What Is Lauryn Hill Ex Factor About:
This clip resurfaces periodically and triggers a bunch of blog posts, some with the headline, ‘Young Lauryn Hill Gets Booed Offstage,’ but as author, critic, and fellow podcaster Hanif Abdurraqib noted awhile back, young Lauryn Hill for sure does not get booed offstage. She gets booed, quite robustly, but she guts it out and finishes the song, to equally robust applause. Lauryn is credited as the sole writer and producer of ‘Ex-Factor’. And on the instrumental, she samples a track by another 1990s hip-hop act, the Wu-Tang Clan, entitled ‘Can It Be All So Simple’ (1994). The song ends with a guitar solo and the repeated question of “where were you when I needed you?” This implies that the relationship has already ended, leaving the narrator feeling alone and abandoned. Overall, the song explores the complex emotions and difficulties of leaving a troubled relationship.
Lauryn Hill’s lyrics are raw, heart-wrenching, and deeply moving. She questions how a person can so easily discard someone who has given them everything. She talks about how hard it is to let go and how it would be easier to hold on, even though she knows it is not what is best for her. Drake isn’t the only rap star who has recently sampled ‘Ex-Factor.’ The ’90s hit was also used in Cardi B’s ‘Be Careful,’ which is featured on her new debut album, Invasion of Privacy. The song is a mix of R&B, soul, and hip hop.
The song is not about a specific person but rather a general reflection on failed relationships. It speaks to the universal pain of heartbreak and the complexity of love. Fast-forward three years and Lauryn Hill, a.k.a. L Boogie, has joined an adventurous teenage hip-hop trio called the Fugees. Also featuring Haitian singer-rapper-producer Wyclef Jean and his singer-rapper-producer cousin Pras. The first Fugees record, released in 1994 when Lauryn was 18, is called Blunted on Reality, and it stinks. As the 20th anniversary of Lauryn Hill’s debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, approaches, it’s clear to see that the Fugees singer continues to have a profound influence on modern-day hip-hop and R&B.
The most iconic line from the song is undoubtedly, ‘Loving you is like a battle / And we both end up with scars.’ This line perfectly captures the pain of heartbreak and the complexity of love. Beyond the pain and confusion, the song also speaks to the complexity of love. Despite the hurt and trauma of the failing relationship, click here for info Lauryn Hill still holds onto hope. She speaks of how their love was ‘an evergreen’, how it stays with her despite the heartbreak. It speaks to the idea of how love is not always simple but rather complex and multifaceted. The song highlights how difficult it can be to navigate this complexity and how it can lead to heartache.
That is to say that the singer is speaking as if she is actively in a relationship with the addressee, that being her significant other. And basically, what she is doing throughout is lamenting the state of their romance. More to the point, Lauryn presents herself as the victim of emotional abuse and neglect.
‘Ex Factor’ is from the album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’. The album was released in 1998 and was critically acclaimed, winning several Grammy Awards. Interesting to note is that Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill’s former boyfriend/bandmate who many people feel this source song is about, has actually praised it. He compared it to what is perhaps his own most-heartfelt tracks, ‘911’ (2000) alongside Mary J. Blige. Despite the pain that the partner has caused, the narrator finds themselves unable to let go of the relationship.
They question their own actions and motivations, but ultimately realize that they cannot be with anyone else. The repeated “care for me,” “there for me,” “cry for me,” and “give to me” indicate the narrator’s desire for emotional support from their partner. Old Time Music is proud to have such a passionate and talented team of writers who share their love for music with our readers. We hope you enjoy the articles and insights they bring to our platform.
It speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the complexity of love. It encourages listeners to reflect on their own experiences with relationships and to find hope in the midst of pain. Let it be known that Lauryn Hill was rapping ‘People think they really know me’ and ‘I pay the toll fighting for my own soul’ before she even got famous.
One of the most iconic songs from the album ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is ‘Ex Factor’. The song was written and performed by Lauryn Hill and released in 1998. The song’s deep lyrics and soulful melody make it a timeless classic loved by many to this day.
Notable examples include Drake’s ‘Nice for What’, Cardi B’s ‘Be Careful’, and Kanye West’s ‘Lost in the World’. The album features several other hit songs, including ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’, ‘Everything Is Everything’, and ‘To Zion’. The most recent example is Drake’s brand new song ‘Nice for What,’ which features a sample of Miseducation’s ‘Ex-Factor,’ a top 10 single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1999.
Follow and listen for free exclusively on Spotify. In Episode 56, we’re breaking down all things Lauryn Hill and the Fugees. The second single off Ms. Hill’s classic album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The song learn more here has been claimed to be aimed at former Fugees bandmate, Wyclef Jean. Jean was married to another woman while carrying on an affair with Hill, hence the tempestuous nature of the relationship described in the song.