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One of the best albums ever, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, is part of the Library of Congress’ class of 2014 albums and songs that were regarded as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” As the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy award for Album of the Year, Lauryn Hill’s album is having its seventeenth anniversary this year, and we can think of a laundry list of reasons why her masterpiece deserves a spot in this honorable club!

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Below is the official statement from the Library of Congress on why Hill was (finally) recognized:

“Lauryn Hill’s debut solo record, following the breakup of the Fugees, is a work of honesty in which Hill explores her feelings on topics that included the deep wonder of pregnancy, the pitfalls of modern relationships and the experience of the sacred. The album effortlessly fuses soul, rhythm and blues, rap and reggae. Hill’s vocal range, smooth clear highs and vibrato are stunning. The rapping is rhythmically compelling while always retaining, and frequently exploiting, the natural cadences of conversational speech. Standout guest performances include Carlos Santana’s soulful acoustic guitar solo on ‘Zion,’ and duets with Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo on ‘I Used to Love Him’ and ‘Nothing Even Matters,’ respectively.”

Evidently, her only solo LP continues to amaze!

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is one of only four albums that are could be considered “modern” or “contemporary” because a majority of the other selections were mainly classic jazz, folk and rhythm and blues from the 1920s, ’40s and ’50s.

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