Kendra: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Kendra Cheyenne Williams January 11, 2016

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Poetry and Hip Hop

Intro:

• School
• taking attendance
• Black names in

Lost Ones

• L been this way since creation
• saying she has always been the same and has not changed for anyone
• You might win some but you lost one
• this is the hook and I think this goes to the theme
• “Can’t slick talk on the day of judgement”
• discusses hypocrites
• “karma karma karma comes back to you hard”
• Lauryn is this “lost one” supposed to be fairly general so everyone can relate or do you have something specific

The Ex Factor

• This songs seems to be about love. Lauryn wants this guy to change his player ways and mistreatment towards her. She keeps saying, “tell me who I have to be.”
• She also claims “this is crazy”, so it seems she is conflicted on whether to love him even though they can’t love each other
• It seems they are not right for each other at this point in their lives. I think this relates to the younger audience because it sounds like young love

Zion

• But instead I chose to use my heart
• Now the joy of my world is in Zion
• I think Zion can be god, a child, loved one. It can be anyone who gives you joy

Doo Wop

• Talks about guys and girls aren’t in love for the right reasons

Superstar

• “Music is supposed to inspire, how come we aint getting no higher”
• Lauryn wants real music instead of this fakeness

Final Hour

• Talks about how she’s fly
• Keep eyes on the final hour
• stay focused

When it Hurts so Bad

• talks about unrequited love
• “see I thought this feeling it was all I had”
• I think this quote is so relatable bc a lot of people think a relationship is the only thing there is in their life

I used to love him

• He was the ocean and I was the sand

Forgive them Father

• What motivated you to write this song?

Every Ghetto Every City

• I think she is looking back at her past in the ghetto
• talks about beef patty and coco bread which I relate to because I’m Jamaican

Everything is Everything

• After winter must come spring
• after pain must be beauty

Why did you want to focus on Love in the Interlude?

I think Lauryn Hill is trying to find the definition of love. Throughout this album Hill is showing her experiences with her lost loves but also different forms of love. She is not only speaking of romantic love but love with god, her culture, family, etc. Lauryn Hill is trying to figure out who she is, and I think self-love is definitely portrayed in this album.