Lauryn Hill Silence: Broken!

Lauryn Hill has broken her decade long silence, with an exclusive interview with one of NPR's top producers Zoe Chace.

The Lauryn interview was part of NPR's series about 50 Great Voices in music. Chace asked the beloved rapper and singer why she's been away from making music for so long.

Lauryn said there were many reasons, "but partly, the support system that I needed was not necessarily in place. There were things about myself, personal-growth things, that I had to go through in order to feel like it was worth it. Oftentimes the machine can overlook the need to take care of the people who produce the sounds that have a lot to do with the health and well-being of society...And it's important that people be given the time that they need to go through, to grow, so that the consciousness level of the general public is properly affected." You can see and hear the full interview here, and read more coverage below.

Lauryn Hill Silence
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Lauryn Hill is back -- sort of. Celebrated for her work with the Fugees and her classic solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the Grammy-winning hip-hop/R&B artist has barely been seen or heard since 1999. (Despite universal accolades, she only released one album after 1998's Miseducation: 2002's MTV Unplugged.) Some wondered whether the erratic artist -- who demands to be addressed as "Ms. Hill" -- had a nervous breakdown. PHOTOS: Unforgettable star breakdowns But Hill, now 35, finally explained her mysterious absence to National Public Radio's Zoe Chace, who scored a interview with the artist following a rare performance in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Lauryn Hill Silence