Lauryn Hill: The Queen Of All Divas
No musician dead or alive can be compared to Lauryn Hill. She is a unique talent and in my opinion the ultimate diva. Now, before I go any further I should clarify what is meant by the word ‘diva’.
Who is a diva?
When you mention the word ‘diva’ the first picture that comes to mind is a whiney, bitchy woman who will not stop throwing hissy fits until she gets what she wants exactly the way she wants it. While some of these characteristics are common in many divas they are not a true reflection of the word.
A diva is a female performer who is exceptionally gifted at what she does. She’s original, has the X factor that just draws you in inexplicably, and is normally very successful at what she does because she demands perfection. Because of this she’s normally, but not always, very overbearing and volatile. Her talent lets her get away with a lot of uncouth behavior. A diva isn’t necessarily difficult to work with; she just has a low tolerance for mediocrity. A diva is NOT just some talentless singer who thinks everyone should submit to her every impulse, or some woman who is needlessly bad-mannered and bitchy because she "knows what she wants" and enjoys being high maintenance. Lauryn Hill by this definition is a diva, and not just an any diva but the ultimate diva.
The Musical Genius
Lauryn is considered a queen in hip hop and R&B. She’s a rare talent that comes around once or twice in a generation. She’s an original; one of the marks of a diva – originality. It’s important to note that although she has only released one official studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, that album alone has been discussed for the past 18 years and is ranked as one of the greatest albums ever released. It sold roughly 19 million copies worldwide– a feat that most musicians have never achieved and will never achieve.
Lauryn is praised for her soulful singing, socially conscious lyrics, her supreme rapping abilities, her production which always seems to fit perfectly with her vocals, and the sheer electricity with which she performs when she’s on stage.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is not her only work though. She released the MTV Unplugged No 2.0 album in which she performed songs that were mostly in the conceptual stages. From the lyrics you could tell that this is a woman who’s not in the same mindset as most people. The music is as intriguing and philosophical as ever, although at the time she was criticized for her imperfect vocal performance and her nonchalant attitude towards her appearance but those are things that do very little to mask her true talent. The album has a number of gems, one of which Kanye West borrowed and used in his hit song All Falls Down. Dance hall and reggae artist Collie Buddz has also used the melody from Lauryn’s song I Get Out, to produce his own song titled Bun Down Di System. In short, she’s influential and inspirational. She has also released 2 studio albums with her group The Fugees, including the critically acclaimed and commercially successfully album, The Score.
She has won countless awards including multiple Grammy awards; a clear sign that she’s esteemed not only by her fans but also her industry mates.
The Gifted Actress
Almost every diva has taken her shot at acting; Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard), Mariah Carey (Glitter), Beyonce (The Fighting Temptations). The first time I saw Lauryn Hill, even before I became aware that she’s a professional musician was in the movie Sister Act 2: Back In the Habit; she took my breath away with her magnetism. She has a certain coolness about her. She truly is a gifted actress.
A diva is born
Most divas started out from humble(r) backgrounds. Look at Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Kylie Minogue, and Gloria Estefan to mention a few. If you look back at their first few songs they were (mostly) not the flamboyant, totally glam stars that they are now. When Lauryn first appeared on the scene she was one of the boys with the Fugees – a simple girl. As she grew and eventually released The Miseducation you could visibly her transformation into a beautiful, strong woman who’s comfortable in own skin.
One thing that sets Lauryn Hill apart is the fact that she’s fully in touch with her femininity, but she also has the ability to relate to and convey her messages in such a way that men can relate.
The look
As far as the look of a diva is concerned Lauryn's name is not brought up very often. She has become notorious for her nonchalance towards physical appearance in modern times. To say the least though she has her own style; she does not copy and that again is the mark of a true diva. During her live performances in the past she brought out her fair share of fabulous and ridiculously flamboyant outfits. If you don't beleive me you can see the pictures below.
The Drama/Customary Nervous Breakdown
Every diva is a drama queen in one way or another and Lauryn has had her fair share of drama. She also had the customary nervous breakdown or what she calls a moment of enlightenment where her actions became inexplicable to anyone. Whatever the case it was really strange. She says the pressure of the industry and society pushed her into quitting music and it as a result she chose not to live the typical celebrity lifestyle; opting to live her life her way – a noble decision which illustrated her iron will. Whatever it is it sure is intriguing. She’s known for her tardiness to her own shows, sometimes choosing not to show up at all. In 2009 she cancelled tour dates in Europe. She’s even had her run-in with the law and has faced jail time due to tax-evasion charges. Drama. Drama. Drama.
At the end of the day let’s not forget that what counts most is the musical talent. No singer should be given the diva title if she does not have the talent. Lauryn has bucket loads of it; so much of it that it sometimes seems like it’s been wasted due to all the drama surrounding her. Nonetheless The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide. No one sells that many copies by chance. That album has been listed on many top lists such as Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The Guardian’s 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die, About.com’s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums, and VH1’s The 100 Greatest Albums of R 'N' R to name a few. Lauryn’s solo work has remained culturally relevant for the past 18 years and continues to do so. She in my opinion is the ultimate diva; she has the talent, the charisma, the originality, the style, the overall X factor, and she has had massive success in her endeavors in music. She’s in the upper echelon of music and she is the ultimate diva.
