Inside "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill"

Lawsuits. Grammys. A tiny attic studio in New Jersey. An oral history of the hip-hop classic on its tenth anniversary.

LAURA CHECKOWAYPosted Aug 26, 2008 2:25 PM

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was released 10 years ago this week and went on to sell more than 8 million copies, win five Grammys and earn a four-star review in Rolling Stone. Mary J. Blige hailed it as "one of the most incredible albums ever made" and the record influenced a generation of soul and hip-hop artists.

"Music is about to change," Hill told Rolling Stone's Touré for his 1999 cover story. "I think now people feel a little more comfortable playing with the parameters. Writing more intensely."

Miseducation's liner notes mostly credit Hill with producing, writing and arranging the entire album. It was, in fact, a huge group effort (as underlined by a lawsuit settled out of court in 2001 for a reported $5 million).

To celebrate the album, Rolling Stone spoke with many of those responsible for making it: a then-little known pianist named John Legend, D'Angelo, engineer Commissioner Gordon, backup singers, New-Ark producers, Hill's longtime companion Rohan Marley, her Fugee bandmate Pras Michel.


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