This column is a partnership with Record Bar 45 Yokohama, a bona-fide record bar with excellent vinyl DJs and a supporter of NPO Yokohama Seasider. Here, we check out their Instagram (@recordbar45yokohama) to see what they’ve been playing, then write about one of the artists and/or albums—we’re DJs/musicians ourselves!
Lauryn Hill is one of the most influential vocalists of the 1990s (and perhaps the last 50 years). She grew to fame with her powerful voice and, in her solo career, was known for her introspective lyrics. She made her first splash as a member of the Fugees, whose 1996 album The Score became a touchstone of that era’s hip-hop. But it was with her 1998 solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, that she truly soared. With that album, for which she earned five Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year), she demonstrated her uncanny ability to blend hip-hop, R&B, soul, and reggae.
Today, the album still sounds fresh and relevant. Hill puts emotional vulnerability on display in her lyrics, addressing themes of love, spirituality, identity, and empowerment. Songs like “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and “Ex-Factor” already seem like classics, having inspired a generation of new artists. There are no songs on the album that most listeners would be tempted to skip; it’s a complete album in every way, from Hill’s singing to the production. Even if you’re not enamored of the genres of music she performs, these are songs you can’t help but respect.
In the aughts and 2010s, Hill was relatively quiet–at least compared to the heights she had achieved following her debut. In the last couple of years, however, she has reemerged, performing with former bandmates of the Fugees, as well as her children. Word is, new music could be on the way!