#Lauryn hill mtv unplugged no 2.0 how to#
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And like clockwork, society proved her right. To a young black girl trapped in suburbia, I interpreted Hill’s Unplugged 2.0 as a cautionary tale about the price we pay for living free. But even in the midst of Hill’s elevated sense of self, the media relegated her to the “crazy” category as they did with other stars who defied mega-stardom like Nina Simone and Dave Chappelle.Ĭritics who claimed to love the “liberation” and “honesty” of Miseducation suddenly jumped ship when her truth became too real, too unorthodox. Hill unpacked deep themes and universal truths that even the most lived of us have trouble grasping.

#Lauryn hill mtv unplugged no 2.0 how to#

Her technical prowess only advanced with Unplugged, learning how to play guitar in only a year’s time. Her pen game was also a force to be reckoned with, proven by hits like “A Rose Is Still A Rose” which she wrote for soul legend Aretha Franklin. Hill carved out a very special place for herself in the stubbornly sexist genre of hip-hop. As a solo act, she was mystifying and seemingly unstoppable.

When she was 1/3 of The Fugees, the world saw Hill as an artist with promise. “His word is nailed, everything to the tree / Severing all of me / From all I used to be” – “Freedom Time” As a complete body of work, it sharply and intentionally steered Hill away from the pretenses of mainstream media that kept her shackled and ushered her into a higher calling. Unplugged 2.0 meddled with everything we were conditioned to believe. Critics who claimed to love the “liberation” and “honesty” of Miseducation suddenly jumped ship when her truth became too real, too unorthodox. It’s clear that accomplishing all that she had up until that point required much masquerading that she just couldn’t muster anymore: A polished, propped up version of hip-hop’s Joan of Arc. There was also something foretelling in songs like “The Mystery of Iniquity” and “Freedom Time.” Hill had been in the spotlight since childhood – starting with a rough performance at The Apollo, snagging a major role in Sister Act 2 (1993) and landing commercial success with her East Orange, New Jersey friends known to the masses as The Fugees. Intentional” sounded like a father who happened to disappoint an angsty teenager with his absence.

#Lauryn hill mtv unplugged no 2.0 free#

“I get out, I’ll get out of all your boxes / I get out, you can’t hold me in these chains / I’ll get out, Father free me from this bondage / Knowin’ my condition is the reason I must change” – “I Get Out”Īlthough Hill and I were dealing with two completely different conflicts, the man described on “Mr.