Rolling Stones gets the story or rather, stories straight from the mouths of the various players involved in the creation and aftermath of Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, a seminal album released 10 years ago that "went on to sell more than 8 million copies, win five Grammys." It's also one of my all time favorites and one of those albums that I would bring with me to a deserted island scenarios.
John Legend: I was in the spring of my junior year at University of Pennsylvania. A friend invited me to give her a ride to Lauryn's house in Jersey. Lauryn was working "Everything Is Everything." I sang and played a couple songs for her. She asked me to play piano on the track. She guided me a little bit but it was pretty simple because I was playing along with a string part that was already there. I became known around campus as the dude who played on "Everything Is Everything." It was my little claim to fame at Penn for my whole senior year.
[...]
Che Vicious: She gave me co-production [on "To Zion"], but I did the track on my own. There was label pressure to do the Prince thing — written and produced by. I still love you like a sister, but you didn't do it on your own.
Until I read this I had 1) no idea that John Legend worked on her album, and 2) that he went to Penn.
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