Lauryn Hill is back – sort of

The title track from “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” plays through my headphones as I draft this piece.
It’s one of the first songs that come to mind when I think about her strong alto voice that always packs so much emotion. The passion. The pain. The love – all channeled through her layered vocals and set to a melancholy piano, organ and string arrangement. And the vintage vinyl sound in the song’s background makes it even better.  A musical masterpiece, in my opinion.
So, I’m not quite sure why I’m listening to the sounds of “Miseducation” right now. Oftentimes, I slide in that CD for pure musical enjoyment and inspiration. But this time, I may be doing it to remind myself of why I still love Lauryn Hill today.
As you may know, Lauryn has somewhat returned to the spotlight. She’s been in and out of the public eye the last 12 years, but announced recently that she’ll be working on a new studio album. She’s embarked on a multi-city tour as well.
One of her most recent stops was Saturday, Jan. 8, in Charlotte, where she performed at Amos’ Southend.
As I approached the venue, hundreds of people were already in line for the sold-out show, creating an L-shape that extended to the back of the parking lot. Freezing temperatures and all, loyal fans came out in droves to see “L-Boogie” live and in effect.
But once inside, that enthusiasm quickly waned for many in the audience. 

Jesef Williams/reporter

Here's a picture I took on my camera phone at Lauryn Hill's Jan. 8 concert in Charlotte. Not great quality, but it's Lauryn nonetheless.

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Reporter Jesef Williams of The Lancaster News reflects on Lauryn Hill's recent concert in Charlotte and one of his favorite albums, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

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The venue posted 9 p.m. as the show time. But if you know about Lauryn and her shows, you know she’s never anywhere close to being on time. I prepared myself in advance for that, so her tardiness was not a big disappointment. The DJs beforehand were good anyway.
L-Boogie hit the stage at about 11:45 p.m., to both the relief and delight of the audience.
Among her first words were, “Charlotte, are you well? Charlotte, are your good?”
I saw the afro. I heard that voice, which couldn’t be mistaken for anybody else. It was indeed Lauryn Hill! But unfortunately, a lot of the familiarity ended there.
Her band served up unpreferred remixes of most of her popular songs, including “Ex-Factor” and “To Zion.” They were also played at a faster tempo, which meant Lauryn sang those songs in a rushed manner.
The musical arrangements were OK, but many of the songs lasted way too long. At times, they would go on to where you forgot what song they were supposed to be playing. It would have been nice to hear more of her classic joints with the original arrangement.
Fortunately, that was the case with “Killing Me Softly” and “Doo Wop (That Thing)” toward the end. That was the highlight of the show.  
Lauryn’s lyrics were there, but the vocal quality was absent. Her voice was quite hoarse the entire night. She struggled to hit notes and sounded even worse when trying to carry out a pitch. It perplexed a lot in the audience and left me with mixed feelings.
I knew deep down that the performance wasn’t really good. But I believe my love, respect and appreciation for her couldn’t allow me to be upset or disappointed.
From a musical and artistic standpoint, Lauryn Hill has meant so much to me through the years. I always speak favorably about “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” I believe it’s the best R&B/soul album since 1990 and one of the best works of our generation across all music genres.
“Miseducation” successfully and seamlessly incorporated elements of hip-hop, R&B, gospel, reggae, blues, rock and classical music to create an experience that was all Lauryn’s own.
Her story of heartbreak, freedom, personal expression, growth and even atonement speaks to me. “Miseducation” is about love – love for self, romanticism, a love for music and simply a love for life. She represents the beautiful aspects of hip-hop, creating art that makes us feel good about ourselves.
The lyrics were personal, real and meaningful. Her vocals were strong and her crafty raps made it complete.
The album garnered much acclaim and commercial success. It won five Grammy Awards, having received 10 nominations in all.
“Miseducation” packed radio-friendly songs but also had a slight underground edge. It had touches of gospel, but was quite secular as well. The album reminded listeners of sounds of yesteryear but also planted a seed for what the future may hold.
To this day, I don’t know if there’s a project that grabs me as much as “Miseducation” has. The album seems to get better with time.
But in saying all that, I say – as I had to explain to someone at the concert – that Lauryn is at a different place now. 1998 was so long ago. If you truly love her, you will support her and not only associate her with an album she released nearly 13 years ago.  
Hoarse voice and all, it was gratifying to see Lauryn Hill in person. I don’t believe my money was a waste, because not every day you get to see a living legend in the flesh.
I look forward to her forthcoming studio album, whenever it come out. Hopefully, her voice won’t be hoarse during recording sessions. She ought to know of some home remedies to treat that. She should start keeping a healthy supply of cough drops on stage.
Perhaps the Halls brand can sponsor her.

For more information about Lauren Hill, click this link

Jesef Williams is a reporter for The Lancaster News.