And I think it was inspiring for a lot of people to proceed on their own merits, on their own truth, and work it out even if that has to happen in public." It really seemed like somebody could be flawed and still very successful. And it really cut through the noise for me. I was a junior in high school when that happened, when it came out. Hill came in and was fully herself, that she was vulnerable, that she would question some things that she had done in the past - a lot of the times it felt like she was talking to a younger version of herself when she was, in actual fact, speaking to other people, to strangers. It's completely true that it was very male-dominated at that time. Complicated conversations were happening all over the place. So it's a critique of a lot of things that are happening in pop culture, in politics and in hip-hop, specifically, at that time. So I'd like us to look back and look at 'The Miseducation' and be self-reflective and see where we were, and own the love that we have, but possibly look back and ask ourselves some tough questions about unrealistic expectations."įrannie Kelley: "I think it's really useful to think of the album as a critique and as self-reflection. And it was a really heavy burden, I think, to place on a woman that was barely 23 years old. I think a lot of people burdened her with this role of saving the music, saving the genre, being the thing that was going to turn the music around. And why Lauryn kind of ascended to this role of icon - and it wasn't just about the music. JM: "I tried to write the book as a cultural history giving us an opportunity to look at where we were, really, at the end of the 20th century in terms of music, black music, hip-hop and pop culture, but also politically. On what listeners should take away regarding the album's relevance and resonance The misogyny in the music is making a lot of female listeners question, 'Is there really a place for me in the music in the culture anymore?' And I think 'The Miseducation' for a lot of us was a breath of fresh air." Post-'96 becomes a really rocky time for hip-hop fans with some rude awakenings. The community is coming off the murders of Biggie and Tupac. Joan Morgan: "The album takes us back to a really wonderful breath of fresh air at a time in hip-hop that was particularly trying.
On the impact of the album at the time of its release (Editor's Note: This album contains explicit language that some listeners may find offensive.) Interview Highlights Joan Morgan, author of " She Begat This: 20 Years of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." ( Kelley, co-host and producer of "Microphone Check," a podcast about hip-hop history and culture. With Eric Westervelt ( 20 years of the groundbreaking album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Guests (Michael Zorn/Invision/AP) This article is more than 3 years old. Lauryn Hill is seen at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Cleveland Public Auditorium Saturday, April 14, 2018, in Cleveland, Ohio.