By shelz.

Many current femcees fear the feminist lens.  They sell to men and the superficial women who want to be them.  There is little critical thought as it would get in the way of their Gucci bags and late night trysts with dudes they met in the club with fat pockets.  Don’t misunderstand.  There is a time and place for everything and we all have layers.  However, depending solely on the well dressed urban slut role does these emcees a disservice. They must think no one wants to hear a thoughtful female perspective.  They must think no one would ever buy into it; buy into them as more than a blow up doll ripe for servicing.  They are wrong.

The most highly acclaimed release from a female emcee ever dealt in the depth of womanhood. It showcased layer after layer of the black female existence.  It tackled love, loss, respect, motherhood, sex, education, money and a myriad of other topics. And to this day has sold over 19 million copies.  That album is the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

This album was no enigma.  Lauryn struck a chord in us all because she spoke her truth.  She didn’t attack with haughty preachiness.  There was protest, but it was swathed in an all encompassing experience; a beautifully personal account that most of us could relate to. And she did it with masterful production (yes, she produced the bulk of the album), perfectly crafted songs and a husky, melodic voice that toggled between rap and R&B with a skill we haven’t seen much of since, gender notwithstanding.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your view point, Lauryn did this without her Fugee brethren who from jump weren’t all that happy to see her spread her wings. And she thanked them (well Wyclef) with “I Used to Love Him.” She called industry folks out with “Lost Ones” and produced “Ex-Factor,” one of the most poignant love songs ever written (which even taught some of you a new word  re-ci-pro-ci-ty)  

I do have my moments when I can appreciate a full on sexually decadent release from a female emcee, but the thing is, that only speaks to one element of me.  Lauryn managed with her Miseducation to speak to almost all of me and I bought into that, hook line and sinker. We all did. The album, 12 years out, is still regarded as one of the most well-rounded and effectual LP’s the urban music scene can claim as its own. Argue whether it’s Hip-Hop or R&B, or whether she’s a singer or an emcee all you want.  She is all of that. And in her Miseducation, the ladies of our community could school the rest of the world about how thoughtful, complex and layered we really were.

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