

After the massive success of Lauryn Hill’s 1998 solo debut, it would be nearly four years before the elusive neo-soul icon released her eagerly anticipated second coming. MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 was a bracing change in tone: an epic live recording of rough-hewn tracks that hover between hip-hop and folk, bridged by unvarnished spoken interludes. From her emotion-fractured voice on “I Get Out” to the hesitant fingerpicked patterns on “I Gotta Find Peace of Mind,” it’s hard not to be swept away by Hill’s rawness here.