4 Reasons @MsLaurynHill needs to Release a Sequel of The Miseducation by: @RamseySaidWHAT

What's the Movement main goal is to platform artists of all kinds in New Jersey and then outward. Occasionally we'll pull some opinions on the mainstream and outside of the area bringing you the dope music you may have never heard yet. This piece kind of gets to be a loophole. I mean Lauryn Hill is from New Jersey right? Right. I previously did write a piece on the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as a tribute and Throwback Thursday deal a few years back. I have mentioned this idea a couple of times and never put it to pen so this is it. Remember I said it first because I'm sure another music journalist/blogger/A&R or even artist themselves are going to take credit for this. You've seen it on WTM by Ramsey first. Here are four reasons a new Lauryn Hill album needs to happen.

The Re-Education of Lauryn Hill...nice ring to it right? Let's face it, The Miseducation is probably one of my generation's greatest complete projects of any genre. Whether you want to admit it or not it's not a big reach to say that. Still questioning my judgment, how about you question the recording academy and the five Grammy's they awarded her in 1999. The project is eight times platinum. Well in this country at least. These numbers are long before the streaming era my friend.

Pre-Y2K was probably the renaissance of neo-soul as a genre and Miseducation was right at the forefront of it. The way R&B has grown and the collection of subgenres that have been birthed from it, it'd be awesome to see how the production evolves. Lauryn Hill is a hell of a musician. Combined with synths and modern percussion I think she could really flourish in today's age. Let's be honest, the same hi-hat, kick, and snare combination is a little redundant. Maybe it's rude but really go back and listen to the percussion of Everything is Everything, Can't Take My Eyes off You, and Doo Wop (That Thing). Sounds the same. All Classics but repetitive.

Another reason she needs to drop a sequel is the monetary benefits. I could see it now. Imagine how Lauryn Hill would do on the charts. The Miseducation was timeless. The music branched across the world through many generations. This would do crazy numbers on billboard and all the streaming platforms. If her tax situation is how it suggests an album and tour would do wonders for her career and reputation of missing shows.

Unplugged is to Lauryn Hill as Blonde is to Frank Ocean. Both of these artists follow ups to classics seemed to be a collection of good songs but far from a great albums in comparison to their latter projects. They both are hermits when it comes to their time away from limelight and to focus on their craft.

"The challenge is aligning my energy with the time. I am at my best when I am open, rested, sensitive and liberated to express myself as truthfully as possible." Lauryn Hill

If this is as true as her letter expressed the time away from the industry limelight should have been more than enough to muster up another classic. No easy feat sure, but she's the only one who's capable and the people believe in her. The Re-Education needs to happen for real. The Miseducation explores a 24 year old Lauryn and her experience with love thusfar. She's 42 now, how has love changed and grown with age for her? I think we'd all love to hear. Does it still feel good when it hurts so bad in 2018? I talked about how the original rang across the generations but is there something she'd like to tell her 20 something year old self?  The project dropped when I was 8 years old. I didn't really analyze it until I was in high school. The world is much different now. My world is too. I'm 26 and the way I look at love is different than when I was 24 let alone in 1999 you know? Imagine her contrast at 42. My friend Taye says this generation needs a project like that, and Ms. Hill is the only one who could deliver.

"There's a difference between loving someone and being in love with somebody."

I hope the kids from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill found love.

— Nana Kwame (@NK_Adjei) March 13, 2018

It's not just her perspective we want to hear though. The skits and intro that featured the children in class talking about love. I'd love to hear them go back and grab those same kids and see how their perspectives changed. They aren't the same little girls and boys that said they weren't too young to be in love. Their grown up skits would be wonderful in the sequel (I came up with this first remember. I should patent this or A&R this thing). 

On Saturday, the Miseducation will be 20 years old. I've talked about how time and production could change the sound of this imaginary project. I wonder who she could collaborate with. D'Angelo and Mary J. Blige were wonderful on the original. I'd love to see a new version which would feature the likes of Andre 3000, Frank Ocean, Sabrina Claudio, Syd, John Legend, or even fellow Jersey songstress SZA. The ideas are endless. There's more pros than cons Ms. Hill. I don't want to sound like another angsty fan about missing out on a Afropunk set. We know how experimental her sounds are live. I think I speak for the entire world when I say we would love to hear it on wax. 

What are your thoughts? Think I'm crazy? I might be, tell us in the comment section below.

#TBT Editorial: The Miseducation of @mslaurynhill by @RamseySaidWHAT

A lot of people give flack to Frank Ocean and his absence from the music scene. Question: why didn't Lauryn Hill get the same treatment?

The classic Miseducation of Lauryn Hill dropped in 1998 won five Grammy's and her unplugged album didn't drop for four years after that. Since then we didn't get new Lauryn material until last year. Let that sink in. Regardless, this is (in my opinion) the greatest Hip-Hop or R&B album ever. I can't believe I've never written about it. Let's take a trip in time to elementary school days and into the mind of Ms Lauryn Hill.

The story begins in class with a skit where Lauryn Hill ins't present in class. It fades into Lost Ones. L Boogie has always been multifaceted and she shows her emcee skills on a boom bap beat. "You might win some but you just lost one," Coos through your earphones. Along with some rapping she still laid down some smooth vocals in the chorus and hook. Class continues without her presence. Today's lesson: Love. The students (probably from some school in Orange, NJ) and their teacher have the exchange and track three begins. Ex-Factor must be every woman's breakup or reconciliation theme song. At least that's word to my high school sweetheart and her bestfriend Chante. At the time I don't think I really understood the lyrics. No matter how many times I googled the word "Reciprocity," I couldn't tell you the meaning until I lost at a later date. The harmonies are sick and blend lovely at the end of the song. Lauryn's vocal range is unrivaled from tenor to soprano. Then we cue a sicker electric guitar solo. The song is a certified R&B classic. To Zion follows up. The song is a beautiful ode to her son of the title's name. It's funny how life changes when you have children (so I hear). Priority is now on how to make the next generation better than the last. This song holds true to my heart and those who have children of their own. The class discussion skits take the opinion of a few children and their depiction of what love really is.

The lead single, Doo Wop (That Thing) is next. Without a doubt this is my favorite on this album and of all her music. I think I might be the only one I know that knows all the words. That includes that dreaded second verse where everyone around me got quiet and stared during her set at AfroPunk. Bars on Bars, and with quality content. Ladies and Gents, watch out! Some only have one intention. The song instrumental turns into a ballad and chorale. While it plays the skits continue with a question. "Are we too young to be in love?" I think at any age we could still ask that question.


Superstar, Final Hour, and When it Hurts So Bad take us to a deeper part of the mind of Lauryn. The mood of the album is glum.

"What you want might make you cry, what you need might pass you by if you don't catch it."

At the end of the song finally a young man weighs in on being confused and lead on when it comes to love. I Used to Love Him proceeds afterwards with an assist from Mary J. Blige. Let me remind you this is 1998 and it features the queen of R&B herself. The leading vocal divas at the time collaborated with a New York/New Jersey connection and created something special. I actually thought the song was going to be a metaphorical response to Common's I Used to Love H.E.R. Still, beautiful music. Things lighten up with Forgive Them Father and Every Ghetto, Every City. Perhaps the messages kept their sincerity but musically it was fun to listen and sing along to.

Can I tell a story within a story? It's my senior year of high school and I was attempting to form an acapella group within our high school band. Yes, I know vocalists within instrumentalists; some of us can blow, I'm serious. Let's just say that failed, horribly. What I do remember is on the side Chante (as mentioned earlier) and my homie Ebony used to emulate Lauryn and D'Angelo's harmony on Nothing Even Matters. Honestly I think they did it better but that's opinionated. Regardless this was an amazing track and wait, it gets better. The last single comes up next. Everything is Everything is on everyone's Lauryn Hill playlist (this whole album tbh) and for good reason. Rapping verses and singing chorus throughout was killing the radio, then and now. I think the rappers today need to revisit this and listen to Lauryn's message (shameless plug: I wrote about it in my editorial tomorrow).

The album wraps up with three songs and three more moods. The title track is probably my favorite song to sing home alone in the mirror and I'm not embarrassed to say it. The song takes us back into her world and she flexes what her voice can do. Her crooning goes to another level throughout. She plays with chords and runs from tenor to soprano range effortlessly. Her ad-libs are so creative and the way her brain, ears, and mouth work together make this an amazing song. In addition, I love the vinyl cracking sound in the beginning and end of the song, it gives it a really cool old aesthetic. The next song is a remake to Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. She gives the song some flavor with beat-boxing and hip-hop percussion. At this moment is when I realized she uses the same kick/snare combination in a lot of her songs like Everything is Everything and Doo Wop. I always thought that was funny. The album closes out with another favorite of mine, Tell Him. 1 Chorinthians 13:4 in the Holy Bible: Love is patient, kind, does not envy or isn't boastful. That is the message of the last track. Now we know what love is and isn't she still takes the time out to tell her lover she loves him regardless. Something I try to listen to after an argument with my partners. Deep stuff.

All in all, the Miseducation was a plethora of hits that took us deep into Lauryn's world. On that journey, we learned what we found there wasn't so different than lessons we learned on our own road through adolescence. Although I was only seven, I understood the severity that was the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Sure at the time I was like "Hey that's ole girl from Sister Act 2." As a music blogger I'm embarrassed that I never wrote about this classic because that's exactly what it is, a classic. This wasn't exactly supposed to be a review but if I had to ever give a perfect rating with no skips this is the one. Five of Five on the Ramsey Rating Scale. Take it back with me and listen to the Miseducation below after the break.

#TBT #8701 - @Usher

Let's go back to a time when we were innocent and young, just like the artist known as Usher.

Sometimes it's hard to believe Usher has been in the game since the tender age of 16 signed to Bad Boy. You know how hard it is to stay relevant til today? If you don't know ask Tevin Cambell. No shade but my point is proven.

This week's Throwback Thursday I wanted to slow it down for the ladies (at least that's what I used to say on air whenever I played a slow jam). That and because no one here knows how to talk about R&B anymore. It's not my writer's fault, R&B just doesn't exist anymore. They only know how to talk about sex or make pop music nowadays but that's a different article. 8701 was the ultimate album which really put Usher at the top of the game at the time.

Everyone knows and will admit Confessions was his best album. In my opinion that is a top 5 R&B album of all time and I could put that against The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill or anything Luther and Marvin Gaye put out (which is saying a lot for a project). Anyways, that's a(whole)nother writeup. Let's get to it.

8701 had it's hits we still jam to today. U Remind Me and U Don't Have to Call is on every DJ's two-step playlist to kick parties off with. Audio Crack, literally, you know it's still on your iPod, don't front. If I Want To is another oldie but goodie. It kind of brings back the point I made earlier about sex and R&B. I remember logging on twitter a few months back and seeing someone tweet something like:

"R&B used to be I'll take your girl because you're not treating her right. Now it's I'll take her because I wanna fuck, and I got more money than you nigga."

It's safe to say the brother made his point.

U Got It Bad might be on your phone too. Yeah I know it was sucka breakup music but it was amazing. U Got It Bad is the reason I still wanna learn how to play electric guitar so I can learn that solo in between verse two and the bridge (well that and Take You Down by Chris Brown). I think that solo by itself set the tone for having guitar solos on R&B tracks. Without U - Interlude leading into Can U Help Me was perfect. The album was great, point blank and that's what I thought I'd take you back to. Oh and not for nothing fellas, the ladies love this stuff. This was one of those "OOOOHHHH THIIISSS MY JAM!" albums. Play it for a snowy night in with shawty (kinda like today). Thank Me Later.

Kendrick Lamar Preview - @Best_ofda_Worst

"Lord God, I come to you a sinner and I humbly repent for my sins……"

Kendrick Lamar by "Rolling Stone"

These were the first words spoken on Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid MAAD City. With favorites such as Money Trees and MAAD City people claimed that it is with this album that has invigorated hip-hop with comparisons to great works such as Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation. Classic after classic song, all being tied together through skits in between, the album felt like more of an audiobook rather than visual story, where the listener was in attendance in that van with Kendrick and the homies. It can be said that no one expected such a great work from Kendrick at first. Regardless it was greatly loved by fans, critics, and general hip-hop heads alike. Believe it or not that was a little more than two years ago.  Present day we have not heard much from Kendrick other a few singles and a features. What has been released has caused some waves with his message of self love on I, his intoxicating feature on Flying Lotus’ Never Catch Me and of course his inflammatory verse, that shook up the whole genre of rap on Big Sean’s Control. Fans and listeners have been waiting for Kendrick’s next album with little patience and high anxiety. The question is, what can be expected?

Previously with GKMC, His EP, mixtapes and singles, they kind of alluded to the fact that Kendrick would be telling the story of his life and then we heard it on his album. With this new album we haven’t heard much from Kendrick lyrically, but from going from his interviews he has told us that this album will be more “raw” than what it has ever been before. Rumors has it that it has some elements of section .80 and Good Kid MAAD City, as well as beats produce by Dr. Dre and Pharell this album could potentially outstanding production wise.  As far as songs go you definitely will hear “I” but I fell like the single will sound better on the album than it does as a single as did Swimming Pools. Both are commercial records but Swimming Pools had a new feel to it once it was heard on the album compared to as a standalone track. Within the album it was part of the story and included a part two that wasn't heard on the single. I also feel like there might some trippy tracks on the album as well such as his performance on the Colbert Report which you can peep below.

The Colbert Report
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With a song like that I can see how I could fit on the album. All in all this album will be greatly produced with lyrics to match of course there will be those who compare it to the first and say GKMC was better but I feel like this new album will be more focused on sending a message than just be a story on Kendrick.