Lauryn Hill's Life Told Through Other People's Songs
Happy 41st Birthday, Ms. Hill!
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From L-Boogie to Ms. Hill - The multiple Grammy award winner Lauryn Hill turns 41 years old today (May 26). As we reminisce over Lauryn’s iconic, yet perplexing career, a soundtrack comes to mind — one from other artists. Let's take a look at the life of Ms. Hill through other peoples' songs. – Jon Reyes(Photo: Brian Killian/Getty Images)
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Ahmad, ‘Back in the Day’ - Lauryn described her picturesque childhood in New Jersey in her own song “Every Ghetto, Every City,” but this classic from back in the day does the job just as well. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for CBGB)
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Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrel, ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough' - When the world got to meet Lauryn Hill through her role as a wayward Catholic school student in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, it was apparent that she was destined for greatness. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The United Republic of Tanzania)
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The Notorious B.I.G., ‘Mo Money Mo Problems' - The Fugees got signed to Ruffhouse in 1993 and began their ascent through the hip-hop ranks and so began their demise, too. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research)
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Beyoncé, ‘Dangerously in Love’ - Wyclef and Lauryn's affair isn’t a highly documented one, but through the years rumblings and rumors have shed light on the unequivocal truth that it actually happened. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Destiny’s Child, ‘Through With Love’ - According to Wyclef's memoir the demise of their relationship, both personal and professional, happened when Lauryn allegedly claimed that Wyclef was the father of her first-born, Zion. Still, whatever the cause, the break-up would reverberate through her debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)
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The Weeknd, ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ - Lauryn’s relationship with Rohan was also a tumultuous one, but like any other relationship, the beginning is often the best. And in this case, Hill had also just become pregnant with future baby Zion. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Brenda Chase/Online USA, Inc.)
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Jay Z, ‘Big Pimpin’ - There’s no bigger celebratory anthem than this HOV classic. At the peak of popularity for the songstress and her debut solo album, things were epically great — culminating at the 1999 Grammy Awards. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)
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Kanye West, 'All Falls Down' - At the beginning of the millennium things began to look uneasy in Lauryn’s world. She began to unravel in a pseudo-public way. She had three more children during this time — while rumors of Rohan’s infidelity circled — but it was her emotional breakdown during her Unplugged 2.0 record and accompanied MTV performance that had people talking. To top everything off, her close relationship with Brother Anthony, a man Hill adopted as her spiritual adviser, had friends and family concerned for the singer's well being. Even then she managed to squeeze in a Fugees reunion in 2004 at Dave Chappelle's Block Party. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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2Pac, ‘Hail Mary’ - It took some years, but Lauryn began to work again and make public appearances in the form of live shows. That did come with some erratic behavior and of course, lateness. [PLAY HERE](Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)