Lauryn Hill has a lengthy history with Harvard University. The award-winning entertainer return to the university on Friday to speak with students about writing music.
In the roundtable discussion, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill creator advised the importance of finding community when approaching music. Her advice would go viral across social media.
Hill opened up about the deeply personal nature of her songwriting. She described the process as an alchemy of thought, emotion, and necessity—a practice rooted not in performance, but in truth.
“I write what I love, I find what I care about, and then I write about that,” she told the audience.
For Hill, songwriting isn’t separate from life. It’s an extension of how she processes the world—through intellect, feeling, and spiritual intention.
The fire chat, part of the university’s ongoing speaker series, drew students, faculty, and artists eager to hear from one of music’s most influential voices. Hill has established a legendary career as a solo artist and member of the Fugees.
Lauryn Hill Speaks At Harvard
Lauryn Hill's returns to the university after her last speech in 2023. It coincided with the 25th anniversary of her landmark album, which recently achieved Diamond certification from the RIAA.
In 2023, Hill talked to students about the systemic pressures she has endured as a Black woman artist. She recounted the pushback she received for asserting her creative control, especially in a music industry resistant to women who refuse to be managed.
Rather than dilute her vision, those obstacles fortified it. She encouraged young artists to resist commodification and create from conviction.
The evening closed with a standing ovation that felt more like gratitude than applause. In a space often reserved for academia and tradition, Hill’s words cut through with clarity. Her message was simple, but radical: make art that matters, stay honest, and never forget where you come from.
In music, Lauryn Hill has been working with her son, YG Marley, and fellow Fugees member Wycelf Jean.
