The Complicated Female Genius of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill defines herself. Twenty years ago, the one-time lead of the Fugees stepped out from the shadow of her male bandmates to release a solo debut. In the time since its August 1998 release, , her sole full-length album, has become the stuff of lore. It’s inspired , , and . The woman at its core remains at once celebrated and vilified, both an enigmatic siren and a fickle virtuoso. Hill is an unlikely heroine. The New Jersey–born singer and rapper first attracted notice with her performance in the 1993 sequel of Whoopi Goldberg’s rapturous . The original film followed the life of Deloris Van Cartier (Goldberg), a former lounge singer who turns to life in a convent for blasphemous reasons. In an effort to keep the rambunctious woman occupied,Cartier to leadthe convent’s choir, which she proceeds to turn into a musical sensation. In the phenomenally named sequel, , Hill plays a preternaturally talented high-school student. Though she also had writing credits on one of the film’s raps (“”), it’s her rendition of a beloved gospel track that has resonated even 25 years later. Along with her co-star Tanya Blount, Hill reinvigorated the record.