Lauryn Hill’s “Miseducation…” Follow-Up Is Close. Real Close, Says Producer.

It has been more than 17 years since Lauryn Hill released her Grammy Award-winning, eight-times-platinum debut, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. In the time since, the Ruffhouse/Sony Records artist has released live albums, reunited with The Fugees for spot dates, and released a series of a la carte songs.

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However, Phil Niccolo, one of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania producers she is currently working with, says the perfect storm is brewing. In the current issue of Fader, the brother of Ruffhouse founder Joe Nicolo—and producer for Cypress Hill, Schoolly D, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince spoke out.

“Since 2010, she has been working quietly and diligently on a new album and a host of politically minded film projects. She began touring again five years ago as a way of exercising artistic muscle and financing her recording plans, says Phil Nicolo,” wrote and paraphrased Fader‘s Carrie Bratton. “According to Nicolo, she is closer than ever to finishing the follow-up to [The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill].”

Nicolo is part of The Butcher Bros., who also worked with Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, and Sting. He said of L-Boogie’s album’s worth of new material—as paraphrased by Bratton: “Whereas the few tracks she’s released in recent years feature a stream-of-consciousness that is harsh at times, Nicolo describes this work as ‘much more musical.’ It is political, but also deeply personal, he says. She is drawing ‘from all of her inputs.'” Some of the material fans have been able to hear recently includes some Nina Simone covers, a pointed response to Michael Brown’s 2014 murder, and an attack on consumerism.

The producer says Ms. Hill is in a very positive space personally, and thus creatively.

Although Nicolo’s Ruffhouse released both Fugees’ albums and Lauryn’s debut, the producer has never been credited with either outfit, on an album. This is a first from two presumable longtime associates.

In March of this year, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill was included in The Library Of Congress.

What do you anticipate for the follow-up? As Dr. Dre’s Compton is out of the way, is this really the longest awaited next album? After all, Miseducation even predates 2001

Read: Why We Need A New Lauryn Hill Album Now More Than Ever at The Fader.

Related: Lauryn Hill Takes on Classic Nina Simone & Gives it a New Life (Video)