Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as one of the most influential musicians of her generation. She is often credited for breaking barriers for female rappers, popularizing melodic rap, and pioneering neo soul for mainstream audiences. In addition to being named one of the
50 Great Voices by NPR, Hill was listed as one of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time by
Rolling Stone. In 2015, she was ranked as the greatest female rapper by
Billboard. Her other accolades include eight Grammy Awards—the most for any female rapper.