Today is officially Lauryn Hill Day, aka, the iconic artist’s birthday. The singer and MC has managed to maintain her relevancy and undeniable talent after more than 30 years in the industry, so much so that we clamored at the opportunity to ask her to be a headliner for this year’s ESSENCE Festival as part of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop (and the 25th anniversary of the culturally shifting Miseducation of Lauryn Hill). But as important as artistry has been to Ms. Hill, nothing has been more important to her than family.
“Everybody asks me ‘What’s your next move?’, and right now my focus is just being a good mother,” she told The Guardian in a 2003 interview. “If I could do that properly, I’d be really, really happy. If I could be half the parent that my parents were to me, then I’d be very happy. Like any woman on the planet who decides to have children, that’s an extremely important role. You have these empty vessels that you have to fill with all the information, and all the knowledge and all the proper tools for them to end up being happy, healthy, compassionate, caring people. That’s really crucial to me. So I love music, and I always put my 100% into making music, but now I have to put 200% into being a mother.”
Ms. Hill is mother to six children, and she stepped away from the spotlight to be present for them (among other reasons). Four out six of those children are adults now, and all of them are thriving thanks to the sacrifices she’s made as a mama. On her special day, learn more about her children, Ms. Hill’s greatest achievements.
Zion Marley
The very first of Hill’s children, and with former longtime partner Rohan Marley (son of Bob and Rita Marley), has had his name immortalized in song. One of the standout tracks on the classic Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is “To Zion,”…
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