Listen to Lauryn Hill on Batanga

Lauryn Hill was one of two children to Valerie Hill, an English teacher, and Mal Hill, a computer consultant. She has an older brother, Melaney. At the age of thirteen she appeared on "Amateur Night" on Showtime at the Apollo. She lost the competition, but her ambition remained fierce. In high school she formed the band, the Fugees, with childhood friends, Wyclef Jeanand Prakazrel Michel. Their second album, THE SCORE, won two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group. They became the largest-selling rap group of all time. Following these triumphs, the band decided to branch out into solo pursuits.

Hill's solo debut, THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL, had the highest first week sales of any album by a female artist in history. She won four NAACP Image Awards and received 10 Grammy nominations for the album. She went home from the Grammys with five awards, the most ever received by a female artist. The album was also the first hip-hop release in history to win Album of the Year. Hill has written and produced hit songs for Aretha Franklinand CeCe Winans. She has formed her own film production company and says she's interested in creating black science-fiction films. She is also the founder of The Refugee Camp Youth Project which focuses on improving the quality of life for inner-city children. She currently lives in her hometown, South Orange, New Jersey with her husband Rohan Marley (Bob Marley's son), their two children, Zion and Selah, and her parents.