Hill is noted as a humanitarian, and in 1996 she received an Essence Award for work which has included the 1996 founding of the Refugee Project, an outreach organization that supports a two-week overnight camp for at-risk youth, and for supporting well-building projects in Kenya and Uganda, as well as for staging a rap concert in Harlem to promote voter registration.
In 1999's Grammy Awards, Hill was nominated eleven times and won Album of the Year (beating Madonna's critically acclaimed album Ray of Light), Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, setting a new record for a female performer.
Hill has four children with retired (American) football player Rohan Marley, son of the late reggae music icon, Bob Marley: Zion David Marley, born 1997, Selah Louise Marley, born 1998, and second son Joshua, born 2002. A fourth child, John, was born in 2003 and the couple married soon after.
Early life
Lauryn Hill was born in East Orange, New Jersey. Hill was the second of two children born to high school English teacher Valerie Hill and computer programmer Mal Hill. As a child, Hill incessantly listened to her parents' Motown and 1960s soul records. Music was a central part of the Hill home. Mal Hill sang at weddings, Valerie played the piano, and Lauryn's older brother Melaney played the saxophone, guitar and drums.
Hill graduated from Columbia High School (New Jersey) in Maplewood, New Jersey. Hill was an active student, cheerleader, and performer. She began her acting career at a young age, and started performing music in 1987. In 1988, 13-year old Hill appeared as an Amateur Night contestant on It's Showtime at the Apollo. Hill sang her own version of William "Smokey" Robinson's song "Who's Lovin' You?". A nervous Hill sung far away from the mic and was heckled at first; but persisted and finished her song to a standing applause, though she did not win.
Hill was childhood friends with actor Zach Braff and they both graduated from Columbia High School in 1993. Braff mentions inviting Hill to his bar Mitzvah in 1988.[1]
Hill appeared on the soap opera, As The World Turns as Kira Johnson. In December 1993, she starred in "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" as Rita Louise Watson. In the film, she performed the songs "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" (a duet with Tanya Blount) and "Joyful,Joyful" . It was in this role, as Rita, that she first came to national prominence, with Roger Ebert calling her "the girl with the big joyful voice". Although Sister Act I and II were originally conceived as vehicles for comedian Whoopi Goldberg, the second installment won Lauryn equal notice.
Her other acting work includes the play Club XII with MC Lyte, and the motion pictures King of the Hill (as Arletta the Elevator Operator), Hav Plenty (1997), and Restaurant (1998). She appeared on the soundtracks to Conspiracy Theory in 1996 (on the track "Can't Take My Eyes Off You") and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood in 2002 (on the track "Selah").
Her most recent album (mixtape) entitled "The Re-Education of Lauryn Hill" was released in 2007.
Interlude 2
Lauryn Hill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, I used to go on tour ya know, and I'd be a prisoner, I used to be a
Prisoner on tour cause I would go on tour and tour your'e supposed to enjoy and
Have a good time but I'd be this prisoner in the hotel you know drinkin' tea
And ya know tellin' children ya know mommy has to sleep cause I wanted to
Maintain this ya know emmaculate sounding voice, but that's not realistic, ya
Know reality is sometimes I stay up late and this is what I sound like when I
Wake up the next day, and ya know its a voice ya know and to me the the more I
Because when I am I used to be so ya know oh my god if I sound ya know harsh
And rhaspy I can't go out there, that's a lie ya know I just sound like a
Singer with a lot of stuff in her throat.
So, I told the people at MTV that they gotta like me better if not then people
Are gonna keep on sayin' who's that boy on stage. Who's that little boy. OK,
We're just finishing tune up, OK...
In the song "Interlude 2" by Lauryn Hill, the artist shares a personal story about her experience as a touring musician. She starts by requesting for some tea, and acknowledges that she sounds raspy. She explains that when she used to go on tour, she would often feel like a prisoner because she had to constantly maintain a perfect voice. She would drink tea and tell children that she had to sleep so that she could maintain her voice. However, she realizes that this is not realistic and that the reality is that she sometimes stays up late and wakes up with a harsh and raspy voice. Yet, she acknowledges that this is her real voice, and accepts that it can be used to spread a message.
Lauryn Hill goes on to say that she used to care a lot about how she was perceived by others, particularly by MTV. She tells them that they have to like her, or else people would keep on saying "who's that boy on stage?" She finishes the interlude by saying that she and her band are just finishing tuning up. Through this interlude, Hill conveys a message about the importance of being true to oneself and accepting imperfections.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I get some of that tea, some of that tea. I know I sound raspy but that's
I would like to have some tea, although I recognize my voice sounds rough.
Hey, I used to go on tour ya know, and I'd be a prisoner, I used to be a
In the past, when I went on tour, I felt like a captive because I secluded myself in my hotel room to maintain my voice.
Prisoner on tour cause I would go on tour and tour your'e supposed to enjoy and
Being on tour made me feel like a prisoner because, ideally, touring should be enjoyable and fun.
Have a good time but I'd be this prisoner in the hotel you know drinkin' tea
Instead, I spent my time in the hotel, drinking tea and telling my children I needed to sleep in order to have a perfect-sounding voice.
And ya know tellin' children ya know mommy has to sleep cause I wanted to
I felt I needed to rest and take care of my voice, so I would explain to my kids that I needed to sleep.
Maintain this ya know emmaculate sounding voice, but that's not realistic, ya
I tried to keep my voice perfect, but it's not always possible or realistic.
Know reality is sometimes I stay up late and this is what I sound like when I
The truth is that I sometimes stay up late, and that affects how my voice sounds the next day.
Wake up the next day, and ya know its a voice ya know and to me the the more I
I recognize that my voice may not always sound perfect, but that's just how it is.
Uh focus less on myself the more I realize I can be used to spread a message,
I've learned that by focusing less on myself and my voice, I can use my music to spread a positive message.
Because when I am I used to be so ya know oh my god if I sound ya know harsh
Before, I used to worry so much about sounding rough or harsh, but now I am more confident.
And rhaspy I can't go out there, that's a lie ya know I just sound like a
I used to believe that if my voice sounded rough, I couldn't perform, but actually, I sound like a singer with character.
Singer with a lot of stuff in her throat.
My voice may sound rough or raspy sometimes, but that's just a part of who I am as a singer.
So, I told the people at MTV that they gotta like me better if not then people
I expressed to MTV that they needed to appreciate me more, or else they risked being criticized for not recognizing my talent.
Are gonna keep on sayin' who's that boy on stage. Who's that little boy. OK,
Otherwise, people might not recognize me as a female performer, and instead, see me as a boy or young child on stage.
We're just finishing tune up, OK...
I am just finishing up my preparations before taking the stage.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL JAMES DENTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind