*Lauryn Hill’s critically acclaimed “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” album has reached diamond status more than 20 years after its release.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) shared the news on Tuesday, confirming that Hill’s debut album has sold more than 10,000,000 units since it dropped in 1998. She never released a follow-up album and Hill explained why in a recent interview on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums podcast.
“The wild thing is no one from my label has ever called me and asked how can we help you make another album, EVER…EVER. Did I say ever? Ever!” Hill said in a rare interview with the publication.
“With the Miseducation, there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment and express,” Hill explained. “After the Miseducation, there were scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations, and saboteurs EVERYWHERE. People had included me in their own narratives of THEIR successes as it pertained to my album, and if this contradicted my experience, I was considered an enemy.”
READ MORE: Lauryn Hill Explains Why She Never Released Another Album After ‘Miseducation’
“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and feature the hit singles: “Doo Wop (That Thing)”, “Ex-Factor”, and “Everything Is Everything”. The album earned 10 nominations, winning five awards. In 2015, it was included by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry.
In her Rolling Stone interview, Hill reflected on the album’s legacy.
“I’ve always been pretty critical of myself artistically, so of course there are things I hear that could have been done differently but the LOVE in the album, the passion, it’s intention is to me, undeniable,” she said. “I think my intention was simply to make something that made my foremothers and forefathers in music and social and political struggle know that someone received what they’d sacrificed to give us, and to let my peers know that we could walk in that truth, proudly and confidently.”
She added, “At that time, I felt like it was a duty or responsibility to do so. … I challenged the norm and introduced a new standard. I believe the Miseducation did that and I believe I still do this–defy convention when the convention is questionable.”
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