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Ms. Lauryn Hill Compares Herself to Harriet Tubman in Instagram Comment Explaining Why She Never Released Another Album

After the social media platform FRAIM published a post speculating about why Lauryn Hill never followed up her landmark 1998 debut, the singer set the record straight herself.

Ms. Lauryn Hill has entered the comments section.

After the platform, FRAIM, published a post about why Lauryn Hill never released another album after her wildly successful debut, Hill herself jumped in to clear things up. The explainer post cited legal troubles, family obligations, lack of label support, and other factors. Hill was not feeling any of it.

"I disagree," she wrote in a short reply that already has more than 800 likes. She then shared a longer comment that broke down her own perspective in detail.

"When you're inspired and desire to be principled, what doesn't get talked about enough is the drain… nor the challenge to find safety so that you can create with integrity," Hill wrote. "Most see opportunity as dollars only and often exclude the 'sense.' The Score nor the Miseducation were made because we were 'allowed' to represent what we did, we fought for every inch."

She continued, "Wild success can cause greed that begins to degenerate the art for the money. We're people living through all this. These conversations should allow for more nuance. Artists go through phases, creativity requires expression, exploration and experimentation. There were people who hated the Unplugged album and yet some today swear by its significance."

In one of the most striking parts of the post, Hill compared her artistic mission to that of Harriet Tubman. "I was like a Harriet Tubman figure in some respects running to speak difficult truths to power before certain forces tried to close those doors," she wrote. "If it was so easy to do, where is that expression now on the world stage? Systems fear what they can't control. Creativity is most potent when it's free."

Hill also pointed to her broader influence on a generation of artists. "If I did nothing else, I introduced standards and possibilities to a generation that didn't know they could operate on that level before then," she wrote. "I am often doing things outside the support of the system before people can even realize what I've done. Another artist who values inspiration then recognizes IT'S value and re-presents it to an audience then ready to receive it."

She also described what she went through after the 1998 debut. "After The Miseducation, there were scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations, and saboteurs EVERYWHERE," she said. "People had included me in their own narratives of their successes as it pertained to my album, and if this contradicted my experience, I was considered an enemy."

"The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," released in August 1998, made her the first woman to win five Grammys in a single night. The album featured hits including "Doo Wop (That Thing)," "Ex-Factor," and "To Zion." Nearly three decades later, it remains one of the most influential and beloved albums in hip hop and R&B history.

Hill released "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0" in 2002 as a live recording, but has not released a follow-up studio album. The internet has been asking why for over 25 years. She has finally said what she wants to say about it.

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