"Wisdom is better than silver and gold..."

It's very rare that a musical compilation comes along and has such an undeniable impact on me

and a world of eager listeners. There are countless such albums; It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Illmatic, Black Star, Are You
Experienced?, etc. They are all marked by nearly-flawless production, intense performance and powerful lyrical content. They have changed many aspects of their respective genres. I respect musicians that write their own songs and produce their own music; quality, however, determines how much respect I give. I can assure all readers that Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is beyond good; the delivery on many songs is simply startling, the music creates a beautiful landscape that fits perfectly with not only the brilliant lyrical content but Lauryn Hill's strong voice.

This artist can write! Her message is clear and her vision is uniform throughout the entire album. Her lyrics fluctuate between excellent and brilliant. Each song, whether it's a lyric, the production, or the passionate delivery of a certain line or two will evoke a sense of total satisfaction and possibly give a few chills.

The interludes/skits are not intended to be humorous; their honesty makes me smile, however. They revolve around a classroom, making us think of the title: Miseducation... The children give their input on "love"; they sometimes admit to the media's forceful impression on what "love" is supposed to be, they dissect the differences between "love" and "infatuation", and the teacher invokes a sense of humor and comfort. This entire project is in complete uniform, with absolutely nothing misplaced or not belonging.

It's long; considering Lauryn Hill sings, her vocals are often drawn out and there are occassional pauses, just like in any song. She raps on occassion; she is equally strong at this, although her most powerful rapped material comes from her team effort in the Fugees' The Score. It clocks at nearly 80 minutes...not a single second, however, is wasted.

I admittedly almost over-looked this gem; after reading the excellent review of her CD at AllMusic.com at a time when I was making my transition from meaningless, empty and cliched gangsta-rap to visionary and intellectual rap, older but classic artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Aerosmith, and broadening my musical tastes with touches of rock and soul, I decided to pick this one up. It's inspired by reggae, rock, soul and hip-hop; a perfect
melange at that time for me. I was not truly impressed after my first few listens; in time, however, I started listening to the lyrical content and passionate delivery, then comparing it to other music I had heard. And, to my surprise, there was no comparison.

There are 16 tracks counting the two bonus cuts. They are as follows:

1. Intro 5/5

Next to My Name is Nobody, the intro off of a Canibus CD of the same name, this is the best introduction I have ever heard on an album. It sets the tone for the rest of the experience; the teacher is counting the number of present children in the class room. When he calls the name of Lauryn Hill, however, he does not automatically find her; later, he announces:

"Get off the stage...", a proclamation that automatically tells us Hill loves to perform, even as a child.

2. Lost Ones 5/5

An excellent way to continue opening up this album, Lost Ones is an attack on her former band mates, the Fugees. She raps this one...the beat works very well, and the song is rather strong...her voice is hinted with an accent. Her delivery is fierce and her lyrics are
intellectual:

Now, now, how come your talk turn cold?
Gained the whole world for the price of your soul
Tryin' to grab hold of what you can't control
Now you're all floss, what a sight to behold!
Wisdom is better than silver and gold
I was hopeless, now I'm on Hope road

3. Ex-Factor 5/5

I remember when I was around 13 or so, I first heard this song before I was even heavily into music. I frantically tried to remember who was singing it; it was quite addictive, the singer's voice was angelic and rather beautiful, and the production was excellent. The hook also carried parts of the song nicely. I found out it was Lauryn Hill, and now here I am, reviewing her album.
Ex-Factor talks about love; that's a re-occuring theme throughout the album:

It could all be so simple
Would you rather make it hard?
See, loving you is like a battle
And we both end up with scars
Tell me who I have to be...
To get some, reciprocity
See, no one loves you more than me
And no one ever will...

4. To Zion 5/5

This is probably one of the best performances Lauryn Hill has ever had on a song. Her voice is extremely powerful throughout, her lyrics spiritual and quite strong. It deals with the birth of her beloved son, Zion, and her refusal to abort the pregnancy, regardless of her growing career. The guitar is provided by Carlos Santana, and the beat is addictive.

Unsure of what the balance held,
I touched my belly overwhelmed
By what I had been chosen to perform
But then an angel come one day,
Told me to kneel down and pray
For unto me a man child would be born
"Look at your career!" they said,
"Lauryn, baby, use your head",
But instead, I chose to use my heart

5. Doo Wop (That Thing) 5/5

A clever dissection of sex, players, and power, this track is incredible. Lauryn Hill sings the hook and raps the verses, rapping from both perspectives to give both sides of the story. The beat is, again and unsurprisingly, very well produced and chosen.

The second verse is dedicated to the men
Concerned more with his rims and his Timbs,
Than his women
Him and his men, come to the club like hooligans
Don't care who they offend, poppin' yang
Like you got yen

6. Superstar 5/5

The second straight lyrical masterstroke after To Zion, this track also sounds like a subliminal diss against her former band mates, but more so, however, a proclamation to everyone that exchanges commercial marketability for quality and honest music. The beat is a little sparse, but nonetheless works. It's a slow track, but incredibly powerful.

Now tell me your philosophy
On what exactly an artist should be
Should they be someone with prosperity,
And no concept of reality?
Now who you know without any flaws,
That lives above the spiritual laws?
And does anything they feel, just because
There's always someone there who'll applaud?

7. Final Hour 4/5

The stream of perfect tracks end here. Although by no means a weak track (if it were to appear on any other album, it would be a definite highlight), it doesn't do justice to the quality of rest of the album. Nonetheless, the beat is quite likeable, and Lauryn Hill does nothing but rap on here. The lyrics fluctuate between good to strokes of brilliance.

I'm about to change the focus,
From the richest to the brokest,
I wrote this opus
To reverse the hypnosis
Whoever's closest, to the line's gonna win it
You gonna fall tryin' to ball,
While my team win the pennant
I'm about to be in it, for a minute
Then run for the senate,
Make a slum lord be the tenant
Give his money to kids to spend it

8. When It Hurts So Bad 4/5

Another song dealing with love, Lauryn Hill speaks of a love lost. Her delivery saves parts of the song and makes it quite memorable, yet it's not on the level of the rest of the album.

What you want might make you cry,
What you need might pass you by,
If you don't catch it...
And what you need, ironically
Might turn out just what you want to be
If you just let it...

9. I Used to Love Him 4/5

This track is practically the same as the previous one; a concept dealing with a love lost, it's seemingly about the same person. Lauryn Hill is able to elaborate on her story, however. The beat works well and some vocals are provided by Lauryn Hill. The delivery is excellent.

As I look at what I've done,
The type of life I've lived,
How many things I pray, the Father will forgive
One situation,
Involved a young man
He was the ocean; and I was the sand
He stole my heart,
Like a thief in the night
Dulled my senses,
And blurried my sight

10. Forgive Them Father 5/5

Things pick up in a HUGE way with this track; I am still undecided whether this is my favorite cut on the album, as there are too many to choose one, but it remains one of my top picks. Hill talks about backstabbers and the shifty; she warns us to look out for traitors, especially among our loved ones. The beat works well, and she gets in touch with some reggae.

Like Cain and Abel,
Caesar and Brutus,
Jesus and Judas,
Backstabbers do this!

11. Every Ghetto, Every City 4.5/5

This track has an extreme sense of nostalgia; Hill talks about her wish to return to a time that has been gone for a while now. She reminisces about her old neighborhoods and the fond memories she associates with them. This track is especially strong to those raised in an urban environment, and is thus also close to me.

I was just a little girl,
Skinny legs, a press and a curl
My mother always thought I'd be a star
But way before a record deal,
The streets that nurtured Lauryn Hill,
Made sure that I'd never go too far...
Every ghetto, every city
And suburban place I'd been,
Makes me recall the days,
In the New Jerusalem...
You know it's hot, don't forget what you got
Looking back, looking back...

12. Nothing Even Matters 5/5

This is quite the pleasureable coincidence; my favorite female singer, Lauryn Hill, joins with my favorite male singer, D'Angelo, for a duet. No reason to be skeptical; this is an excellent, excellent track. The beat is beautiful, and both artists' vocals and lyrics work very well.

Now the skies could fall,
Not even if my boss should call,
The world, it seems so very small
'Cuz nothing even matters, at all...

See I don't need no alcohol,
Your love makes me feel 10 feet tall,
Without it, I'd go through withdrawal,
'Cuz nothing even matters, at all...

These buildings could drift out to sea,
Some natural, catastrophe
Still, there's no place I'd rather be
'Cuz nothing even matters, at all

13. Everything is Everything 5/5

This is definitely one of the best tracks on the album. The beat is one of the best here, and Lauryn Hill fluctuates between a rapped verse and a lot of singing. Her vocals work very well and her delivery is nice. The real powerful aspect, however, are the flawless lyrics.

I wrote these words,
For everyone, that struggles in their youth
Who won't accept, deception, in--
Instead of what is truth...
It seems we lose the game,
Before we even start to play
Who made these rules?
We're so confused,
Easily led astray

Sometimes it seems, we'll touch that dream
But things come slow, or not at all
And the ones on top, won't make it stop
So convinced that they might fall
Let's love ourselves, then we can't fail
To make a better situation
Tomorow...our seeds will grow,
All we need is dedication

14. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 5/5

This is a contender for the most beautiful track on the album. The beat is classical, and sounds very fuzzy; this fuzziness adds very much to the song, however, as it allows Hill to look in her environment, and open it up for critique. The lyrics are beautiful

My world, it moves so fast today
And the past, it seems to far away
And I squeeze it so tight that I can't breathe
And everytime I try to be,
What anyone else has thought of me
So caught up, I wasn't able to achieve
But deep in my heart, the answer...
It was in me
And I made up my mind, to find my own destiny
I look at my environment,
And wonder, where the fire want
What ever happened to everything we used to be?
I hear so many cries for help,
Searching outside of themselves,
Now I know His strength is within me...

15. Can't Take My Eyes Off of You 5/5

A nice beat, lovely lyrics, addictive flow. The hook is absolutely powerful in terms of delivery.

This speaks for itself:

I can't take my eyes off of you,
You're just too good to be true
You'd be like Heaven to touch,
I wanna hold you so much
At last love has arrived,
Thank God I'm alive,
You're just too good to be true,
Just can't take my eyes off of you...

16. Sweetest Thing 5/5

Although the title track would have been a perfect close to the album, at this point, if resting, you'd be falling asleep to this beautiful melody. The beat is very sweet, the vocals are angelic.

The lyrics are a play off of a Biblical passage from Corinthians 12:12 on, what else, love!

Let me be patient,
Let me be kind,
Make me unselfish
Without being blind
Though I may suffer, I'll envy him not
And endure what comes
'Cause he's all that I got...

Now I may have faith, to make mountains fall
But if I lack love, then I have nothing at all
I can give away, everything I possess
But am without love, then I have no happiness
I know I'm imperfect, and not without sin
But now that I'm older, all childish things end.

Now, I may have wisdom, and knowledge on earth
But if I speak wrong, then oooh what is it worth?
See what we now know, is nothing compared
To the love I was shown, when our lives were spared
And tell him...
Tell him I need him...
Tell him I love him..


There's nothing much else to say that hasn't already been covered. This is some of the most moving and beautiful music I have ever heard in my life; everything from production to lyrics to vocals to delivery is astonishing. Lauryn Hill, as young as she is, should be remembered as one of the most brilliant musicians, performers, and song-writers of all time; and that's honesty.