A cappella tribute to the music of Mrs. Lauryn Hill by L. Young featuring 15 yr old singing sensation/actress Nayah Damasen. The winner of L. Young’s “The Big Square” competition. Commemorating 25th anniversary of the release of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Who Is Nayah Damasen?
After sharing that video, a lot of people asked me, “who’s Nayah Damasen?” Hailing from San Jose, California, Nayah has been singing since she was a toddler and has made a name for herself as a singer and actress.
She first came to our attention here about 10 years ago when she killed the national anthem at the Warrior’s season opener in 2015.
She’s also played Kimmie Park on Grey’s Anatomy (S14), Melanie on Modern Family, and appeared on the movie Deadcon, earlier this year.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
This was one of my favorite albums back in the day. It was a game changer I think for the music industry. Even though women were making headway into the industry, there really weren’t that many.
I could probably name 10 female rappers that were unique in the 90’s. There was Eve and Foxy Brown. Lil’ Kim was doing her thing. Missy Elliot and Queen Latifah were dominating.
Salt N Pepa were all over the air waves, and there were a few others around like Yo Yo, Da Brat and MC Lite, but that was it.
Lauryn Hill was kind of a pioneer among pioneers. People knew who she was from her past, especially if you watched the movie Sister Act II. When she sang His Eye Is On The Sparrow, that was the talk of the town.
Watch the clip below and see what I mean. It was barely a minute, but holy smokes!
Over the years she’s pop up on shows and on sound tracks, but everybody knew she was going to be big., especially later on with the Fugees.
What I remember from seeing her on television and such was that she had this power vibe about her, and her sound was untouchable.
Me and my friends debated about her too whenever we talked about music. I remember having heated discussions about her career. Will she go solo, or won’t she?
And for me, I’m a classical musician was then now beginning learning about blues and jazz and being brought into the world of rap and hip hop by extension, it was big for me.
I was hungry for more of the music, and here I was surrounded by people who only listened to country and southern rock.
I involved myself in music groups and without a doubt, there was this air of anticipation wherever I went, and when she dropped her debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, that was it.
I don’t remember where I was going, but I remember I was listening to the radio when her album drop was announced.
That following week I went into town, used the money I got from cutting grass, (because that’s how I was making money at the time), and bought her album.
I played that thing to death! Then I bought a second copy. It was ridiculous. Maybe I’m romanticizing that a bit because I was going through a period of growth in my life too but the results speak for itself.
That album won award after award – 9 in total, and now you’re reading an article that featured a tribute to it’s release 25 years earlier. I can safely say I’m not the only one.
Seriously. Download the album and listen to it. If there was ever an album you should have in your collection and really listen to? This one is definitely it.
And if you’ve never seen Sister Act or Sister Act II you’re missing out. Get those too!
As always … enjoy the music!
Follow L. Young and Nayah Damasen
L. Young‘s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf5LwNoXCTSdmPgJ8X2rRxA
Nayah Damasen‘s YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/my3nsj