With just one solo album to her name, American singer-songwriter, rapper and actress Ms. Lauryn Hill sits among the immortals of modern hip hop and R&B.
Her seminal 1998 album, 'The Mis-Education Of Lauryn Hill' is still considered by many to be an outstanding contribution to music for its blending of R&B, doo-wop, pop, hip hop and reggae.
It became the most acclaimed album of that year and helped Lauryn establish herself within the neo-soul genre along with artists such as Mary J Blige and Missy Elliot, among others.
Prior to her solo venture, Lauryn was a member of hip hop crew Fugees with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, rising to fame in the early '90s with a blend of hip hop, soul and elements of Caribbean music such as reggae.
In 1994, Fugees released their debut album 'Blunted On Reality' under the tutelage of Kool & The Gang producer Ronald Bell, but it was their follow-up album 'The Score' in 1996 that rocketed Fugees to international acclaim and attention.
'The Score' became one of the best-selling hip hop records of all time and featured one of the biggest songs of 1996, the group's rendition of 'Killing Me Softly', first recorded by Lori Lieberman in 1971 and remade by Roberta Flack in 1973. 'Killing Me Softly' remains the group's biggest hit.
Winning two Grammy Awards in 1997 – Best Rap Album for 'The Score' and 'Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group for 'Killing Me Softly' – Fugees disbanded that same year, each member taking on their own solo projects.
The result was 'The Mis-Education Of Lauryn Hill', which sold over 423,000 copies in the first week and earned Lauryn a tidy $25 million from record sales and touring during 1998 and 1999.
Something of a downhill slide began for Lauryn around the end of 1998 when New Ark, the group of musicians with who Lauryn collaborated on her album, filed a lawsuit against her claiming she hadn’t credited them properly for their work.
The suit was eventually settled out of court at the beginning of 2001 with Lauryn reportedly forking over $5 million to New Ark, but Lauryn had already begun to remove herself from the public eye in 2000 as the pressures of fame took their toll.
Receding from the spotlight, the 2000s saw Lauryn embark on several, mostly failed, endeavours, including a 2005 reunion with Fugees that saw tensions resurface between the members. Wyclef and Pras lay the blame on Lauryn for her insistence on being called 'Ms. Hill' and her enduring tardiness to live shows, a trait for which Lauryn is still widely and infamously known.
On 4 May 2013, Lauryn released her first official single of new material in over ten years and was set to release her first album in fifteen years, but her return was cut short when she was sentenced to three months prison for tax evasion on approximately $1.8 million earned between 2005-2007.
It's hoped the worst of Lauryn Hill's mis-education is behind her as she makes her way to Australia for a national, 20th anniversary arena tour in February.
Ms Lauryn Hill Australia Tour 2019
Tue 5 Feb - HBF Stadium (Perth)Thu 7 Feb - Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney)
Sun 10 Feb - Riverstage (Brisbane)
Wed 13 Feb - Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne)
Thu 14 Feb - Festival Hall (Melbourne)
