Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Cool
hino
Not liking the Fugees that much I have never listened to the album, apart from the DooWop single which was hard to escape at the time. I was pleasantly surprised by this - I love the loose rambling feel.
its been too long of a wait for me to begin listening to lauryn hill. completely understood why she is so highly valued as an artist
Great concept album! Love how each song was made by Ms. Hill. Really cool chill album.
pretty great
I enjoy this album, but there's something I can't really put my finger on that stop it from being a 5 star for me. Maybe it's just too long. I also feel like Lauren comes off as quite preachy in a few songs, which makes a lot more sense when you learn a bit more about her. Still though, some fantastic songs and great performances on here.
Amazing recording and production; this album sounds like a top tier Motown band live in the studio with Lauryn Hill - the deep grooves of the bass, funky Stevie Wonder-sounding clavinets, the tight swing of the drums, and the soulful horns throughout build an incredible platform for her vocals - precisely rapped verses weaving together personal stories, sociological observation, and political critique - her delivery slides between rapping and singing as melodies seem to emerge out of nowhere. Other songs have a more PC-built beat feel, with classic 90s production, turntable scratches, and looped samples - good, but not as timeless or distinctive as the more neo-soul stuff. Her voice is a bit nasal and limited to a mid-high range, but has great expressive vibrato that wraps around the backing vocalists and her own overdubs to create a poly-vocal harmonic gospel choir sound. Nice Bob Marley Burning reference on the cover.
Definitely outside of what I would normally listen to. I didn't even know who Lauryn Hill was. I liked it though - kind of a down tempo R&B album with rap and soul singers.
Pretty good album. Lauren's voice is superb. I feel like the album tries to do a little too much. The song with Santana is a little out of place.
3.5. I didn't mind it, but I never saw it as a ground-breaking thing. However, it was pretty alright
Good album overall, I really enjoyed the classroom bits and hearing the kids talk about love in between songs. It's also very apparent how influential this album was for other rappers which is cool to hear.
Fun R & B album, I like the classroom interludes. Favorite tracks were Ex-Factor and Final Hour
Definitely will listen to again. Knew a few; mostly not though. Great for background of a busy edit day. Chill AF. Great voice.
Not a bad track on the album
Excellent introduction to her
Probably 4 1/2 stars. Not my general style but a heap of songs on the album and most are quality
Great pick
Shockingly impressed and entertained throughout
Have it.
A timeless, soulful album with amazing tracks littered throughout
Brilliant record. She could have been bigger than…very big things.
One of the greatest R&B and hip-hop albums of all time, Hill is a master of lyricism and melody Favorite tracks: Ex-Factor; Final Hour; When It Hurts So Bad.
Loved this album in high school! She has such a great voice, it's a pleasure to listen to it.
Solid album. A few great songs broken up by boring interludes
Solid
Seamless production, tracks move effortlessly into each other, strong lyrically and musically.
Ik had dit album in m'n hoofd bij de vijf sterren albums geplaatst, maar nu ik hem weer eens luister valt ie toch een heel klein beetje tegen. Iets aan de lange kant en veel meer rnb-zanglijntjes dan hiphop. In m'n hoofd was die verhouding anders. Ik mis ome Wyclef meer dan gedacht op dit album. De skits op dit album zijn wel minder storend dan normaal en passen echt lekker in het thema. Ik neig toch een beetje naar wel heel goed maar niet heel leuk.
I really like this album and it 100% deserves to be on this list. Still, I can’t give it the full five stars as I thought I would. The album has plenty of fantastic songs like To Zion or Doo Wop (That Thing), but it also has a lot of very similar R&B songs which, for as great as a singer Lauryn Hill is, just isn’t my cup if tea. I guess I just always want the rap when it comes to Lauryn, in opposition to the trajectory of her (all too short) career. All that being said, the positives far outweigh the negatives of this album. Very strong 4
Klassiker men ja glömmer alltid hur preachy hon ibland e... på sitt bästa för mig med kärlekslåtarna och de om jah är mer inconsistent... ändå 4
Probably the best female rap album ever
i found this one to be very enjoyable. definitely understand the hype and why it is so celebrated. very refreshing mix of r&b and hip hop with great production and smart lyrics. personally i could take or leave the classroom "skits" (although i get that it is part of the whole experience/artistic vision) but otherwise it was a great album that i enjoyed a lot.
look, this album is absolutely incredible and an achievement and pivotal moment in the genre. but im not enthralled in it to warrant a 5/5, its probably my gen z attention span but im not as invested in it as i wish i was. i also dont like how the interludes/skits are integrated into the songs, but at least they are some of the best interludes ever. its also a tad long. not annoyingly long. not like a certain album with a white cover. fuck you the beatles for making to me listen to an hour and a half of your music. im still angry about that. fav songs: ex factor, to zion, doo wop, i used to love him, the miseducation of lauryn hill, tell him.
Good. Heard of a couple of the songs on there before and loved hearing the rest. Equal amount of love songs and break up songs with same vibe.
a high 4, almost 5. bakit lang ba ang daming background noise things hahahahah
Listened to this a few times fairly recently and liked it more than I did the Fugees. Not sure why other than it obviously being much heavier on Lauryn Hill but I feel like it has more in the way of melody rather than pure hip hop.
Pretty cool, and holds up impressively well.
Never really appreciated how good this is when it was released, took a few years for me to catch up. Great album
I've got a soft spot for this album. I love her vocals and the attitude. The lyrics are positive and upbeat and the beats are great.
Better than I expected.
Classic album. Not something I would normally listen to, but it is good.
This is a solid album throughout. It’s got hip hop, soul, R&B, and it vibes. I don’t know if I ever listened to the whole album all the way before, but I would put this on just like the Erykah Badu album I heard earlier on in this. Just good music.
Ha sido agradable volverla a escuchar después de tanto tiempo. Venga, un 4.
Very good album.
Ms
I'm not really a rap guy. But there is some beautiful stuff in here and this girl can sing like crazy. Good beats and some nice instruments in the background too. The sudden Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You was a definite highlight, I was a big fan of that cover.
This record is beautiful. Within the context of late 90s hip-hop this record is a revelation, nuanced, personal and cerebral. But behind all of that is incredible lyrics and rapping as well. Just a phenomenal record.
Beautifully produced album. The drums are so crisp. The bass is fantastic -- low in the mix but beautifully played and adds a little funk. The arrangements feel like they have just enough in them -- nothing distracting or pulling attention away from the main focus, which is usually the vocals. Lauryn Hill has a gorgeous voice and there are a lot of great moments when she harmonizes with some sensational back-up singers. She's also an incredible rapper. I've listened to this album a number of times over the years. I'm always impressed but I think I connect to it more on a cerebral level than an emotional level. I have no doubt that other people feel differently and I can see why someone would have a strong emotional bond to this music but I appreciate it at a bit of a distance. The exception is “Doo Wop (That Thing),” which I absolutely adore. And her stellar version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” Man, a lot of people performed on this album! I'm looking at the 'personnel' section on Wikipedia and it's long. Amazing that Lauryn Hill was able to produce such a cohesive album with so many different collaborators.
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is such a storied and legendary song for me and so many groups of friends that I've had. Everyone loved this song- I'm talking complete ubiquity. This was a song that pervaded musical tastes and limitations of stubborn genre-loyalty. This was a song that I could put on a playlist for a party that my heavy metal friends were having, or on a playlist for my classical music friends at a college party, or on a playlist for a road trip with my mom and brother as a respite into modernity away from Creedence Clearwater Revival, other assorted classic rock, and ironically, doo-wop songs. The artwork is so cool and unique and is another facet of the album that has maintained a legendary foothold in the music of my life. It was on the "never remove" list on my ipod, on my first smartphone, my second smartphone and so on and so forth until streaming became a thing. In fact, when I look at it now I am brought back to being a freshman in college and looking at my new ipod touch and marveling at it. The music is killer. I love this kind of cool-to-the-bone hip hop and in this case it's a perfect platform for Lauryn Hill to sing on. The Fugees no doubt helped define that sound for her but I always gravitated more towards this record. It's crazy to me that this is her only studio album (and that The Fugees only had two). "Ex-Factor" and the title track are also strong standouts. For me this album is the best representation of a 4.9/5. It is such a part of my musical life but it's missing 2-3 more songs that are as impressive as "Doo Wop (That Thing)" for it to truly be a 5. That one stands so far above the rest. If "Killing Me Softly" was on this record then I think it would be a 5. It's so close, but just not there.
Upon second listen this album clicked a lot more with me, I was really feeling the general vibe of this one. It got a little bit weaker in the middle, but finished strong with a surprisingly good cover of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You'.
Favourite Tracks: Doo Wop (That Thing) I Used To Love Him (with Mary J. Blige) Forgive Them Father Everything Is Everything Can't Take My Eyes of You (I Love You Baby)
First properly good album we've had in a little while - I'd heard bits of this before but never listened to it from start to finish. First of all, it's one of those rare hiphop albums where the little skits between songs actually add something! Pretty unusual to have such a good singing voice and be able to rap that well too (particularly at that time), plus she can really write meaningful lyrics that flow. There's a really good variety of pace and style in there too. I think it's a 4 from me - the only thing that it's missing is a really catchy, massive hit type song (Doo Wop comes close but isn't quite catchy enough, and Ex-Factor also falls just short).
Never really listened to Lauryn Hill or Fugees, except from the 1001 album list, and so far they're really good. I liked this album.
Neo soul - still sounds great. I really loved the school interludes in this one.
Haven’t listened to this for years but enjoyed being reminded! Love the little classroom vignettes in between the main tracks
OK - plenty of surprises here. I hadn't heard this before, or so much of Lauryn Hill in the Fugees. It also coincided with the discovery of a copy of the tome of 1001 records... in a holiday house of all places. Serendipitous and the perfect surrounds for the book and this album. This is album #2; but feels a more solid start to the journey.
Never listened to a neo soul r&b album before. Don't know if i liked all of it. Really liked the beats. The zion song in particular.
Never really listened to Lauryn Hills solo music. Very good
We grew up watching Sister Act 2 and I remember the Lauryn Hill hype when this album dropped. It’s influence cannot be overstated.
This has aged well
A record that didn’t just break down barriers for women within the misogynistic world of rap, it changed things for ever. Hill was better than the boys, she was the best part of the Fugee’s. With The Education of, she showed them all who was the Queen. Education has everything, and appealed to everybody. And the singles here are pure gold. Ex-Factor, with that terrific guitar solo, Doo Wop, Everything is Everything they were on permanent rotation in the summer of 98. An important album 4.5 score as I can’t give halve on the vote.
Sticks to it's theme pretty well and has some amazing songs branching across many genres. Absolute classic 9/10
There's never been a better fusion of hip hop and R&B. The feminine soul food energies on this are impeccable. Perfect start to the weekend.
This feels a lot more conservative in its perspective than I remember. It's very Christian, which isn't necessarily a bad thing (Kanye is very Christian, and a lot of his music is still good), but I'm not actually sure if the lyrics really get introspective enough for it to work on some songs. It still sounds great, though. It's weird that it sounds so good, but the lyrics aren't hitting me as much as it did when I was younger.
Great album, her rapping is great, her singing is great. The album starts with a teacher taking attendance, she's absent from class, the skits throughout tell a story, then a song follows about it, it's a novel concept. This album was everywhere when it came out, I don't know how many times I've listened to it all the way through. It's a great album
Love the big 90s hip hop beats and Lauryn has such a good flow. A classic for sure even though there are some tracks that feel like fillers
Such a good listen the whole way through. Nothing else needs to be said. Fav Track: Final Hour 4.5/5
Better Neo-Soul than Badu, but very repetitive, and the songs are not as strong as I expected them to be given the reputation of this album.
Really good album, the full listen require certain mood. Hits are awsome and already a part of my playlists
Brilliant, I'm very surprised I haven't heard of her. Good tracks Standout Track: Ex-Factor
ci sta non penso riascolterei. comunque conosciuto
Hill’s voice is incredibly versatile which helps makes this album so interesting. It’s a long album, but it doesn’t feel like it. Standout: Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You. 4/5.
Yhup
Familiar with her biggest hits, but I never gave her albums a listen. I’m happy that I did. Very good music. I will be checking out her other albums.
a, ovo je klasik. inače nije mi još uvijek petica, ali razumijem zašto je većini.
I was all set to give this 3 as I found it a bit dull, but I've woken up this morning and Doo Wop is in my head firmly and it's great and 4 stars.
oh leuk, zeker doo wop
très bon album matinal si vous me demandez
I'm starting to realize that soul/R&B isn't really my thing, however this album was about as good as it gets for this genre. I loved the songs with her rapping, wish we had an album of just that.
Een van de beste vrouwlijke rappers allertijden.
Que buen rollo para este martes-lunes(PSP). A mí me ha encantado (LNM)
Une Lauryn Hill des plus mal éduquées qui ne va pas hésiter à mettre les pieds sur son bureau et roter à la figure du professeur. L'album se termine avec un conseil de discipline bien mérité.
Les Fugees sont tout de suite plus agréables dès qu'on les débarasse de sa tribue de mauvais rappeurs.
I remember being super into this when I first encountered it a couple decades ago. It felt gritty, honest, and organic in a way that nothing else that rubbed up against the R&B genre did at the time. I remember it being banger after banger. So I expected, when I hit play, to give this an easy 5. But memory is a flawed judge. This is not a collection of bangers. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of really solid tracks here. It's a great album. The musicality is fantastic, the lyricism is off the charts, the content is fantastic, and Lauryn is a world-class vocalist. But it's not a non-stop slapfest, is it? It ebbs and flows. And, ultimately, I think that's correct. That's what this album needs to do. The content demands it. But that also means there are more than a few moments that aren't great. It drags in places. It's dated and cheesy sometimes. It falls into some well-worn and frankly tired R&B tropes here and there. There's enough that's not great that I couldn't quite justify full marks. But it's a very high 4 for me.
This really is a very fine album. Man, Lauryn can sing with true soul.
This is a classic for a reason. It's probably my personal favourite R&B album. There are a lot of great tracks on this so I won't bother listing any. Personal Enjoyment - 8.5 Songwriting - 9 Lyrics - 8 Originality - 8.5 Production Value - 10 Artwork - 10 Overall - 8.8
Laadukas ja kaikin puolin mun makuun toimiva
An amazing record. It losses pressure towards the end, being it too long, but it has enormous highs.
I feel exactly the way I did when I rated Songs in the Key of Life. Every song is good, not sure which will stick upon more listens, wish the album were a bit shorter
Great album NOT filled with expletives, but able to convey serious themes and lyrics with awesome musicality and recording quality. New respect for Lauryn Hill after listening to this work of art. Although not my taste in general listening, this is a great album to play on a chill evening with some good speakers and a glass of whatever.4/5
A great combo of hip hop and R&B. It bounced back and forth between the two so I never felt like I got bored with it
It's pretty easy to say that the 00s era of hip-hop and RnB don't exist without this record. Shame we'll never get another one. Favorite tracks: "Doo Wop", "Lost Ones", "Every Ghetto, Every City"
Mooi album, met een paar fantastische nummers. Lauryn Hill is zeer getalenteerd, maar uiteindelijk best veel van hetzelfde.
Much like Run D.M.C. or Wu-Tang Clan, this is a highly influential album, just not to my taste.
Man this album was absolutely everywhere for awhile, but it just didn’t penetrate my lily-white suburban neighbourhood. Our loss. Glad for this chance to catch up.
Not my type of music, but great album
Love the emotion and passion of "To Zion", standout is "Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a banger, so catchy. A lot of spirituality woven implicitly and explicitly in the lyrics. Album seems to lose a bit of momentum toward the end, 76 min length could've been cut back a bit.
Such a great album. This came out right about the time I started watching MTV.
Nostalgic
Very good
Amongst a sea of big screen tvs, blunts, 40s, and b*tches dominating the scene, Lauryn Hill produced this smooth hip hop original. She wrote of love, relationships, and faith. Leaving The Fugees behind her, Ms Hill shines on this solo project. I, like many others, heard that Lauryn Hill would rather have her children starve than have white people buy her album. I had to look up if she said it since it’s been so long (she did not). It just goes to show that misinformation predates social media. The main difference is that it spreads much faster now, and back then the internet was not so prolific that one could look up if something really happened. There is a lot of really good material to take in. Doo Wop (That Thing) and Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You are the peaks. However, 77+ minutes is a very long run time, and the task of sustaining a high level for that long is tough. There were a few songs for which I lost interest, but then the album picked back up. Ms Hill’s approach is refreshing and deserves the extensive kudos it received when it came out. This is the good kind of hip hop and still sounds just as refreshing now.
This CD was on repeat in my car for at least a year after this came out. Revisiting it felt good. Best track: Doo Wop (That Thing)
Haven’t heard this for so long - was like welcoming an old friend
All I can think of when listen to Ms. Lauryn Hill is Ayva Grace Holden aka Ms. Brooklyn. Daring, brazen, and influential, she holds you in trance and you aren't quite sure if you even want to be set free. You may not know who she is, but you wish you did. She may not know who you are, but you wish she did. She, she, she— just kiss me already!
This album won so many awards and I can see why. First of all, Ms. Hill’s voice is spectacular, giving major hints of Amy Winehouse (or vice versa because Lauryn came first). Second, the story was well told and I didn't hate the little outros in the songs mimicking a classroom conversation. However, some of the beats (shoutout woofmeow) were placed a but weirdly and did not mesh with the lyrics to me. I still think this is a comfortable 4. I’d also like to add that I think I’ve been too generous to prior rap/r&b albums and would like to knock them all down a star on the record here. Rap is not my thing and I’ve been placating some of my haters who tell me I disrespect a lot of rap. At the end of the day, it’s not really my thing, and my ratings should reflect that. Therefore, this is a 4, but every other album with a similar genre should be knocked down 1 star. Oh also props to the cover on the second to last song. Frankie Valli did it better but this put an interesting spin on it.
A rap song with a female R&B singer released in late 90s/early 2000s usually gets my panties in a bunch, so when it's an entire album of that and the rapper is the same woman, my panties practically rip through my abdomen and tear me in half as if I was laid down on the deli slicer at the nearest Star Market. This is another album I already know so well. I want new music, and half the time I feel like I am just revisiting the same music I already have hours of listening logged for. Having side that, I love this album with a passion. 4/5. I haven't listened to this top to bottom in awhile, so I'm hoping something new jumps out to me. I've always gravitated towards R&B style rap, and it's why modern rap makes my ears bleed while I slowly decompose due to boredom. I always loved this album cover. I wish they had a shredded down pencil on the top tho, as if it were the carving tool of her face. That pencil is too picture-perfect. And if anyone chats s*** about the skits, they can go f*** right off! They make the album way more personal and I always really liked how they zoom out while still tying into the themes. Also, I like how it’s some kind of Love AA group.
I've definitely heard of the artist and this album, but I'm not sure if I've listened to it before. It's quite compelling. I was drawn in and stayed there. Superb sense of melody and love the way it's all put together and delivered. It's very cool how she can choose to rap, sing, or perform a mix of the two styles, and nail each approach so incredibly well. She has such great range, not just vocally, but artistically, too. This is truly a spectacular album. Wow.
A beautiful neo-Soul album with elements of hip hop and reggae. She has an amazing voice and the production sits well. The album holds together thematically. Even the school talkie bits don't annoy me. Strong 4.
captures a point in time perfectly, unique and lots of fun althogh a bit overlong. again, we didn't know how good we had it.. for some reason this album sounds like the pre-9/11 world more than any other and I love it for that and everything else
very nice album! especially the last few tracks. i might actually listen to some tracks on the regular
Really enjoyed the energy, there are several songs that I would come back to, or even just potentially put this album on in the background.
L'album è strutturato come una lezione a scuola. Molto interessante la scelta di legare le canzoni l'una alle altre, mi colpisce sempre. Molto bello, quasi 5 stelle.
So when I said to my wife that this was the album I was listening to she asked: "So when you hit play, did the music come out on time or was it a couple of hours late?" My wife, ladies and gentlemen. After listening to Erykah Badu, I was prepared for this being as good. And really, it has a lot of great tracks besides the 2 everyone knows. (My favorite is probably the duet with Mary J Blige. Two women singing at the pinnacle, wow.) A few things that took me out of the album: 1) The codas on some of the songs were really distracting. Worse, they are not separate songs so you could not skip them at first listen. You didn't know they were there until surprise! Discussions of "what is love?" 2) The D'Angelo duet I could probably have done without. The overuse of snapping there, yikes. 3) The cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You..." I don't know, it's just too... syrupy sweet. But besides those, it still is a really good to great album. It is one that makes you think and want more. You hope that one day she will come back out and say "here's a new album." But now, almost 25 years later, it would seem like that any follow-up would almost surely disappoint. But we still have this, a testament to life, and love, and music. I keep going back and forth between a four and a five. The fact that there is only the one album still somewhat vexes me. And those other points drag it down just a bit for me. It's right on the cusp, but I'm still going to give it a 4.
I've now listened to this album several times. I know it's good, couldn't decide if it was great. She can rap and she can sing - great vocals. Some good lyrics and songwriting too. She tries to reinforce a theme through the interludes, which I'm not sure are necessary but they are cute I guess. Real solid beats too, with a bunch of cool songs to bop to and not just the big singles (Lost Ones, Doo Wop (That Thing), Everything is Everything). But lesser knowns too (Superstar, I Used to Love Him, Every Ghetto Every City). And some good softer songs (Ex-Factor, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, Tell Him). But there were times when I got lost or disinterested - probably a few too many songs and definitely way too long at nearly 80 minutes. Trim the fat and maybe it would be great.
My first thought when listening to this was that this album is way too long. There were a few moments that caught my attention the first time through, and the second listen was more enjoyable. She has a great voice, and I did like most of the tracks on here. I think “Doo Wop” and “Final Hour” (ironically the most and least played tracks on Spotify respectively) were my favorites. I still stand by the statement that this would have made 2 great separate releases. I’m guessing that the album is an early victim of the “fill the 80-minute cd” mentality that plagued a lot of artists in the 90s. This feels like a 3.5 but I’ll bump it up to a 4 since the second listen was much better than the first.
4.5
that thing
Massa rapzao
Classic. Very enjoyable, maybe a bit too long. Sorry I am currently running away from a bear and can't elaborate.
I was really excited to hear this full album since I’ve obviously heard the popular stuff from it. Lauryn is fantastic at everything she slides on this album from rapping to singing. I think I enjoy the slower R&B cuts a little more than the rapping, but everything is pretty good. I think the little classroom interludes are really nice and add to the theme of it all as well. 8/10
Lauryn Hill steps out of the shadow of the Fugees and Wyclef to state that she can put together a massive monster of an album with Miseducation. My only gripe is that it goes long at an hour and seventeen minutes, but still relevant, still great. 4/5.
I didn't understand much of the dialogue, which I imagine is pretty important too. The music itself is great though; pretty diverse with a bunch of rap but also a guitar solo here and there.
Really amazing album! found it quite hard to fully get through for some reason so for that reason I'm rating it a 4. Would have been a 5 tho
Truly great album. Can't think of another woman mc that blends melody, flow, beats, storytelling so seamlessly into a single project. Only knock for me is the skits, but I can tolerate these in the context of the album compared to a lot of other rap albums with random skits that add nothing to the album story.
I listened to this album a few years ago when I went through a very short lived phase of reviewing what was new in the charts 20 years prior. At the time, I wasn’t really a fan of the album. However, I’m intrigued to give it a listen with a fresh set of ears. Songs I already knew: all of them, albeit not very well Favourites: Doo Wop (That Thing), Can’t Take My Eyes Off You I had a completely different experience listening this time, in that I really enjoyed it. It shows just how subjective music can be when the same person can have such differing opinions over a few years! I really enjoyed the songs, but it should also be mentioned that the short classroom skits also really added to the experience. It was refreshing to hear hip hop music about love and showing a softer side. Overall, I completely disagree with my past self, and would definitely recommend this album.
A heartfelt tribute to Lauren’s own thoughts regarding love and culture, brought beautifully through interesting lyrics and a neosoul aesthetic
I’ve listened to this before and I still think it’s a bit overrated. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s still very good, and there are some amazing songs on here. Album Cover: I get it but I just don’t really like it 3/5
Thought this was an excellent album at the time, a bit over-hyped perhaps, but definitely 4 star - it is one of the rare albums on 1001 from the last 25 years that you would actually expect to see included on such a list.
Very pleasant, close to full marks actually
Great stuff. To Zion is deep. Have a lot of nostalgia for this album - it takes me back to the late 90s. Couldn’t help but think throughout how I should have given The Blueprint a 4 as well for some reason. Huge regret. I will also reiterate/stand by my view that no album should be running close to 120 minutes though. Not even by the Beatles or 5ive
Beautiful and soulful hip hop
Amazing, although I did not know how much references to Christianity were gonna be there, that put me off a little bit.
the best album in a genre I don't like
The opening is really slick heavy R&B. in the middle Lauryn really opens up her rap chops. on the whole its pretty good!
up until this point, i’m pretty sure i had only ever heard two or three lauryn hill songs, but now i’m glad i’ve heard more. super talented and incredible rhythm.
CD
I adore Lauryn Hill's voice. Every time I hear one of her songs, my ears perk up. She has a lot to say on this album, but the one thing I didn't pay attention to in the past is her songs of faith. What a risk that must've been for her, hip hop, and popular music. Most artists aren't that open with their faith, and I'm sure record companies prefer to steer clear. My new favorite is Everything is Everything, I'll always love Doo Wop (That Thing), and what a great rendition of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. Solid album.
Good rb albums. With many schoolyard sessions about love that really took me out of album. Some of the instrumentals sounded the same. The last song is definitely the worst. This album supposed to be chistian so in EVERY GETTO EVER CITY she's uses the n word which gave Me the thought do they use it in church idk. She also raps alot on this album which was somewhat better then pure rb cuts but even some of them where good
No Fugeesiahan tällä jo kuunneltiinkin. Tämä selkeä jatko sille mut soolopuolelta. Smooth sailing in da waves of rap & rnb. Must paljon parempi ku fugees 4/5
Pakko arvostaa naista siitä, että onnistui lyömään läpi aika myrkyllisesti miesvaltaisessa genressä! Tässä ei olisi onnistuttu myös ilman hyviä biisejä, joten 4/5 helposti ansaittu.
8/10
Cool R&B groove
I actually liked this album a lot. It mixes soul and r&b with rap (which is my not so favourite), but does so in an interesting way. I'm surprised that I liked some of those specifically rap tracks. Good stuff. Favourite songs: Ex-Factor, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, I Used To Love Him
Top tracks: Ex-Factor, Doo Wop (That Thing), Everything Is Everything. A lot skits in between songs. 4,5/5
Nice to listen to but not one I'd go back 3/5
can it all be so simple cover is really good. holy crap it's called ex-factor and has that drake sample on there. Also just really good reinterpretations on interpolations? of classics on here. There were some doors references and others great harmonies and beautiful instrumentation on top of nice break beats. Huge emphasis on how great the actual instruments and Lauryn's voice sound on top of hip hop grooves. Really really beautiful warm tracks
solid frankie valli cover
ㅎㄱㄷㅁㅅ
Got to love Lauren.
the early songs are unbelievable the last two songs of the second half are the only noteworthy ones 4.5
This is much better than I anticipated. Beautiful singing and music. The raps are tolerable! Probably peak RnB for the two decades surrounding it's release.
A hip-hop classic for sure! Lauryn Hill has here legacy cemented as of the greats of this era.
Veldig groovy, dette likte jeg godt.
Not my favorite album end-to-end, but "Doo Wop (That Thing)" is still a perfect record.
7.5
I mean, if we’re talking about albums with a massive cultural influence look no further. Huge. Ambitious. Powerful. It’s got grit AND effervescent sparkle in spades. If the artist’s aim is to achieve greatness by mining their soul to expose its plumbed depths, Lauryn succeeds astoundingly in that regard. We Stan a beautiful vulnerable and raw black queen who raised the bar for everyone!
Dope
Can see how influential it was but because I'm so late to the party it didn't have the same level of effect on me. A great listen all the way but only the last two tracks really stuck out for me.
Doo Wop is great, of course. Final Hour is pretty great. I like the different genres in the same album. When it hurts so bad goes down smooth. Forgive them Father is pretty great. This album was ahead of its time.
Consistent from start to finish, but the songs were different enough to be unique. Really interesting flows and clearly a lot of work put into it. Not my favorite, but worthy of respect.
Classic. Killer R&B and soul with an intensely personal story in it's music and it's creation.
superstar is probably the best song
4.5...I love the messages of strength and diversity.
tunesss
Un poco largo. Recuerdo que salió en 1999 el mismo año que The Fragile. Más tarde, años más tarde, lo redescubriría más allá de los singles.
This takes me back to Summer 98. A lovely album suffers from the late 90s urge to have a ton of skits, and goes on a bit too long, but mostly really lovely!
There‘s a 5/5, 50 minute album within the 80 minutes here. Unnecessary filler so not all killer!
Loved this, what a voice, so much going on. Really snoozed on it at he time.
Doo-Wop is one of the prettiest damned songs of the past 50yrs. TIL that this was Lauryn Hill’s only studio album.
Doo Wop and Ex-Factor are total bops. Listenable all the way through the album with the fun classroom recordings in the background throughout.
4/16/2022 Today's Album: "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" by Lauryn Hill - I like how this album opens ups up with a roll call with Lauryn missing, starting off a theme of her being against traditional education. The first rap track Lost Ones is a really solid opener, with a great reggae backbeat and some confident rapping from Lauryn. I like the way the chorus breaks off into this funky guitar riff before the third verse and damn does this lady just fuckin' rap. Every line sounds so natural and although her flow is pretty static throughout the track, it's a really solid flow so I'm not complaining. The ending interlude of the track adds even more to the education theme. The next track Ex-Factor is a silky sweet R&B track with some of the best R&B production I've heard out of the 90's. It's a really standout track and I love her vocal performance on this track. It really doesn't feel dated for being 24 years old. The guitar solo at the end of it is also absolutely killer. Zion continues this theme of outstanding R&B tracks with an amazingly chilled out guitar groove and calculated vocal performance. Doo Wop (That Song) gives me that classic R&B rap style that I've heard on Kanye's Late Registration, specifically Touch the Sky. The rap has a ton of personality and there are just great performances all around form the horns to the background vocals to the bass and drums. I like the critique of men on this track as well it's very tongue and cheek. It turns out Kanye actually has taken a lot of inspiration and samples from Lauryn Hill and it is obvious now considering how amazing the production is on this record. Every track just has a ton of personality and brings with it a unique beat and flow. It really just is no comparison from the other 90s rap I was seeing earlier in the generator and it is clear that this is one of the artists that bridged the gap from the rap of old and what is currently popular. Even the tracks that are more of just bridging tracks to the bigger hits are very pleasant to listen to and have solid hooks and choruses to bring me in. I love the low reggae accent she puts on in Forgive me Father and the heavy bass and flow switch ups makes this track an absolute banger to put on in the car. I think each of these songs could easily be 3 minutes and be just as enjoyable, but I think them being 5 minutes isn't the worst thing ever, as she does add something in the last 2 minutes to warrant it usually. I also just realized that this artist was the female front-person of the Fugees, and it makes a ton of sense given the similar genre, but I really think she did it better in a lot of ways. This project is a tiny bit long and I think either some tracks should have been cut or the lengths of some should have been trimmed, but it is never too much really. I like her rendition of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You and it really could have ended off the record, but the closer also does a decent job wrapping things up. Overall, this is a really really solid R&B hip-hop record that bridged the gap from 90s poet rap to what we hear today in Kanye and his contemporaries. Listen to this one if you like modern Hip Hop R&B like Kanye and Drake. Score: 8.5/10 Kanye before Kanye Highlights: Ex-Factor, To Zion, Doo Wop (That Thing), Superstar, Final Hour, Forgive Them Father, 'Every Ghetto, Every City', Nothing Even Matters, Everything is Everything, Can't Take My Eyes of You
Very nice, obsessed w Lauryn's voice and lyrics as always Only thing is that it's a bit L O N G
Lauryn is so good, a top notch album with a couple of standout tracks, and we've definitely had worse skits on this list so far.
This album is worthy of all the praise it received at the time it came out. Groundbreaking, influential and soulful. It’s an album that does stand up over time, but I wasn’t feeling it yesterday. I can acknowledge it’s place in the history of great albums, hence my rating…
This album overwhelmingly aged well
Like the entire album, and like her version of Can't Take My Eyes Off You!
Vraiment un très bon album, définitivement à réécouter.
Better than i thought it would be. Some rap, but also some songs similar to Anita Baker.
This is a strange one, it really felt like Lauryn was just beginning as an artist and this was just the first step for amazing things which never happened. Listening now what strikes me is how humble she paints herself asking questions about love and life and admitting she's just learning.
Love this record -
Favorites: Ex-Factor I Used to Love Him Superstar Everything is Everything
fucking quality. that thing has wormed it's way deep into my brain and idk where from.
Beautiful voice.
Just good stuff.
Pretty flawless, all parts working almost seamlessly together, Which so often doesn’t really come off when rap and hip hop are blended with soul, R&B, and reggae influences. In this it’s all unmistakably part of one work and message.
4.25
It is a classic. Great lyrical content. Vocals are some of the best there have been. Features are great.
This was good, I enjoyed it. It did not blow me away, however.
fantastic samples, beautiful voice, mixed genres, mister Santana on featuring, 2 songs sampled by Kanye and Drake; solid 4,5
I've left this review for a while ago I have to keep listening to it again. Ah, memories abound.
The sound track of my youth. Bloody wonderful
Ha sido agradable volverla a escuchar después de tanto tiempo. Venga, un 4.
I actually listened to this a year ago when finding new music before discovering this site. The opinion is the same, great stuff, but can't listen in one setting. Love that Lauryn Hill can go back and forth with singing and rapping easily, and the skits take a nice break from the music while providing context to the album. A couple of songs were not for me and some were average, but apart from that every track is good or great. Loved the title track, Doo Wop, even the bonus track Tell Him was great.
Musically the album sticks to one style, sometimes leaves me wanting for a bit of variety, but she does that style so well. Ex Factor, Doo Wop, the title track, and Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You are my favorites. Queen.
Wonderful, amazing vocal ability and impeccable flow. Cohesive through and through. Thoughtful, emotional. Bravo.
glided by in the background. Will have to revisit when I can be attentive
Very good. Enjoyed it a lot.
Unique blending of jazz and hip hop. Easy to listen to in the background. Beautiful.
Loads of hits, could do without the interludes. Great album.
Great album if a little long. It's length is probably going to be the only reason I don't listen to it as much as it deserves to be listened to.
brilliant
Not really but my bag - but I can see why it's such a classic album - Lauryn has such a beautiful soulful voice.
voll nice aber nicht so mein ding
really fun
Spotify is crumbling and I can't listen to this! From what I've heard so far I love the vibe, and already know Doo Wop is a 90s fave. To Zion has a cool sound and features carlos santana - I like that one a lot.
An interesting beat and music
Not listened to this for years but it is excellent.
A lot of layers to this album. I was stoked when it came up as today's album, as I've been meaning to listen to it for years. Great arrangements, killer drumbeats, and a cool but not too cocky delivery by Hill. Gonna run this one again tomorrow. Got me wanting more.
Algo denso, pero muy buenos beats.
What can you say? A great album that has been thoroughly review and acknowledged as a great album with anyone with a soul.
I was never a big fan of this when it came out. Maybe lacking a big killer hook/hit for me. But a solid album throughout.
Дип... Немного затянуто, немного не мое, но все равно круто
Had a shitty fucking night in Greece with this album. It helped alot. Together with Off the wall.
I listened to most, but not all of this album. It's been years since I listened to it. It's solid, for sure. It also captures a place in time- right as I entered Fort Lewis College. My on again/off again GF really liked this album and so I listened to it several times with her. An enjoyable listen, but it didn't make me swoon or anything. One thing I do love about it are the interludes/intros/outros between tracks. This was at its peak in the 90s (especially in hip hop records). Anytime I've ever made a mix tape I like to pepper in skits, movie lines, and audio clips that aren't music. If I could give 3.5 stars I would, but since I can't I'll give it 4.
You are too good to be true... Not really my cup of tea but there're some songs I'd listen to on my way somewhere
Listened to this on Sept. 6th 2021 and I was wondering if it was on the list. Great album.
Very good. Probably a little too long.
always thought this album was overrated and i still think that but i understand its cultural significance. i came away with more appreciation for it after this listen. i love ex factor
Absolute classic, wonderful story throughout the album
A modern classic. I didn't care for the skits at the end of the tracks but it was an amazing blend of decades of R & B and soul influences. Now this album, in turn, helped create the sound of the 00's and 10's. Favorite Tracks: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" "Final Hour" "Everything is Everything"
Top notch record of pure genius
Classics you should no if you‘re into soul music. Some tracks a boring 4stars.
I don't listen to hiphop that often, but her soul voice and the pop/funky beats are a very good mix. (7/10) Favorite Tracks: Every Ghetto, Every City; Doo Wop (That Thing)
I liked this more than I expected I would. It's not quite in my musical wheelhouse, but there are some rightful bangers on this album and I can see why it's considered a classic.
This was my second time listening to this album. It is undeniably an important album for hip-hop and I can understand why. I think it's a great album with a lot of good tracks, but there is a few weak tracks to be honest. I'm having a hard time rating this album fairly, but I think I have to go with a weak 4 for now.
Shes got a beautiful voice, the background tracks could be a lot better. Shes a bit repetitive as well, but I enjoy her messages and the vibe from her music.
Excellent combination of hip-hop, soul, R&B!
Equal parts punchy and smooth. Lauryn's vocals are beautifully rich which now explains why this album keeps coming back in samples
What a bop! Great vocals interlaced on top of each other. The production is fantastic on this and Lauryn hill has a great voice! This is a fun and good album.
Old jam
great album filled with musical and lyrical references, great voice, great album curve, engaging
Very nice
Great start, but a very long, maybe too long album. However, the highlights make this album stand out.
P good. Definitely revisit later.
Klassiker.
Didn't get to listen to the whole thing but from what I heard(the majority of it) it seemed like some good background music I might listen to.
I really enjoyed this album - very unique, varied, and raw. However, i don't think all the tracks are perfect, and it would get old soon enough.
Can’t come up with a great review for all of these, but this is still an amazing album.
Really good! New music for me, some of the songs felt a little long but I liked all of the classroom discussions appended after the songs.
Amazing album. Absolutely floored I've never listened to it. Talented all the way and just enjoyable. Creative,
Beautiful voice, amazing chill rap about love -- what is not to love?
Didn't know all of these before this. Great album!
Great album, brought back a lot of memories
Schickes Album. Geile Beats und gute Texte.
this is just a universal loved album and I would be suprised if someone didn’t like this. Great album, great vibes, great producing,great features. a classic in the soul, rnb and hip hop world. 9/10
I gotta admit I had some stereotypical assumptions about how good a "female rapper" could be, and was a bit skeptical. Despite this, I ended up really enjoying this album and was happily proved wrong. It has great lyricism and great musical accompaniment. I love the themes as well. Well done!
Fantástico debut donde predomina el R&B y el Hip Hop. Vozarrón y gran producción musical. Sería genial si no fuera tan largo.
A little long for my liking, but a great hip-hop album with insane impact. Really like the interludes from the classroom as well Saved: Doo Wop (That Thing), Final Hour
Cracking album. Personal, heartfelt, incomparable voice. Doo Wop (That Thing): complete classic. Often imitated, never duplicated.
An insight into the cultural melting pot that is NY, and the music is a great mix of genres as well.
Not my usual, preferred genre but enjoyed the listen.
I really liked this! I don’t usually listen to much hip hop but I liked this album. I can see how she was so influential on later artists! (Did anyone else read that she was really close with the whole Marley family? Makes me wonder if the album sequence was intentional!)
What I remember as being proper R&B, enjoyed this album. Two ‘hits’ on there too. 4/5
This album has a great sound, a real nice blend of R&B and hip-hop and I can listen to her voice all day long. I owned the CD when it came out but had forgotten about great songs like Forgive Them Father and Lost Ones. After listening to this and a bunch of hip-hop albums over the last 120 days, I am perplexed that so many include "interludes" - 1 or 2 minute conversations recorded in a living room or studio. I just don't get it. 80-minute CDs are all ready 40 minutes too long IMO.
Beeindruckt von den Rap-Skills, erstmal. Bisschen genervt vom gelegentlich übertrieben langgezogenen Tremolo auf einzelnen Silben, da bin ich wirklich kein Fan von. Wann hat das eigentlich angefangen? Wahrscheinlich nicht mit ihr, aber mit Destiny's Child? Oder war sie's vielleicht sogar doch? Jedenfalls ist mir gestern erst wieder eingefallen, dass Lauryn Hill Mitte/Ende der 90er ja die lässigste Queen of Consciousness war die man sich vorstellen konnte, und wie toll ich die fand. Hatte ich komplett vergessen über die Jahre, in denen sie - soweit man das vermittelt bekommt - offenbar zwei oder dreimal falsch abgebogen ist und dann auch noch in Sackgassen. Egal, hier wird man ja am Einzelwerk gemessen, und das finde ich auch mehr als 20 Jahre später noch wirklich sehr fresh. Gute Aussagen, gute Produktion, enorme Rapskills. Gesang ... wie gesagt. Insgesamt eine schöne 3,9.
Nice
As much as I hate “skits” filling up half the album, it still stands up.
Genuinely enjoyed listening through this one. I’m sure if you picked individual songs and played them for me I wouldn’t care too much for it since hip hop and R&B aren’t really my thing, but the experience of listing through this one top to bottom was great. Favorite tracks: “To Zion,” “Superstar,” and “Every Ghetto, Every City”
Her voice is amazing but you have to really be in the mood for 90's rnb
Solid album. Maybe I'm a bit biased because the last several have been kind of same-y but it was a refreshing 90s hiphop album. Lyrically the songs were interesting stories, and her voice had some good soul elements to it in a number of tracks.
classic rnb /soul ; extra points for nostalgia
It is just plain strong. Beautiful voice, great beat, positive message. The title track is probably the least interesting, but the rest are easy to enjoy.
It was okay, though I’m not a huge fan of 90’s hip-hop.
Love the soul she adds to hip hop.
Tuttu artisti mutta tämä soololevy oli uusi tuttavuus. Fugeesin perusteella oletin pitäväni tästä, mutta tämähän oli vielä paljon parempi kuin osasin aavistaa. Mukavan letkeätä meininkiä samettisella äänellä varustettuna. Myös rap-pätkät toimii paremmin kuin yhdelläkään listalla vastaan tulleesta saman genren levystä tähän mennessä. Levyn nimikkokappale on parhaita uusia biisejä mitä olen kuullut aikoihin. Jos olisi mahdollista, antaisin 4,25*
Nicht das Über-Album schlechthin, aber schon sehr außergewöhnlich. Hatte ich seinerzeit überhaupt nicht auf dem Schirm.
More soulful then the soul man
Denna har jag på CD. Köpte den 98 då det begav sig. Fortfarande en av mina favoriter, en legendarisk skiva.
Good album. Will listen again
Nice concept album. Storyline focused on love with songs alternating between songs with Lauryn Hill and a classroom discussing love. One of my favorite 1990's albums so far.
Still on my first listen through, but this album is an interesting counterpiece to the world of Bone Thugs. I've always wanted to hear hip-hop with more harmonies. This has that, and an interesting through line with the teacher talking to the students about love. I wish the songs were a little stronger some times (more produced in some cases), but overall it is a really good album 4/5
A coming of age hip hop and soul album that provides glimpses into the American education system and Christianity. Overall, a fascinating view of the flaws within the education system and how the youth of America grew up in the late 80s.
Mad respect
The OG Kendrick? Understand the context, but hard to listen to.
It’s not perfect and slow at parts but this is a standout in 90s hip hop/r&b
Best voice in hip hop
1998. Key Songs: Doo Wop, Ex-Factor
Her voice! Skit at the beginning is compelling - school roll call with artist absent. Ex Factor, is it bad that I love it b/c of the sample in Drake's Nice for What? Doo Wop (That Thing) - soo 90s! Sucker for the claves in When It Hurts So Bad. Maybe I shouldn't be listening to these when I'm at work and the vibes are off. I should give this one another spin, feels like a bit of slower burn. Long tho. Thinking a solid 3.
Das scheint mir ein starkes Album zu sein, aber es erreicht mich emotional nicht.
Mediocre rap. Not great singers.
I didn't dislike it, is a fair way to describe my personal experience listening to this record.
I like this one
One of those 90s albums I had heard of because it was popular, but never actually listened to it because I wasn't an adventurous listener back then. I was missing out.
She singa beautifully, can rap, music is solid. I should like this but find it a bit meh. Not sure why. Will need to reliayen when i have more time to think.
The first song had me kinda worried but after that this was pretty solid throughout. Didn't like her rapping all too much but there were some tracks where it worked. Her actual singing was the highlight here, along with the super pleasing/ smooth production with plenty of punch to it. 3.5/5
Rap des années 90 Moins pire que ce que je pensais Certain bout font penser à Billy Joel La voix ressemble à une chanteuse pop des années 70
This album always gets such praise, but it didn't have anything that compared to the song I already knew, Doo Wop. That song was the highlight for me.
I'm not sure why every album from the 1990s is required to be 60+ minutes, but the music is good. Not exactly what moves me, but obviously good.
I've seen a lot of comment online suggesting this is an all-time classic, which left me very disappointed when I actually listened. Fine for what it is but nothing that grabbed hold of me.
хороший альбом, целостный посыл понятен, приятен инструментал в пределах жанра, не разочаровал есть хиты переслушивать можно 3.7
There are plenty of good songs on this thing but why does every song have like a 50 min skit at the end of it, makes it a chore to sit theoigh, very bloated….
I think this might actually be just a smidge over-rated? "Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a classic, but the rest of this is too much navel-gazing for my liking.
Didn’t hate it but still don’t really enjoy her vibe
Godetovich. Na pero estuvo bien. Rico hasta ahí jejeje.
Rap is one of my least favorite music genres, but her soulful R&B songs are very nice. I still don’t love this.
Conflicting feelings on this one. On one hand, Lauryn's performance and lyrics are near flawless, the production and beats so on-point, and the hooks strong. However, this album suffers from bloat and could have done well with more editing. Around half way through, listening to it started to feel like a chore. Many of the songs become repetitive after a few minutes, but are often stretched over 4-5 minutes, and are capped by 40-60 second interludes that tie the overarching theme together but feel tedious. Highlights: "To Zion", "Doo Wop (That Thing)", "Everything Is Everything".
Classic stuff a good record but not the best of all time Apple
N2l
Doo Wop (That Thing) was so overplayed when it came out I never really listened to anything else. Everything is Everything had a lot of mainstream radio play too. Its a long album, some songs much stronger than others. She does have a great voice and I like the flow of it all with the transitions in-between pulling it all together.
7.5/10