There many inspirational figures involved with the personality that Lauryn Hill paints in her beautiful masterpiece, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Her first claim to fame kicks off the playlist with “Killing Me Softly With His Song”, and some of her Fugees-era collaborations are sprinkled throughout.
There are a few neo soul queens that deserve recognition here, especially since Lauryn Hill was a latecomer to the genre. Erykah Badu “No Love” is a smooth love ballad with similar vinyl distortion as “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” (the song). Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, and Sade sing of love and its and complications in a similar tone to Hill and feel out love with the same microscope.
Hill also interpolates a few tracks on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Bob Marley & the Wailers’ “Concrete Jungle” is used on “Forgive Them Father”, and The Door’s “Light My Fire” inspired “Superstar”. Album collaborators D’Angelo and Santata also make appropriate appearances here.
