'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' Is Officially Certified Diamond

Ms. Lauryn Hill‘s legendary debut studio album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has officially been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

“Welcome to the RIAA Diamond Club @MsLaurynHill! #TheMiseducationofLaurynHill is now a (10X) certified album,” the RIAA tweeted in confirmation. This makes the 45-year-old artist the first female rapper to ever sell 10,000,000 units, joining the likes of MC Hammer, OutKast, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac.

Miseducation is unfortunately the only studio effort Hill has released so far, but she recently explained why a followup never materialized. In an interview with Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums podcast, she revealed that no one from her labels, Ruffhouse and Columbia Records, “ever called me and asked how can we help you make another album.” She continued, “With The Miseducation, there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment and express. 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.”

Despite the problems with her label, Hill still has nothing but love for Miseducation. “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, its intention is, to me, undeniable.”

Welcome to the RIAA Diamond Club @MsLaurynHill! #TheMiseducationofLaurynHill is now a 💎 (10X) certified album! @ColumbiaRecords #BlackHistoryMonth #RIAATopCertified pic.twitter.com/mWWByv74kp

— RIAA (@RIAA) February 17, 2021

Elsewhere in music, watch the official trailer of Netflix’s Notorious B.I.G. documentary, Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell.