“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, and with that massive milestone, Ms. Lauryn Hill found it only right to go on tour to celebrate the gem of an album. She brought on acts such as Long Island, New York hip-hop trio De La Soul, R&B super queen SZA and more.
The Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California hosted the iconic event with a capacity of 22,500 people. With the amphitheater neighboring Google Headquarters, one can only imagine all the techies who bombarded the event.
Techies in business casual attire and what looked like backpacks ready for hitchhiking joined Hill’s day-one fans and moms who used the concert as a getaway from chaotic life.
After my friends and I ran late from rush-hour traffic and chugged our tall cans of beer in the parking lot, we managed to catch the end of De La Soul’s set. De La Soul managed to give us late ’90s babies a taste of early ’90s jazz rap.
SZA was up next, and as a day-one fan, I was internally screaming.
The Grammy-nominated R&B singer came out rocking a casual look with white pants and a graphic T-shirt paired with Balenciaga sneakers.
Although the setlist was only about five songs long, it was still magical seeing one of my favorite artists perform with such electrifying energy.
A DJ accompanied the 40-minute wait for Hill by rocking all types of throwbacks. Songs from Too Short’s Bay Area anthem “Blow the Whistle” to Juvenile’s “Back that Azz up” had the amphitheater at an all-time high.
While most techies were sitting on the grass with their giant backpacks and fancy wine in hand, the whole amphitheater was dancing the night away to classic local jams.
It was finally time to see the one and only Lauryn Hill perform her cult classics from “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” live. The lights went off and the whole amphitheater erupted into a frenzy.
She came out rocking a beautiful silk fuschia skirt with a yellow graphic T-shirt. Her makeup — yellow eyeliner and purple eyeshadow smudged under her waterline paired nicely with a nude lip — perfectly complemented her outfit.
Her flawless skin almost made it impossible to focus on her performance. It seemed like she aged backwards, with not a single wrinkle in sight.
It was an emotional night for many, especially for Hill, who had enthusiastically celebrated her masterpiece of an album.
Wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, she exclaimed, “It’s been 20 years y’all. Can you believe it? Twenty years!”
Hill made the night as unique as one can imagine, with renditions of powerful ballads such as “Lost Ones” and her most famous song “Doo-Wop (That Thing).”
Her politically charged album with a total of 19 Grammy nominations and eight wins, is known as one of the most influential albums of all time, making this show truly one for the ages. Artists such as SZA, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar have stated this album as an influence on their career, making this anniversary a milestone for Hill.
