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Killing Me Softly
Background:
“I want my music to touch real people. I’m still trying to figure myself out,
like most people.... because I’m still living and learning.” Lauryn Hill
A highly acclaimed hip-hop singer, songwriter and producer, Lauryn Hill rocked
the hip-hop tradition when she and her mates in The Fugees, Prakazrel Michel and
Wyclef Jean, released the popular recycle of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly”
(1996). The single and its album, The Score, won two Grammy Awards and became a
multi-platinum album. After the group’s separation, Hill made her solo debut
with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), in which she also served as a
songwriter and producer. Her genius effort for the multi-platinum album garnered
her five Grammy Awards and five Grammy nominations in one night. Her next solo
album, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2002), became a platinum hit.
A multi-talented performer, Hill also branched out to acting. She made
appearances in the soap opera “As the World Turns” (1991) and the TV series
“Here and Now” (1992). She was also seen in such films as the Steven
Soderbergh’s drama King of the Hill (1993), the comedy Sister Act 2: Back in the
Habit (1993), Daddy’s Girl (1996, TV), the low-budget comedy Hav Plenty (1997),
Restaurant (1998) and Turn It Up (2000, as Leslie). Outside the spotlight, Hill,
whose dreadlocks and husky voice became a trademark, is known as a humanitarian.
In 1996, she founded The Refugee Camp Youth Project, a nonprofit organization
that supports a two-week camp for at-risk youth, well-building projects in Kenya
and Uganda, as well as a rap concert in Harlem to promote voter registration.
For her efforts, Hill received an Essence Award in 1996. One of 1999’s Ebony
magazine’s “100+ Most Influential Black Americans,” in 2003, Hill referred to
Catholic officials as committing “corruption, exploitation and abuses” after a
boys’ molestation by Catholic officials and the suppression of the offenses by
Catholic Church officials.
As for her romantic life, Hill, who now prefers to be called “Ms. Hill,” was
once romantically involved with her band mate Wyclef Jean. She is now the wife
of Rohan Marley, son of the late Bob Marley, with whom she raises three sons and
a daughter.
Bright L-Boogie
Childhood and Family:
The daughter of Valerie Hill (English teacher) and Mal Hill (computer
consultant), Lauryn Hill was born on May 25, 1975, in South Orange, New Jersey.
Lauryn’s knack for performing, which became apparent at an early age, received
full support from her parents and her only brother, Melaney Hill. When she was
nine years old, Lauryn’s parents encouraged her to demonstrate her singing skill
in front of Stevie Wonder, who had been spotted by the family in a restaurant.
Lauryn, who received the nickname “L-Boogie,” studied at Columbia High School in
Maplewood, New Jersey. While still concentrating on her education, the smart
L-Boogie also wrote poetry, as well as joined the school’s track team,
basketball team, cheerleading squad and school choir. It was here where her
popular music group, The Fugees, was born. After graduation, L-Boogie continued
her studies and took History programs at the prestigious Columbia University in
New York. She quit a year later to focus on her music career.
As for her private life, Lauryn is the wife of Rohan Marley, the son of the late
reggae artist Bob Marley. From the marriage, the couple has three sons, Zion
David Marley (born on August 3, 1997), Joshua (born on January 2002) and John
(born in summer 2003), as well as a daughter named Selah Louise (born November
12, 1998)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Career:
Lauryn Hill had her first experience on stage at the age of thirteen when she
performed on “Amateur Night” at the “Showtime at the Apollo” (1987), singing
Smokey Robinson’s “Who’s Loving You?” Although she did not win the competition,
Hill was determined that singing was her true calling. In 1988, Hill was invited
by Prakazrel “Pras” Michel to join his musical group, along with Wyclef Jean. It
was called Tranzlator Crew, but the name was later changed to The Refugee Camp/
The Fugees.
Amid her studies and stints with The Fugees, Hill also branched out to acting
and had her off-Broadway debut in a small show in 1989. Her acting was noticed
by the creators of the TV soap opera “As the World Turns” (1991), who then cast
her in the small recurring role of troubled Kira Johnson. Following her
appearance in an episode of the TV series “Here and Now” (1992), Hill made her
movie debut by landing a small role as elevator operator Arletta in Steven
Soderbergh’s drama King of the Hill (1993), where she shared the screen with
Adrien Brody. The same year, she was featured and sang her version of “Joyful,
Joyful” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow” in the musical comedy Sister Act 2: Back
in the Habit, starring Whoopi Goldberg.
During her first year in college, Hill and her band The Fugees released their
debut album titled Blunted on Reality (1994), with the singles “Nappy Heads” and
“Vocab.” Although the album did not meet the sales target, the confident Hill
saw prospect in the group and dropped out of college to focus on The Fugees.
After two years of hard work, her prediction proved accurate when The Fugees’
sophomore album titled The Score (1996) became a phenomenal hit. Spawning the
recycled single of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” the album won two
Grammys for Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group. Hill’s
husky voice and the urban flavor of recycled songs made the album sales exceed
17 million units, making it a multi-platinum album. While working with the
group, Hill returned to the small screen and starred as Malika in the
made-for-TV drama Daddy’s Girl (1996). She also appeared on the wide screen in
the low-budget comedy Hav Plenty (1997, played Debra) and in Eric Bross’ drama
Restaurant (1998, as Leslie).
“Hey, it’s my album! Who else can tell my story better than me?” Lauryn Hill,
about The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Leaving The Fugees in 1998, Hill made a name for herself as a gifted solo
hip-hop singer, songwriter and producer with her solo debut, The Miseducation of
Lauryn Hill, which was a big critical and commercial success. With the hit
single “Doo Wop (That Thing),” the album topped the US and UK charts and became
a multi-platinum seller with its sales mounting to 16 million copies.
Furthermore, she took home five Grammys out of ten nominations, a triumph that
broke the record of singer/songwriter Carole King, who in 1971 won four Grammys.
The album also won her a NAACP, a Soul Train, a Billboard and a Rolling Stone
Music award. As a creative composer, Hill wrote and produced hit songs for
Aretha Franklin and CeCe Winans. In between her solid music career, Hill
appeared in the big screen action drama Turn It Up (2000).
After taking a break, Hill launched her second solo album, MTV Unplugged No.
2.0, on May 7, 2002. The album was a two-CD set of live recordings from the July
2001 session of MTV Unplugged. Different from her previous album, she sang with
only an acoustic guitar and told her life stories amid the songs. Although some
said that the album was uneven, the album went platinum. About the controversy,
Lauryn Hill remarked, “Fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they
need. I’ve just retired from the fantasy part.”
Following the release of Fugees - Greatest Hits (2003), Hill and her band mates
were reunited and performed on September 18, 2004, at Dave Chappelle’s Block
Party in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, as well as BET’s 2005 Music Awards. Along
with their European tour in November-December 2005 and Hollywood’s “Reunion
Concert” on February 6, 2006, Hill and her group reportedly joined up again by
making a reunion album. One of its tracks, “Take It Easy,” was launched on the
Internet on September 27, 2005, and climbed to the 40th hit on the Billboard R&B
Chart. The Fugees has also released two other singles, “Foxy” and “Wannabe.”
As for her solo career, on October 9, 2005, she wrapped up an unofficial project
titled Khulami Phase. Hill, who made a solo performance on the MOBO Awards 2005,
is reportedly working on an LP. It will include the Grammy-nominated single “So
High” (2005), featuring John Legend. Hill has also established a film production
company and conveyed her interest in creating black science-fiction films.
Awards:
