Lauryn Hill Reacts To ‘Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill’ Being Voted “Greatest Album Ever”
Lauryn Hill‘s classic debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, has been chosen by Apple Music as the greatest record ever made.
On Tuesday evening (May 21), Hill attended an intimate dinner held in New York City by the streaming platform, during which she was surprisingly informed of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill topping Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list as the best release of the modern era.
During the dinner, which was hosted by Ebro Darden, the New Jersey native expressed her appreciation upon hearing the news that her album was voted No. 1. “This is my award, but it’s a rich, deep narrative, and involves so many people, and so much sacrifice, and so much time, and so much collective love,” Hill, who was joined by her mother, said in a short speech. “This is as much mine as it is yours. This is all celebration.”
Recording artist Lauryn Hill pays tribute to Nina Simone during the 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Auditorium on April 14, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Darden, who participated in a roundtable style discussion with Nile Rogers and Maggie Rogers breaking the Top 10 entries on the Best Albums list, also touched on the album’s seismic impact upon its release and throughout the years.
“I think it’s important that you know that we understand what you gave to all of us,” the host told Hill. “To music, to Hip-Hop, to culture, to Black people, it’s very important. And for people to vote for this just shows it was worth it ’cause you touched people in a real way.”
Compiled by Apple Music and a mix of industry experts, artists, songwriters, and producers, Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums List ranked The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ahead of albums by Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Stevie Wonder, Frank Ocean, Prince, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and more.
Lauryn Hill performing on ‘MTV Unplugged’ at the MTV Studios in New York City, 7/21/01. Photo by Scott Gries/ImageDirect.
Released in 1998, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the first album by a rap artist to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1999. Producing the hit singles “Doo Wop (That Thing),” “Ex-Factor,” and “Everything Is Everything,” the album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and was added to the Library of Congress in 2015.
See Lauryn Hill’s reaction to topping Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums List below.