Lauryn+Hill

Lauryn Hill was born into a family of muscians and begin to see herself as an entertainer at an early asge. Lauryn's artistic and creative gifts showed infront of television audiences and soon after movie goers around the world, but her most notable contribution to the art world has been her songs, with their social edge. This beautiful story teller brung an intelligence, and an intense pride in who and what she is. When Ms. Hill came along she took a slightly different path than other recording artist of her time. Lauryn's music seemed to make us think and maybe even enlgihten us.

Lauryn Hill was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey to computer prgrammer Mal Hill and English teacher Valerie ill. Born May 25, 1975, Lauryn was the second and last child to knit the Hill family The Hills were a very talented familt; Her brother Maleney played the guitar, drums, saxaphone, harmonica and piano, her mother played the piano and her father sang at weddings. Therefore it was only destined for little Lauryn to be a musical goddess. Althought Lauryn had an exceeding gift, her first major aappearance at //It's Showtime at The Apollo// was unsuccessful. Thirteen year old Lauryn was booed off the stage, but she didn't let that determine her singing career. Lauryn later went back and sang Smokey Robinson's "Who's Lovin' You?" and won the applause and hearts of the Apollo audience. Lauryn Hill graduated from Columbia High School in 1993 where she was a cheerleader, performer and active student. IN the fall Miss Hill enrolled in Columbia University and only attended for a year before dropping out to persue her entertainment career.



Lauryn started her acting career right away, her first appearance was on a soap opera //As The World Turns// as Kira Johnson. Her next appearance was the co-star in //Sister Act 2:Back in The Habit. Hill// also appeared in motion pictures //Restataunt, Hav Plenty,// and //King of Hill// and in the play //Club XII// with MC Lyte. While doing all of this Lauryn stayed committed to her group The Rfugee Camp (The Fugees)that she joined in High School. The Fugee's first album Blunted in REality first launched inwhich peaked #49 on the US Hot 100 and sold more than 2 million copies worlwide. Their second album The Score won the musicians a multi-platinum grammy and awarded two of the three fugees International rap stars. Hill and Wyclef(group memeber) were an item throughtout The Fugee's tie together but seperated in 1996. IN the same year Miss Independent Hill began venturing off to make a solo album. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill which released in 1998. Miss Hill's Cd sold over 423,000 copies in its first week and topped the Billboard 200 ahrts in its for four weeks; And went on to sell more than 18 million over the next decade. ONly having one album Hill was nominated 10 times at the 1999 Grammy Awards, and was the first woman ever to be nominated that many times in one year. At this Grammy's she won five and was the first woman to do so. Her awards included Album of The Year, Beat R&B album, Best R&B Vocal Performanceand Best New Artist. Not only did she win the hearts of Americans but more importantly she won the hearts of the African American culture. Lauryn Hill recieved three awards at the 3th Annual NAACP Image Awards and also named "100+ Most INluential Black Americans in //Ebony// magazine.



Around 2000 Lauryn Noel Hill dropped out of the public eye completely. She stopped doing interviews, stopped listening to music and watching TV and began going to bible sudt five days a week. During this tie period Hill joined a more spiritual lifestyle with the help of spiritual adviser Brother Anthony. Twenty five year old Hill stated that wll the while this emotional crisis she went two to three years away from all socail interactions. She battled the insecurites of being young black and gifted, and sldo her identity. In July of 2001 Lauryn did a live recodring for //MTV Plugged// singing songs with only the tune of her guitar, on why she had been absent and what she had found. This album went Platinum four weeeks after its release. In 2004-2006 The Fugees had a short-lived return to do reunion concerts and had a leaked track which peaked at #40 on the Billboard R&B chart. THe return of The Fugees didn't last long once old grudges were re-opened. Wyclef and Michel bothe blamed Lauryn for the split.