Miseducation

Its been 10 years since "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" was released, that right there makes me feel a little older. After 10 years, this album remains one of the most refreshing albums I have had the pleasure of listening to.

Now I was just listening to 'Keri Hilson - Mic Check' and then switched to 'Lauryn Hill - Ex-Factor' and the contrast between the synthetic Timbaland beat and the organic beauty that can be found on every single track on 'The Miseducation' was shockingly stark.

Rolling Stone has put together an article about the creative process behind 'The Miseducation' and also the drama which followed its success. Quoting several people who worked on the album and including excerpts from an interview with Lauryn from back in the day, the article highlights the great effort which was put into making the record.
Lauryn's character was always presented through the media as a person who effortlessly spat fire and oozed soul. I feel like her superhero mask has been taken off, maybe that's a bit naive of me.

My favourite quote is from Lauryn herself, and it shows that the basic ideas were always hers;

"I don't like to use compressors and take away my textures, because I was raised on music that was recorded before technology advanced to the place where it could be smooth."

Anyway, read the article and reminisce.

Rolling Stone - Inside "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill"