Why we think Lauryn Hill is a Type 4

• Pursuit of emotional authenticity. Hill's music is marked by a profound depth of feeling and expression. Her lyrics reveal raw emotions and delve into themes of identity, love, societal issues, and spiritual beliefs. 

• Reflective demeanor. In interviews, she comes across as someone who  thinks deeply about how to express herself and each word that she articulates.

• The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Her Grammy-winning album is a uniquely personal narrative, filled with emotive lyrics and themes that reflect her own life experiences. The song "Ex-Factor" is a deeply emotive track about an emotionally draining and confusing relationship. The lyrics are poignant and vulnerable, showing her emotional depth and her talent at conveying complex feelings through her music.

• Depth of feeling in Unplugged 2.0. Hill's performance in this live album includes long spoken interludes where she talks about her feelings, her struggles, and her perspectives on life. You can see the willingness to expose her inner emotional world, warts and all.

• Non-conforming attire and style. Hill's fashion choices demonstrate her unique, individualistic style, often showcasing a fusion of hip-hop, reggae, and soul influences. From her natural hair to her eclectic blend of bohemian and streetwear, her fashion sense is very distinctive.

• Struggles with identity and feelings of 'otherness'. Some of her songs and public statements convey how Hill grapples with feelings of not fitting in and feeling fundamentally different from others. She has spoken about feeling misunderstood and alienated.

• Tendency towards melancholy. Many of Hill’s songs, especially in her "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0" album, reveal a deep sense of melancholy and a preoccupation with life's disappointments and struggles.

• Her decision to step away from the limelight. After the success of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Hill decided to step back from the music industry. Her disillusionment with the music industry played a significant part in her decision to retreat. She was deeply troubled by the industry’s tendency to commodify creativity and sacrifice artists’ authenticity in the name of profitability. Hill had a profound resistance to commercial motives overshadowing artistic ones, which made her feel out of step with the industry's structure and practices.