On August 25, one of the '90s most beloved artists, Lauryn Hill, celebrated 17 years since the release of her album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." This album was her first, last solo debut, and most award-winning album of all time. The album featured 14 songs that focused on her personal life and its plights such as her pregnancy experience, her relationship, and her prior commitment to the reggae group The Fugees. Ms. Hill was the only female participant in this group of three, leading her to her own pathway as a solo artist after their questionable split. Hill’s music and career have served as inspiration for her listeners ever since.

“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” later led to the singer becoming the first black female artist to win five Grammy awards in one setting in 1999. Her accolades included album of the year, best new artist, best female R&B performance, best R&B song ("Doo Wop (That Thing)") and best R&B album. 12 million copies of her first album were sold, and her career continued to flourish as she became a public activist for the enrichment of the underprivileged New Jersey youth in her hometown, and she began receiving acknowledgement for her roles in major films like “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.”

Millennials are Hill's largest fan base, even though they may have been as young as 3 years old or as old as 17 when her first solo album was released in 1998 or when she starred in “Sister Act 2” in 1993. Here are the things that make her stick out:

1. Her pioneer style of music and the way she presents herself

Lauryn’s past experience of reggae music gave her a little more spunk as she began to mix R&B and hip-hop music. She did so by including songs with up beats and those that were more soft and emotionally appealing. Songs like “Nothing Even Matters” or “To Zion,” included in “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” are just two examples of her soft musical approaches, while, “Doo Wop” and “Everything Is Everything” provide up beats.

2. Her ability to create one album that changed the route to musical conversations

“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” also presented more relatable and honest topics for listeners, which made the album more appealing in comparison to other artists of that time and now. Present-day R&B and hip-hop artists focus on topics such as making money, being “hated” on, or finessing systems/situations that are covered with catchy beats.

3. Her position as a feminist

Lauryn not only broke barriers for black female artists with her style of music, but also let the female population know that it’s okay to break “gender roles” or expectations that society places on women in general. Lauryn was pregnant during the creation of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” and many people had told her to let her child go to save her career. She referenced this part of her life in the song “To Zion.”

Her most recent activities include concerts and features in notable music playlist, such as The White House Spotify List of the President of the United States. She has a concert on September 12 at the One Music Fest in Atlanta; other dates and locations can be found here.