MTV Unplugged 2.0 (2CD)

Lauryn Hill's Unplugged 2.0 album was a body of work that arrived far ahead of its time. Sixteen years ago, fans expected the multi-hyphenate superstar to kick in the door with a dynamic follow up to The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. The record-shattering album racked up an astonishing five Grammys (unheard of for a female artist both black and raised by hip-hop). After vanishing from the spotlight for roughly three years, Hill's return to the stage went completely against the grain. Taking to the MTV set in a baseball cap, gold hoops, and her trusty guitar, Hill bared her soul and unveiled her truth in front of an intimate and captive audience. In an interlude preceding the song "Adam Lives In Theory," Hill succinctly explains the reason behind her transformation both sonically and spiritually: "Fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they need. And I've just retired from the fantasy part."

People who expected another batch of radio-friendly bops with catchy hooks like those on "Doo Wop (That Thing)" and "Ex-Factor" weren't appreciative of her new mission. Unplugged 2.0 was a cathartic outpouring of truth signifying the singer's rebirth. Her reward for being so open turned out to be a wave of scathing reviews and speculation about her suspected unraveling. The picture painted was that of a forlorn rap/songstress with limitless talent crushed under fame's weight. There were whisperings that the then-mother of two had been led astray by a shady spiritual adviser while also grappling with a toxic marriage to Rohan Marley. Some of these probes into her private life are vaguely addressed in the music that critics found too solemn and "preachy" to take seriously. It wasn't until years later that the industry would unearth Hill's Unplugged album from beneath the controversy and come to appraise it as a rarely eulogized gem.
Vibe.com (2018)