In 1992, an aspiring young recording artist named Prakazrel Michel, approached Lauryn Hill, a gifted young poet/vocalist in his New Jersey high school, about joining a music group that he was forming with his cousin, Wyclef Jean. The trio — whose eclectic sound integrated elements of hip-hop, soul and Caribbean musical forms, and whose lyrics reflected a heightened political awareness — dubbed themselves “The Fugees” (as in refugees), and were soon signed to Columbia Records.
In 1994, the group released their first EP Blunted on Reality. While the album garnered little in the way of mainstream recognition, it notched two urban-market hits and revealed a bold new artistic voice — setting the stage for a much-anticipated follow-up.
That sophomore effort, 1996’s The Score, would exceed even the highest expectations — charting four Billboard hits, selling 15 million units worldwide, earning Best Rap Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1997 Grammy® Awards, and catapulting The Fugees into superstardom. The glare of fame and fortune, however, intensified problems within the group, and strained by the growing solo ambitions of its three members, The Fugees disbanded before year’s end.
In 1998, Lauryn Hill released The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and soon thereafter, she became the biggest solo artist in the world. Combining live instrumentation with Hill’s rich vocals and impassioned lyrics, Miseducation reigned atop the Billboard charts for six weeks — charting four hits (including a #1 single) and selling more than 18 million units worldwide. At the 1999 Grammy® Awards, Miseducation earned Hill a permanent place in music history, making her the first woman ever to notch 10 nominations in a single year. Hill went on to win five Grammys® — Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best New Artist and Album of the Year — also a historical first.
As time progressed, Hill became disenchanted with the burdens of celebrity. Distancing herself from the music industry and the media — firing her management team, rejecting interview requests, refusing to watch TV or even listen to music (or so it is rumored) — Hill sought refuge in her then-burgeoning spirituality. And in 2000, near the height of her acclaim, Lauryn Hill vanished from the public eye.
Hill would resurface after more than a year — releasing a moderately popular second album, appearing (with occasional controversy) at several high-profile international events, and reuniting with The Fugees for a two-year span that ended bitterly in 2006.
In the years since, Hill has continued to tour and perform intermittently in venues around the world. Frequent domestic appearances during 2010, coupled with rumors emerging from within the music industry, have led many to speculate — some, perhaps, wishfully — that Hill intends to release a new album in the coming year.
How will the music world receive Lauryn Hill? Can her creative vision remain relevant in a ever-fragmenting pop-culture industry? Is she truly ready to face the glare of a celebrity spotlight that’s more intense and unrelenting than the one she fled? In Search of Ms. Lauryn Hill intends to document her journey and uncover the truth.
This concept summary is excerpted from an original treatment conceived, written and designed by me in 2010. (“In Search of Ms. Lauryn Hill” is registered with the WGA West, Inc.)
creative.reconstruction 