Why Did Lauryn Hill Stop Making Music? Find out Why the Legendary Artist Walked Away

At the height of her massive fame, Lauryn Hill was heralded as one of the most talented and ground-breaking artists in music, as she consistently racked up hits and broke multiple Grammy award records. It seemed like she was an unstoppable force that would continue to release music for decades to come, but that was sadly not the case.

In the early 1990s, Lauryn Hill had not yet graced the musical world with her abundant gifts, but she was making her name for herself in the acting world. In 1991, she had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera As The World Turns, and in 1993, she made her big screen debut in her memorable role as Rita Louise Watson in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit alongside Whoopi Goldberg. Why did she step away from the spotlight after her star shone so bright?

In 2000, just two years after being the first female artist to be nominated in 10 categories in a single year at the Grammys and also being the first woman to win five Grammys in one night, Lauryn voluntarily left the public eye and music behind for several years.

Per a 2003 report from Rolling Stone, Lauryn began to reject the overwhelming feeling that her immense fan base brought, and as a result, she retreated from the spotlight. In the 2001 recording of MTV Unplugged 2.0, she could be heard breaking down and crying about how fame had negatively changed her life.

“I’m crazy and deranged. ... I’m emotionally unstable,” Lauryn said on the album. “I used to get dressed for y’all, I don’t do that anymore. I used to be a performer, and I really don’t consider myself a performer anymore. ... I had created this public persona, this public illusion, and it held me hostage. I couldn’t be a real person, because you’re too afraid of what your public will say. At that point, I had to do some dying.”

In a later interview with Essence, after her exit from the industry, Lauryn told the outlet that her fans needed to understand that she is not the same artist that she once was.

"People need to understand that the Lauryn Hill they were exposed to in the beginning was all that was allowed in that arena at that time ... I had to step away when I realized that for the sake of the machine, I was being way too compromised,” she explained at the time. “I felt uncomfortable about having to smile in someone's face when I really didn't like them or even know them well enough to like them."

"For two or three years I was away from all social interaction,” Lauryn continued. “It was a very introspective time because I had to confront my fears and master every demonic thought about inferiority, about insecurity, or the fear of being Black, young, and gifted in this Western culture."

Although she still continues to tour, both as a solo artist and as a member of the legendary group The Fugees, Lauryn has yet to make another album, which some fans are fine with, given the mastery of "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."