktigt diggat Lauryn. Det är inte dåligt. Men soundet fastnar inte. Jag borde tycka det är skönare. Men tror lite för lugnt, soft.

Lauryn är en grym rappare och inget snack om att det här är en riktigt bra och välproducerad skiva. Dock lite för mycket RnB-inslag för att det ska kunna bli full pott hos mig.

It sounds like 1998 all over again

I was looking forward to this one, having missed it back in the day. It did indeed have solid raw emotions expressed all the way through. Well done. I also hated listening to it, finding it long, long, long and rambly. But now you don't. Now you don't. Okay, I got it. I got it.

Well absolutely, yes yes yes, yes yes yes yes!

I had a lot of big feelings listening to this today.

While this isn’t squarely in my wheelhouse, it is a really impressive album that definitely belongs on this list. It was a really great listen today.

This album is not really to my taste, but I was impressed by the musicianship and the quality of engineering.

Not my cup of tea

Inoffensive but dull. WNLA. Spotify decided to play Can I Kick It by Tribe Called Quest after the album finished which woke me up a bit.

Not aimed at me but not a fan

Some say the best rapper of all time was Biggie. Some Tupac. I would have to argue that it’s the triple threat Lauren Hill: singer/rapper/actress. This album is a masterpiece that successfully tells the soul of an artist. There’s some R&B like Ex-Factor. There are songs of faith, like To Zion and Forgive Me Father. There are amazing collaborations with Mary J and Santana. My favorite: Everything is Everything: it creates a perfect tapestry of everything she is. I have listened to this album many times and will do so many more. Side note: the book Hail to the Queens is an amazing look at women in Rap from the beginning and explains the miseducation we all received about Lauren Hill. Strongly recommend both.

That Thing is an all-timer. Outstanding album

Voix magistrale. Chansons senties. Je devrai réécouter pour mieux saisir les paroles et l’évolution

One of those where you need to have a real interest in the genre. The big songs are bangers, and forever will be, is just the other 45minutes is good but long.

The album was a total let-down given it's title as 'One Of The Greatest' of all-time. There was no actual substance in the album. I'm not a fan of hip hop in the first place, and although she was spitting bars, Ms. Hill put zero effort in the actual melody.

This was HUGE upon its release and I think it has held up incredibly well. Very introspective and philosophical themes that even venture into religious territory at times. Musical influences ranging from Motown to Reggae. The sampling on this album is really intriguing. I also love the interludes between songs discussing "love". Oh, and nothing tops To Zion.

It was fine but not my type of music. 2/5

If you like this sort of thing then I imagine this is a key record. It’s not my cuppa tea though at all, and there was nothing here to change my mind really. She’s great at what she does like, probably the best voice in this genre by some way. Quite liked Doo Wop, the rest was very samey

Lauryn Hill is a great singer and rapper, after the first song I had really high hopes. Most of the album from then on was quite dull, no more rapping and straightforward music. No excuse for it being as long as it was either, if the runtime is already over an hour maybe don't bother with the cover of can't take my eyes off of you. Her voice does keep it from being a complete disaster, there were a good number of parts I enjoyed. Feel like it could have been so much better though, wouldn't listen again. 2.5 but closer to a 2.

Can appreciate that it is good. Dislike the chatty bits between songs, seems indulgent. To Zion is a very, very good song, but overall just not my cup of tea. Sorry love.

I've listened to this album before on a list of the top 100 albums of all time.... I think this falls into the category of I can appreciate that it's good, it's just not for me. R&B and soul are not my thing. Would never choose to listen to this, but I can appreciate it's a good example of this kind of thing!

Really enjoyed this. Clever and with wit and style throughout.

I have only heard pieces of this album so it was great to get the full thing--and interesting how much a lesser album we listened to in Kanye's steals from this. The only knock I have on this is how the songs are similar, relying on Lauryn's amazing voice and also flow (I mean who has those skills!) which is pretty much enough, but would love to hear some over the top production with wild samples. Too bad nothing like that ever happened and too bad she noped out of the star life--we could've used her genius.

I see why this was influential and why it is highly rated, but it's not my style. I did really like To Zion (with Carlos Santana), I Used to Love Him (with Mary J Blige), and the cover of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. I also liked Superstar (even before I read that it was a reference to the Doors' Light My Fire).

This one is kinda similar to TPaB where I probably need 10 total listens to fully Get It, and I need to do a listen with the personnel/sampling page up. That being said, I have listened before so I was able to enjoy this one even with just a couple listens. I really like how many live instruments there are on the album, especially when Carlos Santana shows up!

Still not a big fan of hip hop

amazing album. loved it

A hip hop classic for many reasons. Killed it her first (and last) solo time out.

Good

Classic! some fillers on here but the good songs are bangers that make you nod your head.

I dunno. It's fine. Nothing really gets me excited though, not like the original Score.

I didn't give this the respect it deserved when I was younger. I shall atone for that in my older and wiser years.

Very solid. Ms Lauryn Hill creates her own vibe and unique sound for sure.

Too much yo yo for me me yo.

Sad she never did another one.

Nice R & B with shades of reggae

Good hip-hop album

Soulful bliss, nice grooves, and a good mood starter

Great album with important statements

Such a banger. A classic record what a banger.

NJ legend! This is another major blind spot in my hip-hop listening. I only knew "Ex-Factor" and "Doo Wop" because Drake sampled them lol. The desk on the album art reminds me that my cousin used to work at her (and SZA's) high school in Maplewood. This album is bop central. The beats are super smooth head-boppers and Lauryn works wonders over them. Is there anyone else that can rap AND sing as well as her?? It's a long album and lost me a bit at the end, but I think it's great overall. Favorite tracks: Lost Ones Ex-Factor Doo Wop (That Thing) Final Hour

Great album, filled with soul. Tons of samples from the past and tons of samples used from this album in the future. Truly a cultural staple.

Thank you miss Lauryn Hill!!

Our first woman and damn she deserves it. It's hard to tell when Lauryn is sampling and when Lauryn has been sampled, she's been that influential. Her voice is buttery smooth and she crushes every note she sings. I enjoyed the ending of each song, the natural conversations/muffled laughing fades out feel very candid, it adds even more personality to each track. Love the background vocals too. Top songs: Lost ones Ex-factor To Zion Final hour I used to love him Forgive them father Everything is everything The miseducation of Lauryn hill

This album has insane range and flow, with Hill at the center of all of it. Her debut solo album still stand up to today’s standards of the hip hop and R&B genres, and the soul and reggae influences soul, reggae, and gospel come out clear. This is one of the easiest listens out there, both due to Hill’s lyricism/vocals and the music backing her throughout. Superb work.

This is one of those classic albums that I had heard about many times before, showing up on many greatest of all time lists and as a cited influence for many of my favorite hip-hop artists, but had never actually listened to before. After listening I can see why it is considered a classic. The sound on this album is a beautiful blend of R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul, and Reggae all held together by Lauryn Hill’s killer voice. The beats are barebone but slap, the vocal harmonies make each track sound rich and lively, and the bars when Hill does flex her rap skills are tight. The album is thematically rich as well, touching on love, loss, healing, and faith. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by all accounts deserves its place in the pantheon of great albums 5 (you really think I’m gonna give Ms Lauryn Hill anything less than a perfect score during Women’s History Month?) Fav Songs: Lost Ones Ex-Factor To Zion Doo-Wop (That Thing) Final Hour When It Hurts So Bad Everything is Everything

Ms.Lauryn Hill you will always be famous!! Happy 25th anniversary to this masterpiece of an album. The way this woman and this album are still impacting music today, through samples and being an inspiration to so many artists, speaks to the true genius of a then 23 year old MOTHER. I really enjoyed bopping around to this album yesterday. The kids talking about love was so sweet and fit in so well with the theming of the album. It was also announced yesterday that this album would be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame!! Faves: Ex-Factor, Doo Wop (That Thing), Superstar, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Warm, soulful, amd intensely empowering. But I really need to research artists like Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill's reverence of Zion and whether it's at all related to uphold Zionism.

Rap-soul fusion. I'd heard of this album but as I'm not a fan of rap I'd never listened to it. I liked it more than I expected to. The Motown vibe underneath the rap is very smooth (also incorporating some reggae overtones in places) and fits very well. The themes and the lyrics are genuine and honest -- avoiding the braggadocio and aggression that characterizes much of the genre. If I had one negative comment, it's that the lyrics get repetitive at times. Lauryn Hill has an excellent voice but indulges in more runs than needed -- a virtuosity for it's own sake criticism I make on many jazz and heavy metal records as well.

Loved this 90s vibe

I love this album. I think it's on a number of "Top" lists, and deservedly so.

Prima plaatjes en een paar klappers zoals Doo Wop. Yung Dumptruck luisterde hier vroeger veel naar dus dit vond ik zeker niet verkeerd

Zeer lekker R&B album, eerste nummer was weinig belovend maar daarna werd het goed. Zelfs een nummertje met D’Angelo joh

Dit album luister ik zowaar nu en dan

Enjoyable listen, but didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. I like her work in Fugees better than her solo work.

Excellent!

Some good ones, but some just felt repetitive after a while. Definitely could be that it was not 100% my cup of tea though

The ONLY complaint I have for this album is that To Zion is too early in the tracklist. Besides that minor gripe, yeah this album is flawless.

Not for me

Irresistibly charming, an album that is still being sampled today. In the words of Ye: "I've been uninspired since Lauryn Hill retired" Best Song: Doo Wop (That Thing) Worst Song: N/A

Lauryn and D'Angelo turn me into the melt-in-your-mouth type of butter.

Perfection Christ what a woman.

Just amazing. Some people think you can see it all if you look into a cup of tea the right way. I think you’ll get there faster if you just sit down and listen to this.

Excellent

No lo escuché

Great remake of Can’t Take my Eyes off of You

LOVE THIS ALBUM

I love the classroom discussion of what love is. The album has a good tempo throughout and a great soulful energy.

boring

Nothing really special. Chill music w african girl rap - cant mark even her voice 5/10

Love her

Classic and sexy as fuck

Smooth 4/5

A landmark record for both R&B and hip-hop and successfully becomes one of the best in both genres

A thoroughly enjoyable first time listen to this hip hop classic. Some beautiful tracks with an uplifting spiritual vibe. Some pointed lyrical observations on sexual politics and meditations on the nature of love. A wonderfully mixed bag of gospel tinged and soulful hip hop

I've listened twice and a half. There is depth here. Striking depth. My background is not black, female and American, but i still get themes here - themes that hold injustice and insufficient opportunity. The message is complex and really well delivered. Music elements are engaging, like really engaging..the classroom queries on what Love means, what it is, all that is really good spacing of the pieces, the pieces themselves, it's quite good. It still requires more concentration from me. It's among the more approachable pieces of rap and rhythm I've encountered. I do think it would be worthwhile pursuing more. More listening required. I don't quite know about the musical composition though, I heard the vocals strongly - they are powerful - possibly compelling with all the elements there. High 2 stars for me, but not three. Not yet anyway. It might rise to a 4.. but more time needs to pass before I can say that. It's the first time I've listened to her whole album, and for that, it's a good discovery. Takeaway - listen to the whole before making up your mind. Like, LISTEN.

# Playlist track - Everything is Everything # Notes - Cool listen, but not really my thing. - Half the album is just OK, but there are a few great songs. Not enough for a great album, tho.

Classic...do work that thing still makes me wanna be revolutionary

I liked it. Holds up as modern sounding, I find some of the cliche background yo's and uhhuh's irritating but this album prob was in the pioneer phase before that became annoying. I like the funk and reggae attributes, and the education sketches. Also while I loathe religious indoctrination I find it endearing when themes and parables are wielded to communicate actual just and righteous values. That is a strong undertone in reggae and feels almost unique in hiphop/rnb vs some simp for tradition type invocation that are obvs hollow and immediately contradicted. I was surprised by the can't take my eyes off you cover and really enjoyed that. The title track underwhelmed and the really slow nothing even matters kind of sucked. But I don't want to be negative, I came away liking Lauryn hill a lot more instead of perceiving as a trendy cover artist hack which fugees killing me softly made me feel even tho it's also great.

Such an amazing talent! This album is so well put together and diverse. Her ability to navigate between singing and rapping is unmatched. “To Zion” with Santana is amazing. The harp in the Doors tribute “superstar” is amazing. For 1998 this is hard to believe. The basis for so much in the hip hop/soul/now-soul world. My first 5 star album!

A couple of great songs, the rest is fine.

High 3

I really liked this album. Also has a song that Drake samples

Not my thing, but it was huge for a while. . .

She has a good voice and range but I didn't listen to the Rap style songs. So I'd only like about 1/2 the songs she sang.

Knew little bits of this but good to hear the whole thing. She's definitely very talented but truthfully I only really liked a couple of the tracks.

Loved that it was melodic and mellow, but overall not my cup of tea.

Listened to half of this in the car driving up a rainy motorway and the second half walking through a park in the sunshine. Surprisingly enough my impression of the album shifted dramatically to the positive. I was finding it a bit boring but it perked up. Or maybe I did.

It was good, my favorite was Doo Wop.

A couple of good R&B songs.

Enjoyed the music I was familiar with you. Too many intros popular of 90s hip hop.

Repetitive (uhn), rhythmic (uhn) meanderings (uhn, uhn-uhn), interspersed with appeals to God (God) and phrases interrupted (uhn) with random uhn’s (uhn) and words repeated (repeated) for lack of syllables (bals). Gets tired quickly.

I do not understand. Miseducated.

Um, yeah. I was kind of excited to listen to this record, I never really did, and I know there are people who love it. It didn't live up to the billing in my brain. There are a lot of hip-hop acts that I prefer to this. It's not bad, just not my cup of tea.

A truly marvellous album, some really original songs both very listenable and very danceable. Good use of sampling and testimony to how good a singer Lauryn Hill is. Forgive Them Father, ZIon, Doo Wop, Ex-Factor are all highlights

Great voice but not as good as the fugees By a long way

wenigstens kein autotune

Great Hip hop album, maybe the most important by a female musician

beautiful production. impeccable vocal arrangements. lyrically brilliant too... some of the rap could be better but overall this is so good!!! theres something so creative about it that i cant pinpoint. great listen

Pretty good

Pretty good album. Love the layered vocals throughout. “In Zion” is a fantastic Christmas song. Did Missy Elilott ever get called out for cribbing “Lost Ones” so extensively in “Work It”. Last third/quarter of the album is pretty forgettable. Maybe would have been a stronger album if she’d cut the last three tracks.

Not my music.

The album nicely reflects nostalgia, from the scenes in the classroom to the reflection on the past as an adult. The occasional woodwind was refreshing. That said, the love songs did nothing for me, and the overwhelming religious moralism was a big turn off.

Bello!

This is a good album, but unfortunately it's just not my style of music. Doo Wop is great though. The guy who keeps chatting throughout the album, however, is not. Sad to only give it 3 stars, but again, it just isn't my type of music :(

Really enjoyed listening to this one. Great varying grooves from Neo Soul to Reggae to Rap. Just as good a singing voice as MC. My favorites are To Zion, Doo Wop, and Everything Is Everything.

Good beats and fun songs. I just don’t really like hip hop anymore.

solid album ! can't believe i never listened to it front to end before standout songs for me: - lost ones: amazing - ex-factor: drake samples this - doo wop has same cadence/rap style as the fugees, love it - nothing even matters ft d'angelo so cute - can't take my eyes off of you (cover but she did great, and it was also covered again in 10 things i hate about you heath leger bleachers scene) - tell him also so cute

2.5 Fine album, little long

Standouts: Doo Wop (That Thing), Everything is Everything, 3.5

Obviously an iconic album, weaves a lot of influences together and you can tell a lot of it is very personal to Ms. Lauryn Hill. Not my usual thing, but I enjoyed it and it's definitely worthy of it's status.

This is an album that I've heard of for years, it is certainly renowned. But if I've heard anything from it, I don't know it. Wikipedia says "neo soul and R&B album with some songs based in hip hop soul and reggae". I went into this cautiously optimistic. First song is totally hip-hop, meh. The more soul songs are pretty good. The more hip-hop, the less I like it. Lyrics like "So I keep makin' the street's ballads / While you lookin' for dressin' to go with your tossed salad"?? That's just dumb. There's a lot of spoken interludes between songs, but I find them more distracting than adding to the experience. And I frequently found myself wishing the songs were around 4 minutes long vs 5-6. I have nothing against long songs, as long as there's a point. These don't really hold up to the length (IMHO). “Doo Wop” is a high point, the hip-hop singing is offset by the solid musical groove. Then we move to “Superstar”, which leaves me cold. really cold. And so on. The more soul songs are better, the more hip-hop, not so much. There’s several songs that are pretty good for the genre, though, I can understand why it was popular, without loving it. Solid 3.

Nicht mein Fall - ok aber nicht gut.

While this is a good album I've always felt that it is way overrated. Lots of people put this album in the conversation of "best hip hop album of all time" and I just don't see it.

Yeah was nice, I have never listened to it before. Some enjoyable songs on it for sure.

- Das Album taucht in jeder Topliste Immer relativ weit oben auf, auf meiner eigenen Topliste leider nicht - Ich kannte zwei Songs, der Rest war mir gänzlich unbekannt - Ich finds nicht schlecht, ist wiedermal gut gemachter R&B und Lauryn Hill ist durch den Wechsel zwischen Gesang und Rap auch sehr variabel. - Leider kann ich abseits dessen noch nicht komplett nachvollziehen, was das Album jetzt von jedem anderen 2000er R&B Album unterscheidet - Was irgendwie cool ist und ich mir erstaunlich gern gehört habe, sind die Skits, die scheinbar in einem Klassenraum aufgenommen wurden und immer wieder am Ende einiger Songs eingestreut werden. Es handelt sich um ein langes authentisches Gespräch zwischen dem Lehrer und der Klasse über das Thema Liebe. - Insgesamt cool und gut gemacht, aber einfach nicht so mein Geschmack. Rating: 2,5/5

- Bestimmt Pionierstatus in der Hip-Hop Szene, vor allem für weibliche Künstlerinnen - coole Mischung aus RnB, Hip-Hop, Soul und Funk. Sehr einheitlich im Stil, aber dadurch für mich persönlich etwas langweilig (da kein Fan von den Genres) - Schöne markante Stimme und auch die Idee des Konzept-Albums ist sehr nett. - Im Großen und Ganzen aber relativ unbeeindruckend 2,75/5

- Fand ich ganz moody eigentlich, viele nice Beats dabei - 2-3/4 der Zeit hätten allerdings auch gereicht

This was fine.

Good album, would be great with less of the talking between tracks, I get why it's there, but it's not for me, and it could lose at least 4/5 tracks to be a bit more focused, but Lauryn is such a talented artist.

A bit underwhelming

maybe because I've been getting a bunch of hip hop albums and I don't like hip hop one bit, this was not that impressive to me. wouldn't call it bad either but I don't think I would've gone crazy for it when it was released and I'm even less likely to be crazy about it now. the concept and its execution is cool though, I'll give it that

Naja nicht so mein Ding.

meh...

great voice - wonderful lyrics. not my style but glad to hear it

It was ok

Classic

Very enjoyable. For some reason never really loved Lauryn Hill before but this was great.

Nice voice, but nothing really interesting.

Kendte mere end forventede, og det var slet ikke så kedeligt.

Jeg huskede det her album som bedre. Det har stadig nogle fantastiske sange, men også for meget fyld. Særligt de mange interludes mellem sangene får det til at virke langt og meget 90er agtigt.

One of the smoothest albums ever made. Never get tired of this.

Modern Masterpiece. I understand why Lauryn Hill only has one album. BECAUSE YOU CANT TOP THIS ALBUM

amazing, the back half gets a little slow for me but still great

Probably a 3.5 more than a 3, but she doesn’t get the benefit of rounding up because she’s such a goober.

This album ... it's one of three that define my misspent youth. "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" might as well be "The Miseducation" of any 90s kid like myself whose high school soundtrack was the Fugees, The Pharsyde, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg (before he dropped the Doggy), De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, 2Pac, Biggie, Outkast, Naughty By Nature, Warren G. and Nate Dogg, Souls of Mischief, the Beastie Boys, and on ... and on ... and on. There's a reason they call it the Golden Age of rap. Us 90s kids, we lived through the late 60s and early 70s of rock when it comes to hip-hop. And that doesn't even include the early-90s grunge shit. Please tell me there's a more important era in modern pop music. I'll fight you. The universe, for whatever reason, aligned to create so much incredible art that we're still trying to make sense of it all. That this album is 25 years old, shit ... it doesn't feel that old. Lauryn Hill is in the same class as Tracy Chapman. I show my kids videos of her on YouTube in her prime ... just like Tracy. The power of those voices is spine tingling. It's not the same as when I saw her this year on tour ... not even close to seeing her twice on the original "Miseducation" tour when Outkast opened at Mammoth or The Roots opened at Fiddler's ... but goddamn, Lauryn Hill, thank you for coming into my life. Thank you for soundtracking every meaningful moment of my teenage years. Shit, thank you for "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit." You are the X Factor ... not the Ex-Factor ... and I will remain true to you forever.

Wouldn’t typically be a genre I like and I would probably nag about its duration… but I love this one sooo much! It might be one of my favorite records from that period. [0145/1001]

Man is this ever overrated. I do like Doo-Wop but I expected better. I remember everyone fawning over this album when I was a kid. She was easily the highlight of The Fugees but this didn't excite me much at all aside from a song that I've heard many, many times over the years. The big hit was a big hit for a reason but overall I'm baffled as to why this was so special.

Pude relacionar quién era Lauryn Hill luego de escuchar The Fugees, banda que ubicaba sólo por alguna que otra de sus canciones. El disco va pasando por varios estados (más introspectivos, más festivos), pero algo se mantiene: la voz emotiva de Lauryn Hill, que rapea sin perder su gracia. Todo muy bien

Top Album.

Superb lyricist and rapper. I find myself full of joy and energized whem hearing .

Bra album.

Quite enjoyed this, very chill hip hop/r+b kinda stuff. Unsure if I recognised any of it.

Every R&B artist today is trying to make this album

This album is simply beautiful. R&B/hiphop soul at its purest.

always number one

Overrated but ok

Mucha duración y, en general, aburrido.

spiritual experience

einige Stücke mit schnellen präzisen Rap und vollem Bass - tolles Album.

Hip Hop von seiner besten Seite, durchzogen mit Lieder die mir zu sehr im Soul zuhause sind.

It has a beat you can dance to. doo wop is one of my fav all time grooves, but the rest of the album for me doesn't reach that level. In any case, 3.5 isn't available so going with 4.

Lauryn Hill walked into Hip Hop right after we lost Biggie and Tupac. She soothed a lot of hurt with her gorgeous voice from another time. She earned every accolade assigned to her. I’m not a fan of this album, or Lauryn Hill, but her mark is undeniable.

I like a couple of the tracks. Not my style.

Like many, the interstitials didn't feel entirely necessary from a casual listening standpoint, BUT, when considered as a whole work of art, it does ground, frame, and contextualize the album. I can't get Doo Wop (That Thing) out of my head, which is a problem I haven't had since this was in regular radio rotation. I appreciate the variety of instrumentalizations and style incorporated in the album while still managing to seem cohesive. It was a very enjoyable listening day having this on loop. It was amusing to have this come up two days after Alice Cooper's School's out, with both using the school desk motif for the album covers. I wonder if that was accidental or intentional on Ms. Hill's team's part.

Great album all the way through. Don't think there's a bad song on here.

I remember this album being huge when I was in college when it was released. Doo Wop (That Thing) was everywhere, and rightly so, it’s a five star song. The rest of the album is pretty good, but nothing else really grabbed me.

This album was everywhere back in 98, I remember having discussions about it in an African American theatre class I was in, the controversy about how it was embraced by non-black listeners and Lauryn Hill’s conflicted feelings about that. I obviously can’t relate to everything on here, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get anything from it, it’s a gorgeous record, very worthy of this list.

Really good and really long. I feel like, if you cut this album in half and just took the best half: 5 stars easy.

2,5

Decent album. Could've done without the little speaking bits. I know they tie into the album in some way, but it wasn't my favorite.

Album 302 of 1001 Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Rating : 4 / 5 Good album. Not my favorite genre. Well produced. I remember seeing it at the top of the charts and winning awards back in its day and always intended to listen. Glad I did. Probably one that deserves a closer look at the lyrics. Could be up for another listen. I enjoyed it.

One song on here that I love (Ex Factor). The rest were fine but didn’t really do anything for me.

After the break-up of Fugees, Lauryn Hill started a solo career. When we look back on the past twenty-five years we unfortunately have to conclude that Lauryn Hill's career has not become what was expected at the time. Despite the fact that Ms Hill ultimately only released two albums, she did have a great influence on a whole generation of young musicians. Which makes sense because The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is a really great album. With sixteen tracks and more than 45 minutes of music and a few skits that unlike on many other rap and R&B albums do not have to be suffered through, it is quite an ambitious album. This is not only because of the playing time, but also because of the colorful mix of styles, the high-quality songs and the versatile singing and rap of the American musician. Lauryn Hill takes on soul, R&B, hip-hop, rap, folk, gospel, reggae, funk and pop and cleverly blends all these styles together. This album, produced by Lauryn Hill herself, still sounds fantastic 25 years later, partly because Lauryn Hill was way ahead of her time in 1998 and partly because the music on The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is surprisingly timeless.

Very nostalgic. Owned the East for female rappers. Excellent blend of hip hop and soul

loved it!

Classic, and listened to it many times at the time.

Pretty solid album. Some misses but overall has good vibes.

Not my jam, but didn't hate it.

started out solid, better then expected. But by the end (last 3 or so songs) it was nails on a chalkboard.

Solid, if not completely my vibe.

Hay géneros que son de una época y en la segunda mitad de la década de los 90 apareció una forma de rap que es de ese tiempo. Un sonido que escuchado ahora suena raro. Eso es lo que le ocurre a este disco. Salió como un producto para ser vendido, así que tenía que llegar a mucha gente y se ha quedado en un producto que ahora no acaba de funcionar. Y es una lástima, porque Hill tiene una voz maravillosa que usa muy bien. Tiene una interpretación extraordinaria y, supongo, de no haber tenido que compartir listas con Whitney Houston hubiese sido una gran cantante de soul. Un disco totalmente prescindible.

The world needed more from Lauryn

I thought there were examples of good lyrics and some genuinely catchy hooks (Doo Wop and Everything is Everything stick out), but the melody and songwriting just don't do anything for me. Vocal runs for days though.

Favorite track: Forgive them Father

Zvucale su pjesme dosta emotivne pa sam procitao opis albuma malo. Zaboravio skroz da je bila dio Fugeesa ona. Najbolje pjesme: 1. Doo Wop (That Thing) 2. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You (I Love You Baby) 3. Tell Him 4. Forgive Them Father Ne znam objasniti, ali pjesme same po sebi ne bih slusao ovako (osim par njih), ali ovako u albumu su skroz dobre.

Nice and calm album, positive vibes

Three great songs, the rest is ok. 3.5

this is not that much for me, some songs can be quite slow, and some productions could benefit from being like truly jazzier and free, she's a great vocalist tho

Fresh and cool!

Great to see more female artists in the list! Great album with a beautiful voice and message. There are a lot of influences you can hear in the music - gospel, hip hop, even some reggae. Such a strong message that has endured the decades.

Pretty OK to be fair. Way outside of my wheelhouse, but I actually enjoyed the little skits throughout it, which I often find unbearable. Lauren also has a very rich voice, that you feel could handle much bigger vocals than she's offered here. That Thing is a big old blast of nostalgia. Ultimately, it felt a touch samey and went on twice as long as I'd like, but it gets a three, which is probably more than I thought I'd give it.

No sir, didn't like it.

❤️

Love Lauryn!

i honestly have always had a love for 90s rnb and rap just amazing so of course i know lauryn hill. music used to be amazing. and this genre has had a great influence on todays rnb. she has such a beautiful voice which makes this album very enjoyable. i don't have a standout song i really enjoyed them all equally. however i love the song with mary j blige. overall very solid album. i don't really have much else to say.

I love her voice and love so many aspects of several of these songs. I’ve pulled several for playlists recently. But while I can appreciate the artistry of rapping (or hip hop or however the spoken word aspect is described), it doesn’t connect with me. Recently my wife read Catcher in the Rye, one of my favorite books for many years. She said she appreciated the writing, thought it was well written and that the characters definitely felt “real”. But, ultimately, she just didn’t like it. I feel similarly about many of the tracks here. I appreciate them, but don’t care to listen repeatedly. But the ones I like, I really, really like.

The first song, Lost Ones, was annoying, and the album ran out of steam at the end; didn't like the cover of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. The rest was pretty decent stuff especially considering I'm not an R&B/hip-hop guy, though the incessant "yo, yo, yo" did get on my nerves. I also thought the interspersing of the kids talking about what they think love is was pretty cool and interesting.

It helps to get an album you grew up with to start things out. It's a masterpiece but I'm glad I wasn't old enough to blow money on her concert tickets these days, at least DOOM sent Bots. 4.5/5

I like Lauryn Hill but the album is still average..

incredible

Good soul music but not really my taste

My son assures me this is a major, classic hip-hop album. I had never heard it before, yes I guess I’m a troglodyte, so I was expecting something special. Even though it’s not my favourite type of music, I can still appreciate work well done. This just doesn’t come close at living up to the hype for me at all. Very disappointing really. It just didn’t connect with me one iota.

Like it

Classic

Good beats and a very good voice. Just not for me

Thoughts before listening: This album came out when I was in high school...and it was huge. It's still huge, at least from a critical standpoint. I've never actually known anyone that would list this as one of their favorite albums yet its consistently at the top of best of the 90s lists. Maybe my friends and I aren't the target demographic. For me, I've never listened to this although I certainly know the hits, especially "Doo Woo That Thing" which is a perfectly fine late-90s neo soul hit. In general though I prefer Lauryn Hill's work with the Fugees. Review: I really like Lauryn Hill's overall vibe and her skills as both a singer and rapper, but I still don't see why this album has so much hype. I'm not hearing much here that sets this apart from her 90s R&B contemporaries like Mary J Blige, Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, etc. In fact I'd say those others have more memorable hits, and although "Doo Wop..." and "Ex Factor" are both great songs, I still consider "Killing Me Softly" from the Fugees to be the quintessential Lauryn Hill song. This is a 3-star album.

Already on my rotation, love this album

Bought this when it was released and loved it from day one.amazing album, amazing artist.

First time listening to it, but have heard so much about it. And you can instantly see the appeal and hype. A very strong album from start to finish, one that'll I'll be revisiting.

Amazing. A tonal shift from the misogyny of Ice Cube. Talk about genuine heart. Lauryn Hill is one of those legendary figures in the rap and music industry that had a significant impact on so many artists nowadays. Some amazing singing chops on this album. F. Song: Ex-Factor

Demasiado black, hip hop, no me ha gustado, no lo he terminado de escuchar

I’d give this a 3 for my personal listening pleasure.

Surprisingly enjoyed this more then I thought I would, laid back but a great voice

duplicate

masterpiece

Enjoyed this, she is a great singer and rapper and it's very easy to listen to, I nodded along for the duration. Too long to be 5* though, it's not enough content for the running time

ya, ya... ya.

5 stars no skips

4.5/5. One of the most complete hip hop albums of all time, a tour de force in the industry.

All time classic. One of the best hip hop albums ever.

She is obviously very talented, but the combination of 90s "ballads" and hip hop are not really my thing

Picture the scene. It's 1997 and you've risen to superstardom as the MVP of your group Fugees, enjoying a bucketload of hits and two Grammys with the runaway success of your second album "The Score." Where do you go next? Well, within a year Lauryn Hill had disbanded the group, had a child with Bob Marley's son, and crafted a mighty concept album about love, family and fame (with a few diss tracks against former Fugee and lover Wyclef Jean for good measure). "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" remains her only solo album, leaving her reputation intact as one of the most acclaimed hip-hop artists of all time. For any hip-hop sceptics or newbies out there, this album heralds the most accessible side of the genre in a seamless crossover with neo-soul. To my ears, it brings out the best of both styles: livelier and wittier than your average neo-soul record, and sweeter and more melodic than your average hip-hop record. It may be lengthy and unwieldy at 78 minutes, with a bit of a lull from "When It Hurts So Bad" to "Forgive Them Father", but many hits deserve to be singled out here. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" is an invigorating burst of energy; "Superstar" is hazy and dreamlike with a surprising Doors interpolation; "Every Ghetto, Every City" boasts a funky clavinet line, in a hugely satisfying callback to Stevie Wonder. And there's a glorious cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", calling to mind some of Fugees' more audacious covers in "The Score". There are plenty of more rap-heavy tracks, but they still bear a stunning musicality: Hill's rhymes are impeccable, her delivery often breathtaking. Listen to the rapid-fire fieriness of "Lost Ones", or the verses of "Final Hour" when all instruments drop except vocals and drums, or the … they're all essential moments on the album. And even the skits between songs - politician Ras Baraka in character as a teacher, improvising lessons on the concept of love with a group of children - are charming, sincere and actually funny, which is a rare feat in itself. Finally, there's a set of lush, sweeping and majestic songs. "Nothing Even Matters" is a gorgeous slow jam featuring D'Angelo and some lovely reverse-delayed guitar ornamentation: it swept me off my feet. "Tell Him" is a nice hidden closer, with its velvet layered harmonies backed by delicate acoustic guitar. And "To Zion", featuring fluid playing from Carlos Santana, bottles up Lauryn Hill's conflict between following her career or having a child. Her admission - "instead I chose to use my heart" - captures the central position of the album, and perhaps her life ever since.

One of the best albums of all time, imo.

A classic. Not totally my kind of music but she is awesome.

Outstanding album. Lauren Hill is equally great as a singer and a rapper, and the album is full of some deeper level shit that you dont get everywhere else. 5/5

Love this album

3.5

ITS THE TIKTOK SOUND ("How can I explain myself?"). Generally enjoyed. Fun hip-hop and reggae exploration. Pioneering for the time, I'm sure, but probably not one I'll be putting on my playlists

Overrated by far.

Truly one of my favorite albums of all time. Brought me right back to middle school.

na ja, geht so

Lost Ones, Ex-Factor -- want to pass to next generation

She got a lot to say. Easy vibe. Obvious talent.

this is a hard listen for me. Not my thing. 1/5

Forgive me father was okay and slightly enjoyable. Everything else… nope

This was a very beautiful experience, reminded me of the recent Mr. morale & the Big Steppers by Kendrick Lamar. It's very personal and has very intimate personal accounts of love, self acceptance and growth. The interesting incorporation of live audience input brings a level of innocence and genuine human connection. Definitely a beautiful album

I enjoyed this album—I liked the skits (I thought they were fun, but then again, I’m a teacher, so it was kind of up my alley), I thought her synthesis of hip hop and soul was well executed, and I liked the woman-focused perspective. Just based off of listening experience alone, I would have given it 4/5 stars. The reason it’s getting 5/5 is that after reading about its legacy, you cannot deny the profundity of its impact. So many amazing artists have cited it as an influence, she uplifted women through rap, she introduced vulnerability to hip hop. The album earns that extra star off of its sheer importance—it really seems to have been a pioneering record.

I won't write a long review 'cos I was late checking out today's album. Just like Ms. Hill is late for half of her shows, I might be tempted to add rather unkindly. ;) I pushed the "like" button for both the 5/5 and 1/5 reviews currently topping this section. Honestly, the first one is a beautiful, vivid memory of a personal connection with the album, and I "felt" what fans of it could feel if it's played at the right moment for them. And the second encapsulates in one harsh sentence my own personal gripes with the record: not enough memorable earworms for an album with such a "reputation", and mostly demonstrative vocal shenanigans that rarely build up into a truly exciting experience. I love Fugees' *The Score*, it's one of my favourite rap albums of all time. But *The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill" doesn't work for me. I don't know if it's because Ms. Hill's reach as a soul singer exceeds her real grasp (she certainly has wonderful skills overall... but are those up to the task of what the singer aims at doing here, i.e. crafting a "classic" soul record worthy of her peers in the past?). Or if it's because my inability to fully appreciate the record stems from the quality of the compositions per se. Those have a lot of interchangeable moments, which only seem to serve as a pretext for the extreme "performative" aspect of Lauryn's Hill's vocal contributions in that "neo-soul" mode. And it reaaaaaally feels like I would at leasy like the album a little if Ms. Hill rapped more on it, instead of singing. One thing struck me that hasn't struck me before as I tried listening to this album again, though. Those catchy quavers played on piano in "Doo Wop"' sound *very* close to the ones used by Dr. Dré in his hit "Still D.R.E.", out *a year* AFTER Lauryn Hill's single was released. A way to state that the production on this record was still "on point" and even sometimes relevant for the times, and that I'm not gonna deny its groundbreaking aspects for hip hop at large. I only wish the whole thing was not as "self-indlugent" and lengthy as it is. I understand the need for Hill to look at herself in the mirror as she probes her soul. But if you do it for too long, you risk coming off as vain and disconnected from real life. It's a tricky balance for sure. Hence why I still respect what the artist attempts to do here, even if it's clearly not for me. 3/5 for the purposes of what my subjective version of this list of "essential albums" might be. Which translates to a 8/10 grade for more "objective" and general purposes (5+3) Number of albums left to review: 324 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 302 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 166 (including this one, even if I doubt there will be room left for it) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 218

Listened back in 2019. One of Alison N’s fav albums - I thought it was solid and would save.

3+ Stars (9/15)

Hill's voice is authoritative as it ever has been and cements her position as one of the great voices of the time. The album could do without the skits. Those are interesting only the first time you hear it. After that, it would be better if the music spoke for itself.

Enjoyable and great history of the Genre. but overall I found myself distracted by other things

Genius

I liked a couple songs, but mostly the songs lost me and I realized I wasnt listening fully.

Meh? Liked some beats.

Expected I'd like this better than I did. Every Ghetto, Every City was the track I enjoyed the most if I picked one.

Nettes R&B Album mit ein paar bekannten Liedern

I can understand the hype.

Not my style of music

The sound I associate with late 90s - early 00s rap and R&B. I don't like the music, so the lyrics are hard to listen to.

Ex-Factor sample recognized from Drake, Nice for What

Great new to me album!

Just awful. Couldn’t end soon enough

she is the best

Not my preferred type of music, but I’m sensing a really clear perspective or sensibility that she might have had while writing this. Nothing is grating, it all feels very cohesive, and each song has an impact on me (again, even though I’m not a huge fan of this music genre/style).

I know I’ve listened to this album before, but I don’t remember what made me seek it out. It’s probably been at least five years since then, and this is my first time revisiting it. I was 13 when this album came out, heading in to my eighth-grade year, and even though it was everywhere at the time, it was only a blip on the radar for me. For starters, any music released by a black artist after 1990, was considered rap by my parents, and if my parents had caught me listening to any rap music or anything rap adjacent, I feel certain they would have shipped me off to a religious boarding school. Even if my parents would have let me listen to music like this, I didn’t like R&B as a teenager. However, I do remember hearing “Doo Wop (That Thing)” when this album came out; I’m not sure if I heard it on the bus, or if it got some play on the local Clear Channel adult contemporary station in my hometown (did every city have one of those ‘Mix’ stations in the nineties?), but it’s the only song on this album that I know fairly well. Still to this day, this album isn’t the sort of thing that I typically gravitate towards. However, I do think it’s pretty much a masterpiece. The overall sound of the album is nothing short of incredible. It’s intricately arranged and well produced, but the album doesn’t sound over produced, and the richness of its sound can still be felt in every song. There are so many awesome details of instrumentation sprinkled throughout the album too: horns, organs, strings, and woodwinds. It’s almost tough to notice these little details though, because the whole of the sound is greater than the parts. But when you seek out those parts, they outweigh the whole. The bass guitar on Ex Factor, and Carlos Santana’s guitar playing on To Zion are outstanding as well. Vocally, there’s nothing that Lauryn Hill can’t do. She raps with delicate force and purpose, but she can still sing beautifully too. The backing vocals throughout the album are fantastic and perfectly placed as well. I absolutely love the way that Lauryn raps the word ‘champion’ on “Lost Ones,” and the way she sings ‘reciprocity’ on “Ex Factor”. Like the musical arrangements, the details in the vocals are fantastic too. I love the lyrics on this album too. The subject matter covers betrayal and regret, choosing to keep an unplanned pregnancy, lost love, and issues that affect black communities. No matter the subject, each topic is sung about a certain finesse and poetry that add to the album’s beautiful sound. The way that the line ‘See, no one loves you more than me and no one ever will,’ changes to ’Cause no one’s hurt me more than you, and no one ever will’ on “Ex Factor” is brutal, but somehow never makes the song feel any less delicate. This album is fantastic from start to finish, and as one of the objectively best albums of the nineties, it more than earns its place on this list. It's incredible to me that Lauryn Hill made one of the biggest albums of all time, and then said “that’s the only solo album you’re going to get from me,” and she’s stuck by that decision. It may go down in music history as one of the boldest and bravest decisions an artist has ever made.

A few banger tracks and consistently amazing vocals. The interludes are tedious and some tracks didn't hit me.

queen

Would be 5 if not for the insane amount of skits lol

Banger

it’s very good but i was a little disappointed because i expected it to be near perfect with its reputation. that’s my fault though and it’s still a great album

10/10 Iconico

Not great driving music. Decent office background music.

Wow.

Very good and knew a lot more songs than I thought I would

Couple of bangers pushes this to a 4

Not bad.

Great!

done

I listen to this at least once per month

Enjoyed this album.

Great all the way through. Quintessential 90s hip /hop / r&b

I do not like contemporary R'n'B genre

banger, lots of good tracks

Fantastic album. Gem after gem, no weak tracks, everything stands alone as a great composition. Shame she's a tax-dodging cunt, but that takes nothing away from this beautiful album.

Love her voice. The album isn't somewhat amazing, but definitely cool

Stephen met 5 aussi c'est validé

The Perfect Example of an Album with Sing and Rap Balance. Perfect Ratio and so influential. So Many great Songs! Definetely an 5 Star Albm for my Ears and Skin at least. Timeless Play

Nice experience. Never gave it a lot of time when it came out. Added a few songs. 3.75/5

Shallow hip hop without any extraordinary or memorable titles. The only track that saves the album from absolute average is "Doo Wop (That Thing)".

Quite boring. Very repetitive and monotone; nothing really stood out. This album is too long to not have anything worth listening too. I was waiting for it to end nearly the entire time. The self-titled track is the best on the album.

Listened to this after Apple Music named this it's #1 album ever and the controversy that ensued. This may have set the bar too high for this listening experience. Album has some absolute bangers and a lot of songs that don't compare.

Gosh. I don’t even know what to say to sum up how I feel. I didn’t like the vignettes, but some of the songs grew on me on a second listen. I liked the hit That Thing and would give that 5 stars. Idk I like the MTV Unplugged 2.0 more actually.

A record of serious soul and personal consciousness that also swings sweetly and amply entertains. It is well judged and exquisitely produced. Consider the groovy yet tasteful and highly pleasurable take on "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and the lush and melancholic closer "Tell Him," when it seems an anti-climax is inevitable – and how could it not be, given all the embarrassment of riches that's preceded. There are thoughtful and highly effective grace notes throughout – Santana's flamenco playing on "Zion;" the brief a capella harmonizing on "Doo Wop," the appropriately Doors-y keys on "Superstar;" the little Kung Fu shout-out / sound effect on "Every Ghetto;" the dreamy/otherworldly synth and organ on the late-arriving title cut. Indeed, the keyboard touches are a consistent delight. MJ Blige and D'Angelo add value and texture. Top-class cuts come thick and fast– "Lost Ones," "Used to Love Him," "Final Hours." It is perhaps a touch long (like so many records of this era) but is/was fully deserving of all the accolades – every single one. What a voice. What a vocalist. What a record.

Not really my favorite type of music. Has some high points. The singles are pretty undeniable in their appeal. This album feels 30-45 minutes too long for largely having the same feel all throughout.

Good album will listen to more.

classic. love it or hate it, it undeniably deserves to be in here, you have to hear it at least once. beautiful singing, great themes (apart from religion, idrc.) and good rapping, it’s a shame she doesn’t drop new music anymore. very solid hip-hop/r&b album 4/5

I liked it but it’s way too long and those 2000s style hip hop “skits” or interludes ruin the flow and make re listening a chore

Not really my thing, but way better than expected.

Not my style