Lauryn Hill the goddess top 25 songs (stillmatic version)

[stillmatic]

New change of direction, thread will now be a countdown of my top 25 Lauryn Hill (aka the greatest female MC of all time no matter what happens in Hip Hop from now until the day the world ends) songs countdown.

Quick facts for some new generation fans who may not know Lauryn well.

- Member of the group 'The Fugees' who released 2 albums. Their second (and last) 'The Score' is recognized as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time, winning 2 grammys, selling over 10 million worldwide and making the list of Rollingstones greatest albums of all time.
- Her only real solo album 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' won 5 grammys including the first rap album to win Album of the year, and she set history winning the most grammys in one night by a woman at that time, it sold over 18 million worldwide and made the Rollingstone greatest albums of all time list.
- Since then Lauryn has left the entertainment industry, citing wanting to get more spiritual and citing her frustrations with big companies running the music industry and it's fake nature.

#25
Music featuring Joss Stone

From Joss Stone (who can also be heard on "My generation" on Distant Relatives), 'The Fugees' song 'The Mask' is sampled here with Lauryn being a feature on Joss' debut album. The song is from 2007, so it marked another return by Lauryn into the music scene, and she makes her comeback with fire lyrics and pure poetry, putting the icing on a very inspiring song.

[Hiphopdane]

I've only listened to The Score and Miseducation but both are really strong albums, no doubt about that.

I like the way she combines hip hop, soul and pop music so perfectly well. A shame she "retired" cus she could have been known as the Queen of the whole genre if she kept making albums. Instead we now have Nicki Minaj getting praised from all angles when she in fact has fuck all talent

Having said that, I read some months ago that she had finished a second solo album. I don't know if it's true.

Another thing I like about her is that she makes all her stuff herself. She not dependent on some hot producer to feed her with great productions. She is an artist that can stand alone.

[stillmatic]

#24
So much things to say

From Lauryn's Unplugged CD, Lauryn delivers another inspiring song showcasing her great songwriting skills as well as her powerful message against critics and the world in general. The song was later sampled on Method Man's '4:21... The Day After' album on his single 'Say'.

[stillmatic]

Having said that, I read some months ago that she had finished a second solo album. I don't know if it's true.

According to her husband, she's finished enough tracks for 8 albums.

From everything in the last few years though, the album will be very spiritual and different to her previous work, so it may only be for her core audience, and not the mainstream audience who she's very against. I just hope she doesn't go too far left, and at least takes the Nas path of recent memory and release for her core audience, but still deliver some of the same type of material that made them be loved in the first place.

[mcZu]

Awesome thread, Lauryn Hill deserves way more respect than she's getting...

'Lauryn Hill - Mystery of Iniquity' is one of my all time favorite Hip Hop songs ever since I saw her perform the song with her guitar on MTV Unplugged back in the days. Such a powerfull song, brilliant lyrics.

[stillmatic]

Fvcking Sony has blocked almost every single Lauryn Single to be embedded, so you gotta click on it to watch it on youtube. Anyway, back to the countdown, I'll do 3 a day.

#23
Can't take my eyes off you

Lauryn showcases her singing skills in it's entirety in this massive single from her solo album which is a cover of Frankie Valli's song. The song was on every parent, lover, romantic and even some deep thugs playlist when it was released, with Lauryn's cool vibe perfectly fitting the positive lyrics of the song. It's hard to pull this off in this generation.

[stillmatic]

#22
Nappy heads (ft. The Fugees)

From the groups debut album, a teenage Lauryn showcases her MC skills on this Salaam Remi produced track (frequent collaborator of Nas). It was one of the first songs which allowed the world to see Lauryn's skills, and she steals the track with intelligent and raw rhymes.

[stillmatic]

#21
The Sweetest Thing

'The Sweetest Thing,'' appeared on the soundtrack to the film 'Love Jones' and was credited to the Refugee Camp All-Stars featuring Lauryn Hill', however it is clearly just the Lauryn show. The song was the first original song that became a hit for any Fugees member after the breakup of their group, with Wyclef and Pras releasing albums, but Lauryn released just this song and it instantly became a hit. Lauryn is on her soul and r&b ish on this track, and her songwriting is again on show with her elegant voice taking into higher levels.

[stillmatic]

#20
Everything is everything

Only a few songs in and for those that don't know Lauryn, it's already obvious that her music is three things - very versatile, very positive, and great. This song is one of the reasons why Jay-Z labeled "Andre 3000 as the male version of Lauryn Hill" on a 'Star is born' from his recent album, because he suggested that Andre could make tracks where he would sing and rap, and somehow pull it off. Lauryn balances the track perfectly by singing, rapping and singing again, and she balances the song so well that you forget she started rapping, or started singing again. That's when you know you're so into the track, you don't even notice.

[stillmatic]

#19
Nothing even matters (ft. D'Angelo)

Probably one of Lauryn's smoothest tracks, it comes from her masterpiece solo album and was one of the songs that a lot of buzz around on at the time, even though it wasn't a single, it was played heavily on radio. Lauryn and D'Angelo have an incredible connection and their chemistry is undeniable. For the lovers and love makers, this song will live until the end of time. Chill as fuck.

[stillmatic]

#18
War in the mind (Freedom time)

It always amazes me how much she sounds like Nas on this track, the way she so passionately delivers her message and how intelligent and conscious it is, it's quite literally a female version of a Nas song. There's quite a bit of Tupac in this song as well, from her Unplugged CD. Sometimes a message just needs a mic and a guitar, no beats. Word to the hundreds of new political rappers - hear this.

[stillmatic]

#17
I used to love him (ft. Mary J.Blige)

Another great ballad from Ms.Hill with further use of harmony singers, which is a great theme in her songs. It should not be known that Lauryn wrote the majority of her albums lyrics in her attic when she was pregnant, and most of the love songs have gospel features and themes too, so the emotions she was feeling at the time are definitely clear to see here. In this particular collabo, Lauryn reflects on her relationship with Wyclef Jean.

[stillmatic]

#16
Zealots (ft. The Fugees)

One of her most controversial songs and one of her most clever songs. The song overall is a diss to Jeru the Damaja, who Pras from The Fugees had problems with. Lauryn clearly takes shots at him, and other rappers (speculation ran wild on who). Sometimes subliminal disses are so much more clever, and Lauryn's skill capitalizes on that.

[stillmatic]

#15
When it hurts so bad

Lauryn's album was an album of 'often-astonishing power, strength, and feeling'. The different musical styles used in her album is one a great reason as to why people were so in love with this album, with this song in particular mixing musically old roots reggae and soul, and she is able to connect them together perfectly. No big beats, no controversy, no crap punchlines or metaphors, no wigs, no gimmicks, no barbies needed here.

[stillmatic]

#14
I gotta find peace of mind

This is why I'm such a huge fan of Eminem and Lauryn Hill - both have so been hurt by the people they loved and the best way for them to express it is through song. This song is pretty much her "Rock Bottom", its clear when she sings her voice is saying something however this is purely a reflection of a woman who has been lied to and mentally abused by the man that she loves with all her heart. Deep fucking track, second best from her unplugged CD.