The Track That Paved the Way for Female Rappers

by Kofi Mframa | November 14, 2024

Written for Today in Music History

Twenty-six years ago today, Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making history as the first hip-hop song by a solo artist to achieve this milestone.

Remarkably, it was also the first debut single from any artist to premiere at the top of the chart, signaling a formidable start to Hill’s solo career. The song became the first No. 1 written, produced, and recorded by a solo female artist in nearly a decade, remaining the only track by a female rapper to top the Hot 100 until 2022, when Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” achieved the same feat. A glance at the “Doo Wop” Wikipedia page reveals a dozen other records the song broke, but its legacy transcends statistics.

Part of the song’s enduring influence lies in its message: “Girls you know you'd better watch out / Some guys, some guys are only about / That thing.” The “thing” in question could have been money, sex, the streets—any fleeting desire. At just 23, Hill possessed wisdom far beyond her years. Hill chronicled the dangers of chasing fickle, momentary cravings over self-respect.

By the time “Doo Wop” was released, Hill was no stranger to fame.

Her time with the Fugees, alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, had solidified her status. The group’s sophomore album, The Score, achieved mainstream success, going 7x Platinum and making Hill a household name. Hill’s vocal talent shone on their cover of “Killing Me Softly,” showcasing her ability to blend soulful singing with hip-hop influences. However, personal and creative tensions within the group, especially between Hill and Jean, with whom she shared a complicated romantic relationship, led to its dissolution. Hill then embarked on a solo journey that resulted in The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

“Doo Wop” served as the lead single for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and encapsulated its sonic and thematic essence.

The song drew inspiration from Motown soul, funk, and the titular doo-wop sound rooted in Black communities of the 1940s. These elements blended into an infectious groove, lending the track an air of timelessness. In its lyrics, Hill seamlessly oscillated between rapped verses and sung hooks, dispensing advice to Black men and women. She cautioned women about “showing off your ass 'cause you're thinkin' it's a trend” and criticized men who were “more concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women.” While some might interpret her words as conservative or “hotep-ish,” her heart was in the right place: “Don’t be a hard rock when you really are a gem.”

A striking aspect of “Doo Wop” was Hill’s decision to handle both the singing and rapping herself.

In the 1990s, rappers often enlisted others for their hooks—Nate Dogg and Mary J. Blige were frequent choices. Hill’s decision to perform her own hooks and raps set her apart, positioning her as a rare talent capable of excelling in both realms. A decade before Drake popularized this singer-rapper hybrid, Hill had already proven that singers could be fierce lyricists too.

The song’s production featured a sped-up sample of “Together Let’s Find Love” by the Fifth Dimension and contributions from James Poyser, who would later join The Roots. Hill’s layered vocals on the hook showcased her dual prowess, challenging the era’s norms that kept singing and rapping distinct.

The track’s ending morphs into a skit, a familiar touch in 1990s hip-hop albums. Set in a classroom, a teacher discusses love with students. Asked about the difference between loving someone and being in love, one student insightfully responds, “You're taking that person for what he or she is no matter what he or she look like or no matter what he or she do. You fall in love; you can fall out of love. You might stop being in love, but you are not gonna stop loving that person.”

Drawing from Hill’s own life, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill explored this theme of love, as well as Black identity, social justice, femininity, and motherhood. On “Ex-Factor,” she laid bare her painful relationship with Wyclef Jean, with the chorus carrying a heartached heaviness, each word more emotionally labored than the next: “No matter how I think we grow / You always seem to let me know / It ain't working.” The pain was palpable.

The project also featured reggae and Jamaican dancehall influences, evident on “Lost Ones,” which sampled Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam.” Recorded partly at Bob Marley’s studio in Jamaica, the album was deeply personal. Hill’s relationship with Marley’s son Rohan and the birth of their son Zion were pivotal, especially as many warned that motherhood would derail her career. On “To Zion,” she recounts this journey: “‘Look at your career,’ they said / ‘Lauryn, baby, use your head’ / But instead, I chose to use my heart.”

Commercially, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was a victory.

It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 422,000 copies in its first week, breaking Madonna’s record. At the 41st Grammy Awards, Hill set records as the first woman to receive 10 nominations and the first to win five awards in a single night. The album won Album of the Year, making it the first hip-hop record to do so. “Doo Wop” earned Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Recently, the record was named the greatest album of all time by Apple Music.

Released during a time when hip-hop was grappling with loss and transition following the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., the genre was searching for a new identity to cement its place as a mainstream music. Hill was that identity, proving female emcees could lead the charge.

Her influence lives on in contemporary artists. Doja Cat and Lizzo echo Hill’s dual artistry, blending rapped verses with melodic hooks.

Rapsody lauded Hill for her ability to “incorporate melody into a rhyme so people could sing along with her, even as she was rapping about things that might have been complex.” Cardi B’s “Be Careful” interpolates “Ex-Factor” and channels Hill’s essence as Cardi switches between rapped verses and sung choruses. Drake’s rise as a singer-rapper hybrid in the 2010s follows Hill’s blueprint, evident in his tributes like “Draft Day” and “Nice for What.”

Hip-hop’s ascent to domination owes a great debt to Lauryn Hill, who brought melody to the spoken-word poetry of rap. More importantly, Hill demonstrated that rap’s future could indeed be female. Every female rapper today owes a piece of their artistry to her courageous vulnerability and tenacity.