Dear Ms. Lauryn Hill: A Letter to Lauryn Hill

"Deep in my heart the answer it was in me, and I've made up my mind to define my own destiny." A line from the song Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, off the album of the same title. That is probably the most beautiful heart felt songs I've ever heard in my life. So inspirational so positive. The Miseducation came out when I was in high school and it was my favorite album and the best album I had ever heard. But it wasn't until college that I found out what exactly you meant by the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. In the first interlude on the album you hear the teacher calling role. When he got to your name it was clear that you were not in class. The topic for that day in class was LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS..But you weren't there...GENIUS. "It could all be so simple, but you'd rather make it hard," the lyrics from that album were phenomenal. When the Fugees album, "The Score" came out it was the first real hip hop album that I bought. "Killing me Softly," a beautiful rendition of Ms. Roberta Flack's classic. But yours encompassed a part of Hip Hop that I hadn't been exposed to yet. So when did I fall in love with HIP HOP?? When I heard your version of Killing Me Softly, your version of THE TRUTH! The fact that soul and hip hop could survive in the same place was out of this world to me. But my eyes and ears were opened. Moving forward to your MTV Unplugged album. Very unexpected, many people complained that you sounded bad or out of tune. But what I heard was pain love and growth. Something that I was experiencing myself so I felt that album. It definitely taught me to GET OUT, (Of their boxes)...From Mr. Intentional to I find it hard to say I soon came to realize that you are and always will be a legend. (NO ARGUMENT NECESSARY) Bottom line, point blank, period. Please continue to bless us with your talent. Neo-Soul, Soul, R &B and Hip Hop need you!!!

-MP