DJ/Producer J.PERIOD debuts Volume 2 of his award-winning homage to Hip Hop and R&B icon, Ms. Lauryn Hill, on Apple Music today. Now available in its entirety ( Vol. 1 debuted Feb 14 ), the project is a love letter to a transcendent artist whose boundless talents still make her the standard against which all other rapper/singers are measured, to this day. The move brings another of J.PERIOD’s genre-defining mixtapes to streaming services (his seminal Best Of Nas premiered in December ), and celebrates the timeless catalog of this incomparable, global superstar.
Ms. Hill kicked off on a new tour last week (tomorrow she’ll perform at United Palace in New York City), with continuing dates through July, including a stop at The Kennedy Center for Black Girls Rock in March. J.PERIOD’s mixtape, now available for the first time on streaming services, not only redefines what a “mixtape” can be—fusing behind-the-scenes interviews with re-imagined hits, remixes, rarities, and live performances—it weaves itself into a kind of “musical documentary” of this once-in-a-lifetime artist, in her own words and music.
Ms. Hill’s debut album still stands as a sea change moment for music, reshaping R&B and soul music forever. (NPR called The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill the #2 all-time album on its “150 Greatest Albums Made by Women” ). Often overlooked amidst her R&B acclaim is Ms. Hill’s superior ability as an MC—a rarified skillset that still places her among the best rappers of all time ( Rapsody calls Ms. Hill her “biggest inspiration” ). That unique combination of skills—a voice to rival Aretha and raps to rival Rakim—separates Ms. Hill from every other Hip Hop and R&B artist, a legacy that remains unrivaled even now.
The Best of Lauryn Hill (Fire & Water) divides itself into 2 distinct collections: “Fire” (Vol. 1): a nod to the flame spitting MC with scorching mic skills; and “Water” (Vol. 2): an ode to her fluid versatility, and the deep emotional connection held between her fans and her music. Both volumes are now available to stream on Apple Music.