You know, my idea of success isn’t about what most people think it is. To me, it’s about escaping the Matrix, like we’ve talked about before. It’s not tied to having an album out, a hit video, or a song on the radio. Honestly, I already feel successful right now, even without any of that.
Speaking of success, there’s always been so much talk about why Lauryn Hill left the music industry. Some say she sabotaged her own career, while others, like Pras, claim she just lost her inspiration. All three Fugees members went solo, and Lauryn’s album was by far the most successful. But after that, she stopped releasing new music. Sure, there was the MTV Unplugged album, but it wasn’t exactly the follow-up people were expecting after a diamond-selling debut.
You’re close with Lauryn—did she ever open up about why she stopped? Was it really about feeling uninspired?
What if I told you it wasn’t just that? What if there were people behind the scenes actively working to push her out because she refused to “play their game”? Let’s dig into that. But before we do, let’s look back at how her incredible story began.
We all know Lauryn is a powerhouse, but like a lot of artists, her journey wasn’t easy. When she was just 13, she decided to take a big leap and perform at Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in New York City. She chose the Jackson 5’s Who’s Lovin’ You, and you can imagine the buzz in the room when her name was announced:
“Alright, folks, it’s going to be an exciting Amateur Night! Give a big Apollo welcome to Lauryn Hill!”
But things didn’t go as planned. Her nerves got the best of her, and she struggled to get through the performance. Eventually, the audience booed her off the stage.
Lauryn Hill didn’t give up. Back in high school, she joined a hip-hop group called The Fugees, founded by her Haitian friend Pras. The group originally consisted of Pras and a girl named Marcy, who introduced Lauryn to the crew. About a year later, Pras’s cousin Wyclef joined, and the trio balanced their studies while recording demos and booking gigs. By the end of the school year, they had offers from three different record labels.
Lauryn also landed acting roles, like in Sister Act 2 with Whoopi Goldberg, and was quickly making a name for herself in the industry. The Fugees went on to win two Grammys, including Best R&B Performance and Best Rap Album. But, despite their success, the group broke up at the peak of their fame.
Lauryn’s former manager cited creative differences as the reason for the split. Lauryn herself later explained, “I intended to be in the group forever until I found myself in circumstances where I felt the inner desire to express myself freely and openly, without any constraint.”
On top of the band’s success, Lauryn’s solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, was a massive hit. It sold over 10 million copies and won five Grammys. Her rise to superstardom was meteoric. But just as quickly as she reached the top, her downfall began.
What happened? How did Lauryn go from being a rising star to what some might call a wrecking ball?
The truth is, Lauryn wasn’t about to let Hollywood executives control her career, her creativity, or her future. She made it clear throughout her career. In a 2009 interview with Essence, she said:
“I don’t think I ever handled celebrity. For a period of time, I had to step away entirely. There were many temptations, enticements, and entrapments—whether it was the dependence on image or some false sense of security. I had to step away when I realized that, for the sake of the machine, I was being way too compromised.”
In a January 2021 interview with Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums podcast, Lauryn Hill opened up about the struggles she faced after the success of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Despite the album’s massive acclaim, she revealed that her record label hindered any hopes for a proper follow-up. She said:
“The wild thing is, no one from my label has ever called me and asked, ‘How can we help you make another album?’ Ever. Ever. Did I say ever? Ever.”
Hill explained that while The Miseducation allowed her the freedom to express herself and experiment, the aftermath was filled with obstacles. She continued:
“With The Miseducation, there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment, and express. After The Miseducation, there were scores of tentacled obstructionists—politics, repressive agendas, unrealistic expectations, and saboteurs everywhere. 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.”
In 2022, Lauryn Hill supported the Fair Act, a California bill that aimed to prevent record labels from suing artists who leave their contracts early. The bill would repeal a 1987 amendment that allowed record labels to sue artists for damages if they didn’t deliver the required number of albums. On Instagram, Hill posted:
“No institution should be allowed the opportunity to control the market by controlling the output of a creative being for some ridiculous, indefinite period of time. This is not only unjust; it’s dangerous. At its core, it’s a violation of the principles of free expression. Artists’ expressions are their voices and should not be contained, caught up, or controlled beyond a reasonable amount of time by an institution with the money and power to obstruct and deny someone’s output indefinitely.”
She has also spoken out about the gender disparity in creative control, noting that men can often speak their minds without challenge, while women face resistance when they stand up for their rights. Lauryn emphasized that she fights for the freedom to create and live without being controlled or manipulated.
Hill has also addressed issues like sexism and the hypocrisy of the IRS. She believes these struggles, along with her outspokenness against industry exploitation, contributed to her being blackballed in the music world. Like many artists who stand up for themselves, Lauryn was labeled as difficult—accused of being unreliable or late—yet she still demanded respect and fair compensation.
But none of this stopped Lauryn Hill from speaking her mind.
After her arrest, Hill testified that she had always intended to pay her back taxes but was unable to do so after stepping away from the music industry to care for her six children. Her decision to leave the industry was partly because of how artists were mistreated and exploited by record label executives.
Shortly after her arrest, Hill posted a heartfelt statement on her Tumblr, saying:
“I entered into my craft full of optimism—which I still possess—but immediately saw the suppressive force with which the system attempts to maintain its control over a given paradigm. I’ve seen people promote addiction, sabotage, blacklisting, and any other coercion technique they could to prevent artists from knowing their true value or exercising their full power. These devices of control—no matter how well-intentioned or not—can have a devastating outcome on the lives of people, especially creative types who must grow and exist within a certain environment and pace in order to live and create optimally.”
Even though other high-income tax evaders, including celebrities, were often given alternative solutions rather than jail time, Lauryn Hill faced harsher treatment. It was reported that industry executives, who were angered by her public criticism, may have played a role in pushing for her incarceration. Hill has argued that the exploitative nature of the music industry forced her into exile, leaving her without the means to pay her back taxes or support her children.
“I did whatever needed to be done in order to insulate my family from the climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism, and ageism that I was surrounded by.”
Unfortunately, in trying to protect herself, she ended up more exposed to the very threats she was trying to avoid. She described this as a “lifestyle that required distortion and compromise.”
Lauryn also addressed the speculation around her deal with Sony, which some believed was meant to pay off her debts. She explained:
“This is an old conflict between art and commerce—free minds versus minds that are overly tethered to structure. It’s about inequity and the disenfranchisement it causes. I’ve been fighting for existential and economic freedom—the freedom to create and live without someone threatening, controlling, or manipulating the art and the artist by controlling the purse strings.”
It’s pretty clear what Lauryn was saying, right?
Now, I know some people argue that Lauryn contributed to the downfall of her own career, and I can see where they’re coming from. For one, there was her tumultuous relationship with Wyclef, which was emotionally draining for both of them. Wyclef, however, was married, and their relationship caused tension within the group. Things got even messier when Lauryn started dating Rohan Marley and got pregnant. Wyclef believed the child was his, and when a paternity test proved otherwise, it caused a major fallout, ultimately leading to the group’s disbandment. Wyclef even admitted, “Pras definitely blames me for how things ended. I’m sure he blames me, you know what I’m saying?”
Pras later said, “Yo, man, Wyclef was the cancer of the Fugees.” At the time, you could understand his frustration. It was as if he was saying, “I wanted this to work, and you shouldn’t have gotten involved with her. Didn’t I warn you about that?”
On top of all this, Lauryn faced a lawsuit from Newark Entertainment, who claimed they weren’t properly credited for their contributions to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The case was settled out of court, with Lauryn paying $5 million, but the emotional toll it took on her was immense. Feeling the pressure to top herself, Lauryn began to withdraw from the public eye.
As for The Miseducation, Robert Glasper made some pointed remarks, suggesting that Lauryn wasn’t as involved in creating the album as many believed. In a radio interview with 97.9 in Houston, he said:
“She took the credit for making the classic album. Those songs were written by other people, and they did not get their credit. She likes to take credit so she could become the ‘superperson.’ If you’re that talented, do it again. Do it.”
He even mentioned that Lauryn couldn’t tune her guitar without help from her guitarist, Benji.
Things took a turn for the worse after the lawsuit, especially when Lauryn started associating with a spiritual adviser named Brother Anthony, who was reportedly involved in cult-like behavior. He allegedly convinced her to cut ties with her management, friends, and colleagues, which further damaged her career.
When Lauryn resurfaced in 2001 with MTV Unplugged 2.0, her performance was solo and her voice was strained, resulting in a commercial failure.
Lauryn’s career was also tainted by a controversial statement where she supposedly said she’d rather die or have her children starve than have white people listen to her music. She later explained on Howard Stern’s radio show:
“I think it was taken out of context. What I was saying is that I make my music for young Black youth because I’m a young Black youth myself.”
Despite all of this, many artists have weathered worse controversies and remained successful, but Lauryn’s refusal to compromise meant that there was no one in the industry fighting to keep her afloat.
A lot of people believe that her refusal to play the game, along with her fight for creative control, led to her being blackballed and pushed out of the industry.
What do you think? Was Lauryn blackballed, or do you think she sabotaged her own career? Let me know in the comments!
