Photo of Lauryn Hill
Photo: Tore Sætre · CC BY-SA 4.0

Solo Artist

Lauryn Hill

Active1993-present
OriginEast Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Albums1
Tracks16

Most frequent collaborator: Che Pope  ·  2 tracks

Hip-hopR&BSoulNeo soulReggae
94%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 15 of 16 tracks

Did Lauryn Hill write her own songs?

Yes, largely. Lauryn Hill is credited on about 94% of her solo catalogue and wrote and produced nearly all of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). Songs like 'Doo Wop (That Thing)' and 'Ex-Factor' are hers. A lawsuit from the New Ark collective later disputed how much of the writing and production was solely hers, and it was settled out of court.

By the Numbers

1
Studio Albums
16
Tracks Credited
94%
Self-Written
over 20 million
Records Sold
33
Years Active
31
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 15 / 16 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 16 tracks: how many Lauryn Hill wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Lauryn Hill has a writing credit94%
44%
50%
6%
Sole author7tracks44%
Co-written8tracks50%
Outside writers1tracks6%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Lauryn Hill's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 16 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)94%
Composer (music)94%
Producer100%
Performer81%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Lauryn Hill's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 94%
94%
1998The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

94%
1990s
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Lauryn Hill sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Lauryn Hill
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
Aretha Franklin14%
The Jacksons24%
Boyz II Men51%
TLC59%
Mary J. Blige68%
Pink85%
94%Lauryn Hill
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Doo Wop (That Thing)
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Written by Lauryn Hill
Wrote it
Ex-Factor
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Written by Lauryn Hill, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch, Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, Lamont Hawkins, Jason Hunter, Russell Jones, Clifford Smith, Corey Woods
Co-wrote
Everything Is Everything
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Written by Lauryn Hill, Johari Newton
Co-wrote

Discography 1 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Lauryn Hill16 tracks
CP2 JN2 FH1 VN1 AB1 MB1

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. CP Che Pope · JN Johari Newton · FH Frederick Hibbert · VN Vada Nobles · AB Alan Bergman · MB Marilyn Bergman

The Writers & Producers Behind Lauryn Hill 6 key collaborators

CP
Che Pope
Producer
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill2 tracks
JN
Johari Newton
Songwriter
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill2 tracks
FH
Frederick Hibbert
Songwriter
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill1 tracks
VN
Vada Nobles
Producer
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill1 tracks
AB
Alan Bergman
Songwriter
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill1 tracks
MB
Marilyn Bergman
Songwriter
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill1 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is one of the most thoroughly author-controlled records in mainstream pop. Hill wrote every original track and produced the entire album herself (with Che Pope and Vada Nobles as co-producers on two tracks). The extensive writer credits on several tracks (Ex-Factor, Superstar, Forgive Them Father, Every Ghetto Every City) exist entirely because of sample clearance, the credited names contributed to the sampled source material, not to Hill's own composition.

Quick Facts

  • Grammy sweepThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won five Grammys in 1999, including Album of the Year
  • Historic firstThe first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year
  • SalesMiseducation sold around 20 million copies worldwide
  • FugeesRose to fame as the frontwoman of the Fugees before going solo
  • One studio albumBuilt her solo legend on a single studio album, never releasing a follow-up

Creative Fingerprint

A near-total author on a single classic: Lauryn Hill is credited on about 94% of her solo catalogue, writing and producing nearly all of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill herself, though a lawsuit later disputed how much of that work was solely hers.

The Story

Lauryn Hill is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer from East Orange, New Jersey, best known as a founding member of the Fugees and for her solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed albums in modern music history. The album won five Grammy Awards at the 1999 ceremony, including Album of the Year, making Hill the first woman and first hip-hop artist to win that award.

Awards & Recognition

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won five Grammy Awards in 1999, including Album of the Year
The first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year
Miseducation sold around 20 million copies worldwide
Widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time

Frequently Asked Questions Lauryn Hill

Did Lauryn Hill write her own songs?
Yes, largely. Lauryn Hill is credited on about 94% of her solo catalogue and wrote and produced nearly all of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). Songs like 'Doo Wop (That Thing)' and 'Ex-Factor' are hers. A lawsuit from the New Ark collective later disputed how much of the writing and production was solely hers, and it was settled out of court.
Who wrote 'Doo Wop (That Thing)'?
'Doo Wop (That Thing),' from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), is credited to Lauryn Hill. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won her a Grammy, becoming her signature solo song.
What was the Miseducation lawsuit?
In 1998 the New Ark collective sued Lauryn Hill, claiming they contributed songwriting and production to Miseducation without proper credit. The case was settled out of court in 2001 for a reported $5 million, complicating the album's sole-author reputation.
Was Lauryn Hill in the Fugees?
Yes. She was the frontwoman of the Fugees, whose 1996 album The Score sold over 20 million copies worldwide and included the hit 'Killing Me Softly.' She went solo shortly after.
How many albums did Lauryn Hill release?
This catalogue covers her single solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). Despite its enormous acclaim, she never released a follow-up studio album.
How many Grammys did Miseducation win?
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won five Grammy Awards at the 1999 ceremony, including Album of the Year, making Hill the first artist to win that award with a hip-hop album.
Why is The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill so important?
It fused hip-hop, soul, and reggae with deeply personal songwriting, sold around 20 million copies, and swept the Grammys. It is regularly ranked among the greatest albums ever made and defined neo-soul.
What genre is Lauryn Hill?
Lauryn Hill makes hip-hop, R&B, soul, and neo-soul with reggae influences, blending rapping and singing on songs like 'Doo Wop (That Thing)' and 'Ex-Factor.'

Sources

Wikipedia: Lauryn Hill