Lauryn Hill, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

As of last Christmas, no less than 8 million copies of 1998’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill had been rung through at earthly checkout lines. We suspect that roughly one-third of that figure represents fans so desperate for a follow-up to that delicious album of hip-hop-soul that they simply ran out and bought the first one again. This new Unplugged disc may not quite be the blockbuster sequel you’ve been waiting for–Hill’s skills at manipulating a studio environment were what sealed much of Miseducation’s instant charm. But among the numerous pop songbirds and rap impresarios who’ve participated in MTV’s ritual sonic striptease, few flaunt the all-around musical magnetism of this former Fugee. Since dropping off the radar at the turn of the millennium, varying reports have had her devoting 98 percent of her time to motherhood, retreating deep into a spiritual self-exploration, and/or suffering at the hands of a label who might be too gun-shy to pit an acoustic Lauryn album against the red-hot likes of Alicia Keys, Missy Elliott, and the ghost of Destiny’s Child. Whatever the full truth is, Unplugged patrons would do best not to expect hit singles–which, in this case, still allows for a damn fine live collection from one of modern R&B’s most venerable figures.