Released: May 7, 2002

Songwriter: Lauryn Hill

Producer: Lauryn Hill

[Chorus]
It's the mystery of iniquity
Said it's the misery of Inequity
Said it's the history of Inequity
When it all, all falls down
Telling you all, it all falls down

[Pre-Verse]
Children, eat your bread
Little children, eat your bread
'Cause it all, all falls down
Telling you all, it all falls down

[Verse]
Yo! Y'all can't handle the truth in a courtroom of lies
Perjures the jurors, witness despised
Crooked lawyers, false indictments publicized
It's entertainment, the arraignments, the subpoenas
High profile gladiators in bloodthirsty arenas
Enter the Dragon, black-robe crooked-balance
Souls bought and sold and paroled for thirty talents
Court reporter catch the circus on the paper
File it in the system not acknowledged by the Maker
Swearing by the bible blatantly blasphemous
Publicly perpetrating that "In God We Trust"
Cross-examined by a master manipulator
The faster intimidator receiving the judge's favor
Deceiving sabers doing injury to their neighbors
For status, gratis, apparatus and legal waivers
See the bailiff representing security
Holding the word of God soliciting perjury
The prosecution, political prostitution
The more money you pay, the further away solution
Legal actors, Babylon's benefactors
Masquerading as the agency for the clients
Hypocritical giants, morally non-compliant
Orally armed to do bodily harm
Polluted, recruited and suited judicial charm
And the defense isn't making any sense
Faking the confidence of escaping the consequence
That a defendant is depending on the system
Totally void of judgment purposely made to twist 'em
Emotional victim blackmailed by the henchmen
Framed by intentions
Inventions whereby they lynch men
Enter the false witness slandering the accused
Planting the seed openly showing he's being used
To discredit, edit, headed for the alleged
Smearing the individual fearing the unsuspected
Expert witness (the paid authority)
Made a priority to deceive the majority
Of disinterested peers, dodging duty for years
Hating the process, waiting to be returning to their careers
Do we expect the system made for the elect
To possibly judge correct? Properly serve and protect?
Materially corrupt, spiritually amuck
Oblivious to the cause, prosperously bankrupt
Blind leading the blind, guilty never defined
Filthy as swine, a generation purin it's own mind
Legal extortion, blown out of proportion
In vein deceit, the truth is obsolete
Only two positions: victimizer or victim
Both end up in destruction trusting this crooked system
Mafia with diplomas keeping us in a coma
Trying to own a piece of the "American Corona"
The Revolving Door, insanity every floor
Skyscraping, paper chasing, what are we working for?
Empty traditions, reaching social positions
Teaching ambition to support the family superstition?
When the Son of Perdition is Commander in Chief
The standard is Thief; brethren, can we candidly speak?
Woe to the men, trusted in the chariots dem'
Leaning on horses, they run their intellectual sources
Counterfeit wisdom creating the illusion of freedom
Confusion consumes them
Every word they speak it turns them outwardly white
Internally they absent of light
Trapped in the night and bonded to the Cain of the night
Under the curse, evil men waxing more worse
Faxing the first, angelic being cast to the earth
It's time for rebirth, burnin up the branch and the root
The empty pursuits of every tree bearing the wrong fruit
Turn and be healed, let him who stole, no longer steal
Oh it's real, surrender for Jehovah is real
How long will you sleep, troubled by the thoughts that YOU keep
The idols YOU heap, causing the destruction you reap
Judgment has come, find it and return to the One
Abandon the flesh, self-interest: Broadway to death
Pride and the Greed, hide and subdividing the seed
The knowledge of Good and Evil is what caused us to lie
Caused us to die, let your emotions be crucified
Renounce all your thoughts
Repent and let your mind be re-taught
You'll find what you sought
Was based on the deception you bought
A perception of naught where the majority remains caught
Loving a lie, not realizing in Adam, all die
Loving a lie, not realizing in Adam, all die
Loving a lie, not realizing in Adam, all die
Loving a lie, not realizing in Adam, all die

[Chorus]
It's the mystery of iniquity
Said it's the history of Inequity
Said it's the misery of Inequity
When it all, all falls down, yeah
I'm telling you all, it all falls down

Lauryn Hill

As one of the founding members of Fugees, Lauryn Hill has spit her truthful lyrics unlike any female rap artist in history. Being as informative as she is inspiring, Lauryn has received monumental success with her solo albums going multi-platinum.

Her classic, critically acclaimed debut album Miseducation of Lauryn Hill went outside of the box for female rappers of her kind, making listeners think about greater causes in their community and how to be a powerful female without selling yourself short. The album also proved to be a huge landmark in rap, as it combined rap, r&b and neo-soul into a unique and beautiful mixture, full of different religious stories and concepts.

Although she retired after the success of her debut, mostly due to her child, Lauryn continued to make appearances at different shows (including at a concert with Drake in 2014). Shortly after announcing her official retirement, Lauryn returned to the scene to release MTV Unplugged 2.0, a live album where she explored with folk, departing from her rap/neo-soul style. Hill is also set to perform tracks from Miseducation in 2018 on its 20th Anniversary.