It’s hard to imagine an album like the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill could possibly be a debut effort. She was a songwriter wise beyond her years, with a grand sense of social and spiritual aspects of the world. Records like “Nothing Even Matters” with D’Angelo and “Ex-Factor” are quintessential R&B records of the 90s. The politics of “Doo Wop (That Thing)” still ring off today. Hill had shown some of this skillset during her time with the Fugees. But I don’t think anyone could foresee such a transformative album in hip-hop, R&B, and pop culture as a whole. Well, everyone except Whitney Houston.
In an unearthed interview, the iconic balladeer opened up about the rapid rise to fame of Lauryn Hill. There, she’s extremely complimentary of Hill’s talent, to the point of noting she saw the potential even as a teenager. Consequently, it raised a glaring question: why was she with Pras and Wyclef Jean first?
Whitney Houston Advised Lauryn Hill to Go Solo
“I think when Lauryn [Hill] was like 15 or 16, I gave Lauryn a call. Because I knew Lauryn could sing, and I knew she was with a group called the Fugees,” Whitney Houston said. “It baffled me because I know Lauryn could sing. I called Lauryn and said, ‘What are you doing? Why aren’t you doing a solo album?’”
“‘Why aren’t you going to do something? You know you’re a singer, and you have such a beautiful voice. Such an inspirational voice. People would love to hear what you have to say.’ She said to me, ‘Whitney, I’m a Fugee, and I’m a Fugee forever.’ I’ll never forget that. It’s funny because she’s Lauryn Hill. That’s what I was saying to her then,” Whitney Houston continued.
Then, the interviewer asks if she had improved since their call. Houston strongly nodded, as if it were a rhetorical question. Anyone who heard the potential on The Score knew Lauryn Hill had something special up her sleeve. The “I Will Always Love You” singer could just tell quicker than others. “Yes, yes, she has! Lauryn is just an open book, you know what I mean? She gives,” Whitney Houston repeated several times. “She inspires. Whatever she says in her mouth, she wants it to be inspirational.
Eventually, Whitney Houston would usher in Lauryn Hill’s massive night at the Grammys in 1999. When she swept all of the major categories, Houston simply couldn’t contain how excited she was for her. After all, she could see the potential in Hill the whole time.
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