Inside "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill"

Jackson: It started to get strange, Bible study went from one day a week to three days a week to five days a week to I want you to come. I went to a couple of them but I was like, I completely understand if it's your calling, but it's not mine and I can't force it. As that picked up we drifted further and further apart.

Nobles: The type of pressure, selling 18 million records worldwide, winning all these Grammys and people love you and then you wanna be outside the box, change up your hairstyle, express yourself, and people say, "No, that's not you." She ain't the type of woman that you gonna box in. She's Ms. Hill, that's who she is. And there's nothing wrong with that. She wants to be called Ms. Hill, fine. Maybe she feels that society has disrespected her, maybe she feels like you're not entitled to call me Lauryn, you don't know me and don't pretend like you know me.

Pras: It's not that Lauryn is crazy — if it's not the orthodox way then people tend to say you're crazy. People said Einstein was crazy. Lauryn had whatever she was dealing with personally, and sometimes people don't know how to give you a break because she had such an impact.

Marley: They've been hating for too long, hatin' on her for no reason. You got a guy like Wyclef talking about her on the radio. What the fuck, brethren?! Relax! That's foolishness! Big man, what you doing? Let's move on. We got children too, ya know?

Hill: I think, in our own sweet time, we're gonna get into a room and talk to each other about all of our issues and make some music. But that can't happen too prematurely or I think it would damage things. We all sincerely loved each other. And we still do. But in any relationship there's ups and downs. People grow up, they grow apart. I have a huge amount of love for them, but I needed to learn some things about myself. I've found my sound, the sound which is distinctly me. I needed to become the woman that I'm becoming, and it was necessary for me to make this record. But I think, at the same time, this record may have revealed some insecurities in other people. And I think it made it a little difficult. I don't think that everybody was necessarily that happy that I decided to do a solo project. I think that they thought the worst as opposed to the best.

But I know that (a) time reveals truth. And (b) time heals wounds. So I'm not in any rush to rip any Band-Aids off. Actually, maybe I am. Maybe I do wanna rip the Band-Aid. I think this album definitely ripped the Band-Aid off, because it helped the wound to breathe as opposed to fester. But I'd rather let the healing process take its own natural time than rush into a situation. I definitely do [miss the Fugees]. We were a crazy bunch. We used to do some wild things. Not bad wild things — we had a lot of fun. But the funny thing about liberation is that once you get it, anything other feels awkward.