25 years ago, the East Orange, New Jersey music legend Ms. Lauryn Hill released a classic piece of art the world would come to know as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It’s a soulful album with R&B, hip-hop and reggae flourishes, and it explores many introspective themes from a woman’s point of view: love, friendship, and God; the disorder within her former group The Fugees; the birth of her firstborn. Timeless tracks such as “Doo Wop (That Thing),” “Ex-Factor,” “Lost Ones,” “To Zion,” led Ms. Lauryn Hill sell over 20 million copies of the album, which won her multiple awards including Grammys for Best New Artist and Album of the Year. It was included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and made an impact that is still felt two and a half decades later.
Of course that musical force was felt in the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, a city with soul in our DNA, so World Cafe Live and WXPN Local have come together to pay homage to such an amazing album with a tribute that includes a plethora of talented Black women from the Philly music scene this summer on August 25th — 25 years to the day since the album was released.
The all-Black, all-woman band Black Canvas is known for painting melodic portraits of classic “neo-soul” tunes at any event they’re at — check out our review of their Black Music City project showcase from 2022 at Rittenhouse Soundworks — so having Jamicka Johnson-Hector, Jaz Pope, Mollie Rose, and J’Shanna Lewis as the house band for the event was definitely a must! Alongside them, the show will feature Black artists who continue to make a name for themselves such as singers Jacqueline Constance, Sinnia Brown, Jahwula, and Noel Scales, as well as poet Evita Colon, who will provide their talents to help illustrate the emotions of the unforgettable project.
These nine musicians will show how Ms. Lauryn Hill’s timeless piece of work had a positive effect on their own artistry by playing the entire The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album, from start to finish. Get tickets and more information on the show at the WXPN Concerts and Events page.