In 1998, Lauryn Hill released her iconic album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill which left fans wanting more.
However, fans would never get a follow-up album but Ms. Hill is finally explaining why the release never happened.
“With ‘The Miseducation,’ there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment, and express. After ‘The Miseducation,’ there were scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations, and saboteurs EVERYWHERE,” she said in a recent interview.
She went on to say, “People had included me in their own narratives of their successes as it pertained to my album, and if this contradicted my experience, I was considered an enemy.”
Hill also talked about why her album wasn’t viewed well by the public.
“I wrote an album about systemic racism and how it represses and stunts growth and harms (all of my albums have probably addressed systemic racism to some degree) before this was something this generation openly talked about. I was called crazy. Now… over a decade later, we hear this as part of the mainstream chorus. Ok, so chalk some of it up to leadership and how that works- I was clearly ahead, but you also have to acknowledge that blatant denial that went down with that.”
She concluded, “I also think the album stood apart from the types and cliches that we supposed to be acceptable at the time. I challenged the norm and introduced a new standard. I believe ‘The Miseducation’ did that and I believe I still do this – defy convention when the convention is questionable.”