The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Photo: RapGenius

When I think of timeless music – specifically of my generation – one of the few albums that come to mind is Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Aside from her Live MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 album and her collaborations with The Fugees, this is Hill’s only studio album. 

Listen to it today and it sounds just as amazing as it did when it was the soundtrack to my youth. From conscious rhymes to ballads about the highs and lows of love, this album gives you everything and more and has stood the test of time since its 1998 release date. 

Doo Wop (That Thing)

Intro:

Don't forget about the deen, Sirat al-Mustaqeem
Yo, it's about a thing

Dīn (also Deen), is an Arabic term (دين) meaning “way of life” or “code of life” (Rap Genius). Sirat al-Mustaqim is an Arabic term for the Islamic concept of the straight path, or the way of life which makes God happy (it’s a quote from the first Surah in the Quran: Surat Al-Fatiha). 

During Hill’s intro to this record, she premises the song with the Arabic term urging women and men to always remember to stay on the straight path. 

V1:

It's been three weeks since you were looking for your friend
The one you let hit it and never called you again
'Member when he told you he was 'bout the Benjamins?
You act like you ain't hear him, then give him a little trim
To begin, how you think you're really gon' pretend
Like you wasn't down and you called him again?
Plus, when you give it up so easy you ain't even foolin' him
If you did it then, then you'd probably fuck again
Talking out your neck, sayin' you're a Christian
A Muslim, sleeping with the gin
Now that was the sin that did Jezebel in
Who you gon' tell when the repercussions spin?
Showing off your ass cause you're thinking it's a trend
Girlfriend, let me break it down for you again
You know I only say it cause I'm truly genuine
Don't be a hard rock when you really are a gem
Baby girl, respect is just a minimum
Niggas fucked up and you still defending 'em
Now, Lauryn is only human
Don't think I haven't been through the same predicament
Let it sit inside your head like a million women in Philly, Penn
It's silly when girls sell their souls because it's in
Look at where you be in, hair weaves like Europeans
Fake nails done by Koreans
Come again
[Lyrics: RapGenius]

During her first verse, Hill details an unhealthy relationship between a man and a woman – from the woman’s perspective. The woman has given herelf up to a man who initially told her that he wouldn’t be there because he was all about making money. However, she still gave herself up to him anyway and now she hasn’t heard from him in three weeks. 

Ironically, this same woman used to brag about being righteous but fell prey to lustful ways. Lauryn encourages the young woman to respect herself because she too was once in that same situation. 

Hill also speaks about women who "sell their souls" to be in with the popular crowd by following trends – being promiscuous, wearing weaves and getting fake nails. 

Hook:

Guys you know you'd better watch out
Some girls, some girls are only about
That thing, that thing, that thing
That thing, that thing, that thing

V2:

The second verse is dedicated to the men
More concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women
Him and his men, come in the club like hooligans
Don't care who they offend, poppin' yang (Like you got yen!)
Let's stop pretend, the ones that pack pistols by they waist men
Cristal by the case men, still in they mother's basement
The pretty face men claiming that they did a bid men
Need to take care of they three or four kids
And they face a court case when the child support late
Money taking and heart breaking, now you wonder why women hate men
The sneaky, silent men
The punk, domestic violence men
Quick to shoot the semen, stop acting like boys and be men
How you gonna win when you ain't right within? (x3)
Come again
[Lyrics: RapGenius]

Hill’s second verse turns its attention from women to focus on men. The men who refuse to stay on the straight and narrow. Or those more concerned about rims and shoes than his women. The wild and reckless men who run off at the mouth, and are quick to pull the trigger. The pretenders – those who are careless with their money yet, they are still living at home with their mother. 

Or what about the fly dude who has never committed a crime, but is pretending that he’s done time in jail to build his rep? Instead of taking care of his children – by multiple women –  he’s living in a fantasy world and ultimately ends up facing child support charges. She insists that they stop having reckless sex, grow up and be men.  She alludes to the fact that these are the type of men who essentially lead women to “hate men.” 

She ends the record with the infamous quotable:

“how you gonna win, when you ain’t right within?”

Final Hour

V1:

I'm about to change the focus from the richest to the brokest
I wrote this opus, to reverse the hypnosis
Whoever's closest to the line's gonna win it
You gonna fall trying to ball while my team win the pennant
I'm about to begin it, for a minute, then run for senate
Make a slum lord be the tenant give his money to kids to spend it
And then amend it, every law that ever prevented
Our survival since our arrival documented in The Bible
Like Moses and Aaron
Things gon' change, it's apparent
And all the transparent gonna be seen through
Let God redeem you, keep your deen true
You can get the green too
Watch out what you cling to, observe how a queen do
And I remain calm reading the 73rd Psalm
Cause with all this going on I got the world in my palm
[Lyrics: RapGenius]

Probably one of my favorite Lauryn hill records, Lauryn details the highs and lows of success butultimately focuses on making sure that the listener keeps their eyes on the Most High. 

She raps “You can get the money, you can get the power, but keep your eyes on, the final hour”

In Lauryn’s first verse, she warms up and also brags a bit. The essence of the record isn't exhibited until the second verse. Lauryn begins to turn the listeners attention to what the actual song is about. She changes her focus from the rich to the poor. In doing so, she offers a new perspective to the ballads and stories she tells to her listeners. 

She explains that her goal is to "reverse the hypnosis” or in other words, awaken the masses. Hill closes the second verse by telling the listener that they can still get money, just be careful of what you cling to or worship. She references the "Dīn" again – like in doo wop – when she encourages the listener to keep their "deen true," or in other words keep your way of life pure.

Superstar

Intro:

Yo hip-hop, started out in the heart
Uh-huh, yo
Now everybody tryin to chart

Hook:

C'mon baby light my fire
Everything you drop is so tired
Music is supposed to inspire
How come we ain't gettin no higher?
[Lyrics: RapGenius]

V1:

Now tell me your philosophy
On exactly what an artist should be
Should they be someone with prosperity
And no concept of reality?
Now, who you know without any flaws?
That lives above the spiritual laws?
And does anything they feel just because
There's always someone there who'll applaud?
[Lyrics: RapGenius]

I think it’s crazy how this song still holds true today more than 10 years later. In fact, hip hop has become progresively worse in more ways than one. What was once an art form based on expression, which also helped to inspire and teach the people of the African American community has slowly been infiltrated and replaced with capitalist values. 

The hip hop of yesteryears, had a distinct balance of "conscious" and "party" music; most artists were able to provide both. Since consumerism and capitalism have taken over the art from though, it’s one or the other. Often times, conscious rappers are labeled "underground rappers" because mainstream radio won't play their records. 

It’s sad and quite ironic that Lauryn's prophecy has come to pass, tenfold. The music of today no longer inspires or even lasts longer than a few months. I really wonder how much of today’s music we'll be able to honestly enjoy 20 years from now. 

There aren't too many Lauryn Hill’s, Slick Rick's, Earth Wind and Fire’s or Rick James’ of today’s generation. Our artists are here today and gone tomorrow becuase they solely do it for the money and not a genuine love for the craft and desire to inspire future generations. 

V2:

I know you think that you've got it all
And by making other people feel small
Makes you think you're unable to fall
But when you do, who you gonna call?
See what you give is just what you get
I know it hasn't hit you yet!
Now I don't mean to get you upset
But every cause has an effect! Uh-huh!
[Lyrics: RapGenius]

Unfortunately we’ve gone into an era of braggadocio rap, where no one is really saying anything worth listening to outside of a club or party setting. No one is encouraging the listener to think or to change for the better. 

It’s always about who has more of something. Lauryn questions these particular artists when she asks who are you gonna call when you fall? These artists have since spent most of their careers bragging in order to make other people feel small or less than human. They may not understand this now, but like Lauryn says "every cause has an effect" and one day the tables will turn.