10 Albums Where Hip Hop Got Real

10. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill

For every great hip hop album that rises to the top of the charts, there are more than a few songs that have a bit of a dark background behind them. Even though both 2Pac and Kendrick Lamar each had hits by themselves, you can definitely hear the fatigue in their voice half the time, being bogged down by the rough upbringings that they had to plough through to get to where they are. Rising this high is never easy, but The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has one thing that most other hip hop records don't have: optimism.

Sprawling out like some sort of education hip hop special, Ms. Hill's only true solo record has some of the smoothest R&B infused hip hop ever committed to tape, with a lot to say about how we treat each other in the process. Even though Ex Factor and Doo Wop (That Thing) might still get sampled endlessly in the world of hip hop, the core message behind those songs still hit hard today, talking about how we're able to treat our fellow man and being faithful to a higher power to help us through the dark times.

There are even a few songs that delve into the kind of heartache that Lauryn was feeling after the Fugees breakup, but she never lets it get in the way of pushing forward and making something better for herself. The next two decades were more than a little shaky for Ms. Hill, but there's a good chance that nothing can dull the amount of sunshine on this record.