Lauryn Noel Hill (born May 25, 1975 in South Orange, New Jersey)is a Grammy Award-winning American singer, rapper, musician, songwriter, producer, and film actress. She established her reputation in the hip-hop world as the lone female member of The Fugees. In 1998 she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The recording earned Hill five Grammy Awards.