Lauryn Hill has blazed a trail to the top of the charts taking the world by storm. However, those who knew her in her early days must have known she was bound for stardom and success. Born in South Orange, New Jersey, Hill had a passion for singing at an early age.

Her mother was an English teacher, her father was a computer consultant, and they contributed to Hill's love for music by rocking her to sleep with the sounds of rhythm and blues.

Although her parents placed a strong emphasis on the importance of school, Hill managed to fit her love of music into her studies. She made her first public impression at the age of 13 when she sang, "Who's Loving You?" by Smokey Robinson at the Apollo theatre.

She was highly involved in her academic career; writing poetry, singing in the choir, cheerleading, playing basketball, and running track. She was also the sweetheart of her school, being elected Homecoming Queen.

She began her acting career while still in high school and landed a role on "As the World Turns". Her next role was in Sister Act 2, with Whoopi Goldberg. Meanwhile, her singing career was taking shape and she formed a rap group called the Fugees with longtime friends Wyclef Jean and Prakazrel (Pras) Michel.

Although she prodded to head for Hollywood by many, she respected her parents' wishes and went on to study History at Columbia University. The Fugees released their first album, Blunted On Reality while she was in her freshman year.

Their debut album got off to a slow start, but their popularity was booming in the underground club scene thanks to a successful tour that allowed Hill's on-stage talents to shine through.

Their second album, The Score, was an enormous success, selling 17 million copies worldwide. The Score was a welcomed change from the predominantly rap-oriented nature of the first album and allowed Hill's beautiful voice the recognition it deserved.

The Score was one of the first hip-hop albums to be embraced by mainstream audiences. Songs such as Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly" and Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" drew in audiences and allowed them to discover the rest of the trios' diverse and versatile abilities.

Through all the success and demands of the sophomore album, Hill once again showed her perseverance and continued to study at Columbia. In 1997, Hill became pregnant with her first child. Despite criticism and warnings of potential career damage, Hill went on to give birth to a healthy baby boy. The father is Bob Marley's son, Rohan, and the baby was named Zion. Hill kept out of the spotlight and concentrated on raising her son and her organization, known as the Refugee Project, devoted to assisting underprivileged youth. Her second child, Selah Louise, was born on Nov. 12, 1998.

Pras and Wyclef began their solo careers and Hill began considering a solo album as well. She released The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in the summer of 1998. It was based on her life and experiences, covering topics such as prejudice and our materialistic and superficial society. The album was seen as a breakthrough that would convince other hip-hop artists to give more meaning and depth to their work.

Hill broke a record at the 1998 Grammy awards, being the first woman ever to receive five awards. Her tour was extremely well received and a Fugees reunion album is soon to come. Hill is likely to appear in a role as Bob Marley's wife, as well as in a film about Pras. Wedding bells are also in her future as she and Rohan are expected to marry in the near future.

biography courtesy of AskMen.com

Personal quotes:

"When you're young and everything dramatic is exciting, you start to believe that hype that, in order to be an artist, you have to suffer. I've graduated from that school."
-Lauryn Hill