Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is celebrated as one of the most influential figures in music history. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the mainstream success of both hip-hop and neo soul, and blending rap with melodic vocals. She has been honored as one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR, and one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone. In 2015, Billboard named her the greatest female rapper. Among her accolades are eight Grammy Awards—the most for any female rapper.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill. It was released on August 19, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. Recorded after the Fugees embarked on a hiatus, the album was almost entirely written and produced by Hill. It is a concept album about educating oneself on love, with lyrical themes encompassing relationship complexities, interpersonal conflicts, motherhood, and faith. Predominantly a neo soul and R&B record, it incorporates genres such as hip-hop, reggae, and soul, and features guest appearances from Carlos Santana, Mary J. Blige, and D'Angelo.
The 41st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1999, at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, recognizing musical achievements from the year 1998. Lauryn Hill led the ceremony with a record-breaking 10 nominations, becoming the first woman to achieve this milestone in a single night. During the event, she made history as the first woman to win five Grammy Awards in one night, the first artist to sweep the R&B field, and the first female rapper to win Best New Artist. Her critically acclaimed album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill became the first hip-hop album to win Album of the Year. Hill's then unprecedented sweep of the Grammys is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in hip hop history.
Kimberly Denise Jones, better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, she would freestyle rap, influenced by fellow female hip-hop artists like MC Lyte and the Lady of Rage. In 1994, she was discovered by fellow rapper the Notorious B.I.G., who invited her to join his group Junior M.A.F.I.A.; their debut album, Conspiracy, generated two top 20 singles in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Eve Jihan Cooper is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress. Her debut studio album, Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady (1999) peaked atop the Billboard 200, received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned the hit singles "What Ya Want", "Love Is Blind", and "Gotta Man". That same year, she guest featured on the Roots' Grammy Award-winning single "You Got Me", as well as Missy Elliott's single "Hot Boyz", both of which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand, better known by her stage name Foxy Brown, is an American rapper. Upon being signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1996, she released her debut studio album, Ill Na Na, in November of that year to critical and commercial success. It peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), sold over seven million units worldwide, and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top ten single "I'll Be".
Katrina Laverne Kearse, known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in the late 1990s for her collaborations with Trick Daddy on the singles "Nann Nigga", "Shut Up", and "Take It to da House". In 2000, she released her debut album Da Baddest Bitch. Afterwards, she made an appearance on the remix of "One Minute Man" by Missy Elliott and Ludacris. In 2002, she released the Kanye West-produced single "B R Right" featuring Ludacris, from her sophomore album Diamond Princess (2002).
Teairra Marí Thomas is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress from Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 16, she signed with Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records to release her debut studio album, Roc-A-Fella Records Presents Teairra Marí (2005). It peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 single, "Make Her Feel Good".
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill from her debut solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written and produced by Hill. The song was released as her solo debut and lead single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on August 10, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. No commercial release was originally intended for the single in the US, but limited-quantity physical formats were issued two months later, on October 27.
Fershgenet Melaku, better known as LoLa Monroe and previously known as Angel Melaku, is an American rapper and actress.
"Everything Is Everything" is a song recorded by American recording artist Lauryn Hill for her debut solo studio album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written by Hill and Johari Newton, and produced by Hill. During the recording sessions, Hill wanted to write about injustice and struggles amongst youth communities in inner city areas of the United States. The song contains R&B, 1960s soul, and hip hop influences. It marked the first commercial appearance of singer and pianist John Legend, who was 19 years old when he played the piano on the song. The song was released as the third and final single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on May 3, 1999, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records.
"Ex-Factor" is a song by American recording artist Lauryn Hill for her debut solo studio album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). Written and produced by Hill herself, it incorporates elements of R&B, neo soul and hip hop soul. The song features a sample of "Can It Be All So Simple" by Wu-Tang Clan, hence its songwriters are also credited. It has been claimed to be about Hill's former Fugees groupmate Wyclef Jean. The song was released as the second single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on December 14, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records.
Melanie Fiona Hallim is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. She began her career in 2002 as part of a Canadian R&B trio X-Quisite, who was nominated for a Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year for their self-titled album (2004). She went on to form the duo the Renaissance with hometown native Drake, although they released no albums.
Ms. G.O.A.T. : Greatest Of All Time is the debut mixtape by American rapper Lil' Kim. Released June 3, 2008, Kim produced the recording alongside New York City DJs Mister Cee and DJ Whoo Kid. The title refers to the LL Cool J album G.O.A.T. (2000).
Dominic Ross Hunn, better known by his stage name Dom Kennedy, is an American rapper from Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California. His fourth mixtape, From the Westside with Love (2010), was met with critical acclaim; its sequel, From the Westside with Love II (2011), served as his debut studio album and entered the Billboard 200. His second and third albums, Get Home Safely (2013) and By Dom Kennedy (2015), both peaked at number 23 on the chart and were met with continued praise.
Marlanna Evans, better known by her stage name Rapsody, is an American rapper. After signing with music producer 9th Wonder's music label It's a Wonderful World Music Group, she released a series of mixtapes and collaborated with Erykah Badu and Talib Kweli. Soon afterwards Rapsody released her debut album The Idea of Beautiful (2012). She would attain further prominence when she was featured on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, on the track "Complexion ".
Brianna Perry, also known as Lil' Brianna, is an American rapper and actress from Miami-Dade County, Florida. She was the youngest act signed to Missy Elliott's label The Goldmind Inc. Perry made her debut on Trina's album Diamond Princess (2002) on the track "Kandi". Since then, she has released several mixtapes and starred as a regular cast-member on the reality-television series Sisterhood of Hip Hop. In 2016, Brianna left major label Atlantic Records due to low promotion and moved forward with her indie label Poe Boy Entertainment.
Deja Monét Trimble, known professionally as Dej Loaf, is an American rapper and singer from Detroit, Michigan. She is best known for her 2014 single "Try Me" and its 2015 follow-up, "Back Up". The latter received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and served as lead single for her debut extended play ...And See That's the Thing (2015), which was released by Columbia Records. Both songs, along with her guest appearance on Kid Ink's 2015 single "Be Real", peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Sell Sole II (2020), was met with positive critical reception despite failing to chart.
"Lost Ones" is a diss track by American rapper and singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill. It serves as the opening song on her 1998 debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, released through Ruffhouse and Columbia Records. The track was written and produced by Hill, alongside Vada Nobles and Che Pope, and features an interpolation of the reggae classic "Bam Bam" by Sister Nancy. While Hill does not explicitly name individuals in the song, it is widely believed to address her former Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean, with whom she had a strained personal and professional relationship.
American singer Teyana Taylor has released three studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, and fifteen singles. In 2009, Taylor released her first mixtape, From a Planet Called Harlem, which included her debut single "Google Me". It debuted at its peak of number ninety on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Around this time, Taylor featured on songs with the likes of Trey Songz, Missy Elliott, and Kanye West. Taylor has spoken about her inspiration from fellow female musician Lauryn Hill, which was noted with the release of her second mixtape in 2012. The mixtape, entitled The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor, takes its name from Hill's album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
