"Lost Ones" is a

diss song A diss track, diss record or diss song (diss – abbr. from ''disrespect'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the ...

by American rapper and singer-songwriter

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

. It was released on August 25, 1998, through Ruffhouse and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. The song was written by Hill and produced by Hill, alongside

Vada Nobles Vada Nobles is an American record producer and songwriter. He provided production for " Lost Ones" on Lauryn Hill's debut solo album, ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'' (1998).McLeod, Rodd"The reeducation of Lauryn Hill". Salon.com. May 10, 2000. ...

and

Che Pope Che Pope (born May 3, 1970) is an American record executive, record producer, and songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts, also the former COO of GOOD Music and the founder of Wrkshp Media. He is perhaps best known for producing on the Grammy Awar ...

. Despite never naming him in the song, the song is widely presumed to be about Hill's former

Fugees Fugees (; sometimes The Fugees) is an American hip hop group formed in the early 1990s. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to fame with its ...

Bandmate

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

. The song wasn't released as an official single, however it received significant radio play in the United States, and peaked at number 27 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...

chart. "Lost Ones" received a

Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. In 2003, this award was split into separate awa ...

nomination at the 41st Grammy Awards. Introduced by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

, Hill performed the song at the 1999

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

; and earned a nomination for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special for the performance. It is often cited as one of the best diss songs, as well as one of the greatest hip hop songs by many critics. In 2013, ''Complex'' named it the best rap song made by a woman. In June 2017, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked it 45th on their '100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All Time' list, the second highest position for a single by a woman on the list.

Background

"Lost Ones" was written and recorded at Chung King Studios in New York City, and completed in June 1998 at

Tuff Gong Studios Tuff Gong is the brand name associated with a number of businesses started by Bob Marley and the Marley family. 'Tuff Gong' comes from Marley's nickname, which was in turn an echo of that given to founder of the Rastafari movement, Leonard " ...

in Kingston, Jamaica, the song makes mention of this with the lyrics "I was hopeless, now I’m on Hope Road," and Hill figuratively and literally was: Tuff Gong's address is 56 Hope Road. The song is considered to be a nameless diss track aimed towards Hill's former

bandmate

. Following the split of The Fugees, Hill's former bandmate Jean blamed the split of the group on Hill's pregnancy, his tumultuous relationship with Hill and Jean marrying another woman while being in a relationship with Hill. Shortly after Hill began working on solo projects, ultimately turning down Wyclef Jean's offer to produce an album for Hill after urging her not to start a solo career. According to her former bandmate

Pras Prakazrel Samuel Michel (; born October 19, 1972) is a Haitian-American rapper, producer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the hip hop group Fugees, alongside Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. After the Fugees, he earned two ...

this led to Hill's animosity towards Jean after she fully supported his solo career and featured on his album, ''

Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival ''Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival'', also known simply as ''The Carnival'', is the debut studio album released by Haitian hip hop musician Wyclef Jean. The album was released on June 24, 1997, Wyclef Jean also served as the album's executive pro ...

''.

Aftermath

When asked if he believes the song is about him, Jean responded "personally I don’t take it as a shot". However Fugees member Pras claimed that Jean did think the song was about him when it was released, stating "obviously, he(Jean) thought it was about him. But I think he just kinda shrugged it off."

Legacy

Samples

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

member

Inspectah Deck Jason Richard Hunter (born July 6, 1970), better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He is a member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface. He has acquired critical praise for his intricate lyri ...

sampled it for his song "Elevation" from his critically acclaimed solo album ''

Uncontrolled Substance ''Uncontrolled Substance'' is the debut studio album by rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck. The album was released on October 5, 1999, under Loud Records. Originally slated for release in 1995, the record was indefinitely postponed af ...

'' (1999). Rapper

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...

samples the song on his single "Real One". Singer-songwriter

H.E.R. Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (born June 27, 1997), known professionally as H.E.R. (pronounced "her", an acronym for "Having Everything Revealed"), is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actress. She has received several awards includin ...

flipped "Lost Ones" on her single "Lost Souls" by using a similar flow, drum pattern, and scratches. The song "

We Know ''Hamilton'' is a biographical sung-and-rapped-through musical by the American composer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda. Composed over a seven-year period from 2008 to 2015, the musical tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Ha ...

", written and composed by

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...

for the Broadway musical

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

references "Lost Ones".

Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rap trio The Lox, managed by Ruff Ryders and signed with Bad ...

also samples the track for his single " Knock Yourself Out" featuring

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...

. Rapper

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...

referenced ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'' on her song "Mis-education of Lil' Kim" (from the 2008 mixtape ''

Ms. G.O.A.T. ''Ms. G.O.A.T.'', an acronym for "''Greatest Of All Time''", is the debut mixtape by American rapper Lil' Kim. It was officially released on June 3, 2008 and was produced by Mister Cee and DJ Whoo Kid, DJs from New York City. The title reference ...

''), which samples "Lost Ones".

Impact and influence

In a 2014 interview with ''Vanity Fair'',

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

mentioned "Lost Ones" among his favorite songs at the time. He also stated that Hill "created a sound that was timeless", and noted that the song has inspired him. American rapper

Rapsody Marlanna Evans (born January 21, 1983), better known by her stage name Rapsody, is an American rapper. Her second album, ''Laila's Wisdom'' (2017), which was critically acclaimed, received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Rap Album and Bes ...

paid tribute to the song while speaking to ''Billboard'', stating that Hill "knew how to incorporate melody into a rhyme so people could sing along with her, even as she was rapping about things that might have been complex", she then added "When I started making music, my

cadences In Western musical theory, a cadence (Latin ''cadentia'', "a falling") is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don Michael Randel (1999) ...

weren’t easy to learn, my lyrics were a puzzle. Through studying Lauryn and songs like "Lost Ones," I learned how to simplify". The song was analyzed and discussed on the first addition of the

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

music podcast ''Dissect'''s mini series segment. According to

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

, writer

Joan Morgan Joan Morgan (1 February 1905 – 22 July 2004) was an English film actress, screenwriter and novelist. Born in Forest Hill, London, she was the daughter of film director Sidney Morgan and his wife, Evelyn. Joan Morgan died at age 99 in Henle ...

hails "Lost Ones" as a "rare opportunity for the

cathartic In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that ''accelerates'' defecation. This is similar to a laxative, which is a substance that ''eases'' defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathart ...

release hip-hop is known for, but one usually associated with

testosterone Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondar ...

" in her book ''She Begat This.''

Critical reception

"Lost Ones" has been placed on many critics' lists of the greatest diss songs, as well as the greatest hip hop songs of all time. Music journalist

Danyel Smith Danyel Smith Wilson (born Danyel Smith; 1965) is an American magazine editor, journalist, and novelist . Smith is the former and first African-American editor of ''Billboard'' and ''Vibe'' magazine'','' respectively. She is author of two novels a ...

referred to it as "the greatest diss record of all time". In conversation with Smith, rapper

MC Lyte Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first ...

referred to the track as " the most beautifullest diss song". '' XXL'' placed it on their list of essential songs by women in hip hop.

Christopher John Farley Christopher John Farley (born July 28, 1966) is a Jamaican-born American journalist, columnist, and author. Early life Farley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in New York. He is a graduate of Brockport High School and Harvard Unive ...

of ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'', named it the best hip hop song (radio mix) by a woman, and the second best overall. ''

'' ranked it 45th on their '100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All Time' list. ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' placed it on their list of '19 Of The Fiercest Diss Tracks In Hip-Hop, Rock And Pop History'.

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

ranked it 28th on their list of the '50 Greatest Hip Hop Diss Songs; additionally, it topped their list of the '50 Best Rap Songs Made By Women'. In 2017, ''

The Boombox Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...

'' ranked the song's opening line "It's funny how money change a situation/Miscommunication lead to complication/My emancipation don't fit your equation" as the best verse by a female rapper, while also referring to it as "one of the dopest hip-hop verses of all-time".

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

placed the same verse on their list of 'The 10 Best Verses of All Time'. Music critic Kathy Iandoli placed the song at number two on her ballot of

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Background

Aftermath

Legacy

Samples

Impact and influence

Critical reception

Charts

See also

References