According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the 1998 studio album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has officially been certified diamond.

The impressive feat of Ms. Hill also makes her the first female rap artist to ever sell 10,000,000 units, despite the album being her one and only studio effort.

“Welcome to the RIAA Diamond Club @MsLaurynHill! #TheMiseducationofLaurynHill is now a (10X) certified album,” the RIAA tweeted in confirmation. This makes the 45-year-old artist the first female rapper to ever sell 10,000,000 units, joining the likes of MC Hammer, OutKast, Eminem, The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac.

“With The Miseducation, there was no precedent. I was, for the most part, free to explore, experiment and express. After the Miseducation, there were scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations, and saboteurs EVERYWHERE. People had included me in their own narratives of THEIR successes as it pertained to my album, and if this contradicted my experience, I was considered an enemy,” Ms. Hill explained in a recent Rolling Stone podcast why a followup never materialized.

Posted by:Staff