Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. She is recognized by music critics as one of the most influential musical artists of her time. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the mainstream success of both hip-hop and neo soul, and blending rap with melodic vocals. She has been honored as one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR, and one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone. In 2015, Billboard named her the greatest female rapper. Among her accolades are eight Grammy Awards—the most for any female rapper.
Hill began her career as a teen actress, appearing in As the World Turns (1991) and Steven Soderbergh's drama film King of the Hill (1993). Her performance as Rita in the film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) earned widespread praise. Hill gained further prominence as the frontwoman of the Fugees, which she formed in 1990 with Wyclef Jean and Pras. Their second album, The Score (1996), topped the Billboard 200 and made Hill the first woman to win a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The album featured the hit single "Killing Me Softly", which became the best-selling single of 1996 in multiple regions, including the UK. Its popularity was so immense that it was pulled from stores to prioritize the release of the album's next single, "Ready or Not". That same year, she guest appeared on Nas's single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)".