March 23, 2022

Babylon System

Summary: "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" was an album very clearly held together by a theme, love. And then when Lauryn performed on that stage in MTV studios with a brand new set of songs with just her and an acoustic guitar, there seemed to be a lack of cohesion within the songs themselves as well as the performance as a whole. Initially derided by critics and fans, "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0" went on to influence artists such as Kanye, Lecrae, and many others in hip hop. But what might not be apparent from a single or a dozen listens of the performance is that the album's songs are narratively connected. This album is her story but it is also the story of all humanity, where Lauryn takes us from Genesis to Revelation and through the words and life of Jesus.

Timestamps:

• The Media, Critic, and Fan Response to "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0" - 00:00
• Bob Marley's "Babylon System" As The Inspiration for "Unplugged" - 4:50
• Femi Olutade Dissects "Mr. Intentional" - 8:16
• "Adam Lives in Theory" as the Story of All Humanity - 13:00
• "Freedom Time" as the Central Theme of "Unplugged - 20:06
• Femi talk through various "Unplugged" songs ("Just Like Water," "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind," "The Mystery of Iniquity," and "I Get Out") as the narrative of the Bible - 34:29
• "The Conquering Lion" as Jesus and the one who destroys the "Babylon System" - 35:59
• Krystal and Matt React to the Narrative that Femi found within "Unplugged" - 45:44

Hosts: Lauryn Hill researcher, Krystal Roberts, and Hip Hop scholar, Matt Linder.

Contributors: Julius Tunstall, Raven Jones Stanbrough, and Femi Olutade.

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Logo design by @papercutprayers

Theme music by Julius Tunstall.

Additional music from Yons, fndguitar, Beats by Hype and Nabil Sioty

Episode Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/SG6S7QjVBr7

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