Lauryn Hill has claimed the only reason she never followed up ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is that “no one” at her label reached out.
The ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ hitmaker has for the first time revealed why she never made another solo record after her seminal 1998 LP.
In a rare interview, Lauryn told Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Albums’ podcast: “The wild thing is no one from my label has ever called me and asked how can we help you make another album, EVER … EVER. Did I say ever? Ever!”
The much-lauded record won five Grammys, including Album of the Year.
On the varying factors getting in the way, she continued: “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. 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.”
She added of the album’s legacy: “I’ve always been pretty critical of myself artistically, so of course there are things I hear that could have been done differently, but the LOVE in the album, the passion, its intention is, to me, undeniable.”
The former Fugees star – who did go on to release an ‘MTV Unplugged’ live LP in 2002 – explained that her intention was to create something for the artists that came before her and to “defy convention when the convention is questionable”.
She added: “I think my intention was simply to make something that made my foremothers and forefathers in music and social and political struggle know that someone received what they’d sacrificed to give us, and to let my peers know that we could walk in that truth, proudly and confidently.
“At that time, I felt like it was a duty or responsibility to do so … 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.”
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