Few albums of the '90s managed to capture the essence of their time with the dignity, power, and grace of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Expanding the boundaries of so-called "urban" music in ways that had never been tried, Miseducation mixed elements of pop, soul, hip-hop, and reggae into a musical stew that coalesced into a style all its own. Just as important, the album constituted a musical autobiography in which Hill crystallized issues confronting urban youths ?especially young women ?by dissecting the raw material of her own life.

Kicking off with the confrontational "Lost Ones," Miseducation wasted no time establishing its lyrical and musical motifs. Over a scratchy drum and bass loop worthy of Lee Perry, Hill raps her way toward a chorus as infectious as it is biting. Likewise, songs such as "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and "Final Hour" frame topical concerns (promiscuity, absent fathers, sexism) in skeletal arrangements and syncopated beats that bridge the old with the new. Indeed, even at her most tender (as on "To Zion," a lovely paean to her son), Hill infused the songs on Miseducation with percolating rhythms that elevated the material above easy sentiment.

At its best, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill evokes the spirit of such seminal works as Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Bob Marley's Natty Dread, and Sly Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On. By blending hip-hop with music firmly rooted in reggae and R&B traditions, Hill managed to craft a song cycle that's as timeless as it is contemporary.