MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 was recorded on July 21, 2001, at MTV Studios in Times Square, New York City.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Billboard |date=2001-07-23 |title=Lauryn Hill Goes ‘Unplugged’ |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/lauryn-hill-goes-unplugged-79032/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} Hill performed onstage wearing denim and a baseball cap, playing original material and Bob Marley covers on acoustic guitar without a backing band. During the performance, Hill announced her pregnancy with her third child, Joshua.{{Cite magazine |date=2003-10-30 |title=The Mystery of Lauryn Hill |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-mystery-of-lauryn-hill-249020/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} According to her longtime partner Rohan Marley, MTV approached him directly about having Hill appear on their MTV Unplugged series, and he later encouraged her to participate independently of her record label. Marley recalled that Hill frequently carried a bookbag filled with reading material and said she was deeply inspired by both the Bible and other works of literature.{{Cite web |title=Rohan Marley on Life as Bob Marley's Son, Relationship with Lauryn Hill, Miami Football - All The Smoke |url=https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-all-the-smoke-51664494/episode/rohan-marley-on-life-as-bob-258396480/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=iHeart |language=en}}

Series creator Alex Coletti explained that the performance deviated from the shows' typical format by featuring entirely new, unreleased material solo on acoustic guitar, stating, "The concept was always to take songs we know and break them down to their beginnings, but we don’t know these songs. It's like being in Lauryn's bedroom watching her write the stuff". He described the material as "bossa nova to acoustic hip-hop to Joan Armatrading-type music and Bob Marley influences".{{Cite web |title=Lauryn Hill's Unplugged will finally air |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/02/28/lauryn-hills-unplugged-will-finally-air/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814095022/https://ew.com/article/2002/02/28/lauryn-hills-unplugged-will-finally-air/ |archive-date=2022-08-14 |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=EW.com |language=en}} In a separate interview, Coletti remembered first hearing from the pregnant singer while on vacation, saying, "She said, 'I taught myself how to play guitar, I've written a bunch of new songs and I want to do them acoustic'". Coletti relayed the proposal to MTV's then-president Van Toffler, who agreed to move forward. "We did it, and it was pretty special", he said. "There were some definite 4 A.M. phone calls in the remix phase and some things got a little weird, but it's definitely a standout show that people still talk about".{{Cite web |date=2019-11-26 |title='The point was to be anti-Milli Vanilli': 30 years ago, 'Unplugged' changed MTV |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-point-was-to-be-anti-milli-vanilli-30-years-ago-unplugged-changed-mtv-045545808.html |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}}

Originally scheduled for a fall 2001 release, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 was delayed due to the September 11 attacks.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Billboard |date=2002-03-26 |title=Lauryn Hill’s ‘Unplugged’ Due In May |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/lauryn-hills-unplugged-due-in-may-76342/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} The album was later released on May 7, 2002, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.{{Cite magazine |title=Lauryn Hill |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/lauryn-hill/chart-history/tlp/ |access-date=2020-06-28 |magazine=Billboard}} It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the following month,{{Cite web |title=Gold & Platinum |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/ |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=RIAA |language=en-US}} and remained on the charts for several months. Internationally, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 also saw notable chart success. It reached the top five in Austria, France, and Switzerland, and entered the top ten in Japan, Norway, and Sweden. The album also peaked at number 10 on the European Top 100 Albums chart and performed strongly in Canada, where it topped the R&B chart and reached number nine overall.

The track "Mystery of Iniquity" was nominated at the 45th Grammy Awards for Best Female Rap Solo Performance.

For MTV Unplugged No. 2.0, Hill departed from the hip hop sounds of her debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) in favor of austerely performed acoustic soul and folk-based songs. She jokingly described herself as a "hip-hop folk singer",{{cite journal|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20136967,00.html|accessdate=July 10, 2013|title=Picks and Pans Review: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0|journal=People|date=May 13, 2002|volume=57|issue=18}} and according to Robert Hilburn, assumed the role of a folk singer accompanied only by her acoustic guitar.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jul-15-et-hilburn15-story.html|access-date=July 10, 2013|title=Hill Continues Her Lofty Course|date=July 15, 2002|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Hilburn}} Rather than singing any of her previous hits, Hill debuted all new songs in a folk style and, in between songs, spoke at length about her personal and artistic struggles.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|last=Bauder|first=David|date=May 10, 2002|url=http://amarillo.com/stories/051002/ent_misstepof.shtml|title=The misstep of Lauryn Hill?|accessdate=July 10, 2013}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}Ruhlmann, William. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r588369|pure_url=yes}} Review: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0]. Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-02-11.

|rev2 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

|rev2score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|authorlink=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2006|page=290|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Muze|isbn=0195313739|edition=4th|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}

|rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

|rev3score = B–Browne, David. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071221164455/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,235663,00.html Review: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0]. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-02-11.

|rev4 = The Guardian

|rev4score = {{Rating|2|5}}Petridis, Alexis. [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2002/apr/26/shopping.popandrock Review: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0]. The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-02-11.

|rev5 = NME

|rev5score = 5/10Needham, Alex. [https://www.nme.com/reviews/lauryn-hill/6324 Review: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0]. NME. Retrieved 2010-02-11.

|rev6 = Q

|rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal|journal=Q|location=London|page=121|date=June 2002|title=none|quote=...Less is indeed more; performed so simply, each song has the resonance of Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song'...Hill's traditional songwriting values and strong roots in '70s soul music mean that a beautiful and heartfelt song requires nothing more than her gritty sweet voice and funky strumming...}}

|rev7 = Rolling Stone

|rev7score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|magazine=Rolling Stone|page=78|date=May 23, 2002|title=none|quote=...An unpolished collection of thirteen demos sung and strummmed exclusively by the ex-Fugee....this tender renegade purposefully does what she's gotta do to keep her music sacred...}}

|rev8 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

|rev8score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite book|last=Caramanica|first=Jon|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-last=Brackett|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-last=Hoard|title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=Lauryn Hill|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/379 379]|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide}}

|rev9 = Slant Magazine

|rev9score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}Cinquemani, Sal. [https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/lauryn-hill-unplugged-no-20/87 Review: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419182707/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/lauryn-hill-unplugged-no-20/87 |date=2010-04-19 }}. Slant magazine. Retrieved 2010-02-11.

|rev10 = The Village Voice

|rev10score = D−{{cite news|last=Christgau |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Christgau |date=April 22, 2003 |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-04-22/music/not-hop-stomp/full/ |title=Not Hop, Stomp |newspaper=The Village Voice |location=New York |accessdate=February 9, 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220082856/http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-04-22/music/not-hop-stomp/full/ |archivedate=December 20, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

}}

Upon release, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 received sharply divided reviews. Many critics noted its unorthodox format and praised its raw emotional content, while others questioned her artistic discipline. In the Los Angeles Times, Robert Hilburn described the album as "as messy as a car wreck creatively", yet commended Hill's courage, stating that "few artists would have the strength to move away so boldly from an approach that had brought her such commercial success and acclaim". Hilburn cited songs such as "I Find It Hard to Say", "Just Like Water", and "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" as echoing the artistic strengths shown on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

In Entertainment Weekly, David Browne said it was "perhaps the most bizarre follow-up in the history of [popular music]", appreciating some of the music's "poetic flow" but finding it exhausting to hear Hill's "strummed sermons directed at unspecified enemies and soul crushers". Alexis Petridis panned the record as "messy" and "inconsequential", mostly because of what he felt were her clichéd self-help lyrics and self-indulgent monologues: "A scant handful of powerful moments, including a furious meditation on the police shooting of a young black man, 'I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel)', are outweighed by repetitious rambling." In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau called it one of the "worst album[s] ever released by an artist of substance", finding the songs overlong, verbose, and unmelodic. Christgau was also critical of Hill's singing voice, calling it typically poor, and of "a solo guitar [she] can barely strum (the first finger-picked figure occurs on track 10, where it repeats dozens upon dozens of times, arghh)."

In a favorable review, AllMusic's William Ruhlmann conceded that Hill's spoken interludes sounded vain and foolish but still felt the album was "fascinating" as an "unfinished, unflinching presentation of ideas and of a person". Q was more enthusiastic, finding her songs beautifully sincere and performed austerely in a way that recalled the vibrant quality of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" (1980). Billboard praised Hill as "bold and brave", and highlighted tracks like "Just Want You Around", "Just Like Water", "I Get Out", and "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" as standouts within a "potent—albeit perplexing—performance".{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Billboard |date=2002-05-18 |title=MTV Unplugged 2.0 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/mtv-unplugged-20-2-75825/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} Time hailed the "sweetness of voice" and compared the songs "Mr. Intentional" and "Oh, Jerusalem" to the work of Bob Dylan, stated that Hill reminded audiences that "no matter what she says, she's a performer after all".{{Cite web |last=Tyrangiel |first=Josh |date=2002-03-25 |title=Music: MTV2 Presents Unplugged 2.0: Lauryn Hill |url=https://time.com/archive/6666069/music-mtv2-presents-unplugged-2-0-lauryn-hill/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=TIME |language=en}}

In a 2002 CNN interview, Britney Spears stated that she had been listening to the album in rotation and praised it as "amazing", adding, "It's kind of sad, but it's good. It's a feel-good album".{{Cite web |title=CNN.com - Britney on music, 'Boys' and Austin's powers - August 2, 2002 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/02/mroom.britney/index.html |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=www.cnn.com}}

Hill began previewing new material from the album in the early 2000s, most notably being her performance at the 2001 Essence Awards, where she debuted "Adam Lives in Theory". Hill appeared onstage with a shaved head, seated on a stool with an acoustic guitar, featuring a similar setup to the stripped-down aesthetic of her upcoming MTV Unplugged set. The moment was described as a stark departure from her earlier public image, which journalist Kathy Iandoli described as "a person we seemingly never saw again".{{Cite web |last=Iandoli |first=Kathy |date=2015-07-13 |title=Lauryn Hill Owes Us Nothing |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/839-lauryn-hill-owes-us-nothing/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}

Following the album's release Hill co-headlined the 2002 Smokin' Grooves tour, alongside OutKast and The Roots.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Billboard |date=2002-05-03 |title=Smokin’ Grooves Returns With Outkast, Hill, Roots |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/smokin-grooves-returns-with-outkast-hill-roots-75892/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} The tour marked her first major live appearances since The Miseducation Tour, and included songs like "Mystery of Iniquity", "Freedom Time", and "Just Like Water", as well as selections from her debut album.{{Cite web |title=Smokin Grooves Tour at Shoreline Amphitheatre |url=https://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Hot-hip-hop-funk-in-the-summertime-Outkast-s-2820887.php |website=SF Gate}}

Critics noted her anti-commercial presentation. The New York Times wrote that she appeared as an artist "determined not to be a pop commodity anymore", wielding her guitar to sing "about breaking free".{{Cite news |date=2002-08-02 |title=POP AND JAZZ GUIDE |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/02/movies/pop-and-jazz-guide-278092.html |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} DJ Nu-Mark similarly praised Hill's minimalist setup, which he described as "without a full entourage, or a drum machine, or a DJ behind her", likening it to "looking into her soul".{{Cite web |last=Ducker |first=Eric |date=2018-06-15 |title=How the Smokin’ Grooves Tour Brought Rap to the Masses |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/how-the-smokin-grooves-tour-brought-rap-to-the-masses/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}

Audience members recalled Hill entering without introduction, and later modestly exiting after performing her closing song "I Get Out", by removing her hat, wiping her face and walking away quietly.{{Cite web |date=2002-07-29 |title=Smokin' Grooves lives up to its name |url=https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/smokingrooves |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=OnMilwaukee}} The final date of the Smokin' Grooves tour reportedly took place on Thanksgiving night in Seattle. Questlove, who DJed before her set, remembered playing protest songs from singers like Gene McDaniels before she entered the stage.{{Cite web |title=Questlove Supreme Presents: May Flowers Part 2 - Questlove Supreme |url=https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-questlove-supreme-53194211/episode/questlove-supreme-presents-may-flowers-part-278013088/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=iHeart |language=en}} Dr. Dre protégé Truth Hurts later recalled that Prince attended the Minneapolis stop specifically to watch Hill's performance.

Over time, many critics have reevaluated MTV Unplugged No. 2.0, which has gained more acclaim and positive reviews.{{Cite web|title=Why You Should Give Lauryn Hill's "Unplugged" Album Another Chance|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2014/05/why-you-should-give-lauryn-hill-unplugged-another-chance|access-date=2020-06-28|website=Complex|language=en}} * {{Cite web|title=7 Really Good MTV Unplugged Performances|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/01/mtv-unplugged-good-performances-list.html|access-date=2020-06-28|website=Vulture|language=en-us}} * {{Cite web|last=Harvilla|first=Rob|date=2017-09-07|title=Nirvana, Lauryn Hill, and Faxes From Don Henley: Behind the Scenes at the Original 'MTV Unplugged'|url=https://www.theringer.com/music/2017/9/7/16265886/mtv-unplugged-nirvana-don-henley-paul-mccartney|access-date=2020-06-28|website=The Ringer|language=en}} * {{Cite news |last=Farley |first=Christopher John |date=2010-07-02 |title=Lauryn Hill: Remembering Her Most Beautiful Breakdown |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-39760 |access-date=2022-06-26 |issn=0099-9660}} * {{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Jasmine |date=2018-05-07 |title=Lauryn Hill's 'MTV Unplugged No. 2.0' Album Is Still A Gem |url=https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/lauryn-hill-mtv-unplugged-20-album-anniversary-584211/ |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=VIBE.com |language=en-US}} Katy Iandoli of Revolt praised the album's socially driven material, describing songs "I Get Out" and "Mr. Intentional" as the constructs of modern-day thinkpieces rooted in self-empowerment and "letting go", calling the album "ahead of its time".{{Cite web |last=Iandoli |first=Kathy |date=2017-05-10 |title=We weren't ready for Lauryn Hill's 'Unplugged' album…in more ways than one |url=https://www.revolt.tv/2017/5/10/20819135/we-weren-t-ready-for-lauryn-hill-s-unplugged-album-in-more-ways-than-one |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=Revolt |language=en}} This sentiment was echoed by TheGrio, which named the album one of ten releases they considered ahead of their time in a 2022 article.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-15 |title=Folks weren't ready: 10 albums that were ahead of their time |url=https://thegrio.com/2022/06/15/folks-werent-ready-10-albums-that-were-ahead-of-their-time/ |access-date=2022-06-16 |website=TheGrio |language=en-US}}

Rolling Stone ranked the release of MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 as the boldest career move made by a woman in the history of music.{{Cite magazine |last1=Greene |first1=Andy |last2=Stone |first2=Rolling |date=2011-03-18 |title=25 Boldest Career Moves in Music |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-25-boldest-career-moves-in-rock-history-150807/ |access-date=2020-06-29 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} The New York Times hailed the album as a "classic performance", with journalist Noel Murray referring to it as a "mesmerizing look at a pop star who dared to reinvent herself in public", while drawing parallels between the album and the work of Nina Simone.{{Cite news|last=Murray|first=Noel|title=Missed the Summer Music Festivals? Stream These Classic Performances at Home|language=en-us|work=The New York Times|date=7 August 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/07/watching/qello-music-documentaries-streaming.html|access-date=2020-06-28|issn=0362-4331}} Writing for Vulture, Lindsey Weber wrote "looking back, it was a brave decision for a young artist to make and ultimately true to the Unplugged format."{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Lindsey |date=2014-01-29 |title=7 Really Good MTV Unplugged Performances |url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/01/mtv-unplugged-good-performances-list.html |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Vulture |language=en}} In a retrospective review, Daryl McIntosh wrote that the album "points straight into the soul of this once-in-a-lifetime artist in raw form, exposing both the brilliance that we fell in love with when we first heard her voice and the fragility of the human spirit."{{Cite web |title=Revisiting Lauryn Hill's 'MTV Unplugged No. 2.0' (2002) {{!}} Retrospective Tribute |url=https://www.albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-15-years-of-lauryn-hill-mtv-unplugged |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=Albumism |language=en-US}}

During her podcast Still Processing, Jenna Wortham described Hill's performance on MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 as "devastatingly iconic", while noting its critique of fame, the music industry, and sexism. She interpreted that Kanye West's use of "Mystery of Iniquity" on "All Falls Down" with Syleena Johnson was not only a sample but a form of musical lineage and archival work honoring Hill's influence.{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Wesley |last2=Wortham |first2=Jenna |last3=Dudley |first3=Elyssa |last4=Buetow |first4=Hans |last5=Djossa |first5=Christina |last6=Weiss |first6=Sasha |last7=Lozano |first7=Marion |date=2022-12-06 |title=America Has a Problem |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/06/podcasts/still-processing-kanye-west-undoing.html |access-date=2025-06-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Slant Magazine opined that Alicia Keys invoked "Unplugged-era" Hill on her acoustic anti-capitalism protest song "Kill Your Mama" from her 2016 album Here.{{Cite web |last=Cinquemani |first=Sal |date=2016-11-04 |title=Review: Alicia Keys, Here |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/alicia-keys-here/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}} Music critic Jenn Pelly cited MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 as a key precedent for polarizing but emotionally honest live performances. She wrote that Lauryn Hill's "biblical hip-hop folk profundities" and her decision to present "the truest version of herself" rather than conform to commercial expectations laid the groundwork for a generation of artists, including Frank Ocean.{{Cite news |last=Pelly |first=Jenn |date=2023-05-09 |title=Frank Ocean Shows Us a More Human Way to Perform |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/09/magazine/frank-ocean-coachella.html |access-date=2025-06-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

One early review likened the album to John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band (1970), acknowledging Hill's willingness to dismantle celebrity and embrace discomfort. The piece compared her emotional delivery to the vulnerability of Joni Mitchell's Blue (1971), the rebellious spirit of Courtney Love, and the vocal soulfulness of Gladys Knight.{{Cite web |last=Garcia |first=Gilbert |title=Miseducated No Longer? |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/miseducated-no-longer-6411481 |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Phoenix New Times |language=en}} In a 2010 interview with The Root, John Legend said he had been a fan of the Unplugged album, stating that while the album might not be "listener-friendly" it is full of "real gems".{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Erin E. |date=2010-09-09 |title=The Root Interview: John Legend |url=https://www.theroot.com/the-root-interview-john-legend-1790880866/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=The Root |language=en-US}} In a 2016 retrospective, The A.V. Club coined the term "Secret Fiascocess" to rate the album's impact, characterizing the first half as "intentionally self-sabotaging", while acknowledging its second disc as a "secret success".{{Cite web |title=Miseducation case file #76: Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 |url=https://www.avclub.com/miseducation-case-file-76-lauryn-hill-s-mtv-unplugged-1798255655 |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=AV Club |language=en-US}} Singer Ledisi praised Hill's impact on protest music, saying "I love the work that Lauryn Hill did when she was speaking of those things… we have that in our era as well, it’s just not celebrated enough".{{Cite web |last=Yates |first=Shanique |date=2025-06-02 |title=The Sound Of Movement: Ledisi Reflects On The Power Of Protest Music And Self-Love In 'The Crown' [Exclusive] |url=https://madamenoire.com/1440712/ledisi-opens-up-about-the-power-of-music-and-the-crown/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=MadameNoire |language=en-US}} Wired journalist Jason Parham reflected on the reception of MTV Unplugged No. 2.0, stating that in the years following The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, "Hill's genius was cast as obnoxious and difficult. But the work itself could not be denied".{{Cite news |last=Parham |first=Jason |title=Beyoncé, Kendrick, Kanye, and How the World Seeks to Limit Black Genius |url=https://www.wired.com/story/beyonce-kendrick-kanye-black-genius/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}

Hill's interludes, initially criticized as rambling or self-indulgent, have also gained greater appreciation over time, attracting scholarly analysis,{{Cite book |last=Bruce |first=La Marr Jurelle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ENMpEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT105&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=How to Go Mad without Losing Your Mind: Madness and Black Radical Creativity |date=2021-04-26 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-1-4780-1242-9 |language=en}} being quoted by writers,{{Cite web |title=Lauryn Hill's 40 Best Quotables |url=https://www.bet.com/photo-gallery/s3okg3/lauryn-hill-s-40-best-quotables/ahqxuo |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=BET |language=en}} and referenced by artists like Kanye West and actress Taylor Russell.{{Cite web |last=Penrose |first=Nerisha |date=2018-04-26 |title=A Day-by-Day Breakdown of Kanye West’s Headline-Grabbing Return to Twitter |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-west-twitter-trump-new-music-john-legend-8390268/ |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Bones and All cast interview |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@guywithamoviecamera/video/7169316764289895726?lang=en |website=TikTok}}

In America, Stephen G. Adubato reflected that the album, despite its initial mixed reception, "leaves listeners with questions and provocations that are just as relevant as they were 20 years ago, if not more so. Hill's ability to wrestle with the realities of original sin and grace—as they apply to both her own life and the institutions that hold power in our society today—echo the prophetic sensibilities of the greatest religious figures and musical artists" for the album's 20th anniversary.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-17 |title=Raw, brilliant and prophetic: Lauryn Hill's MTV Unplugged concert 20 years later |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2022/06/17/lauryn-hill-mtv-religious-hip-hop-243054 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=America Magazine |language=en}} The Boombox argued that the album featured "some wonderful songwriting", and suggested that tracks like "Adam Lives in Theory", "Just Like Water" and "Mystery of Iniquity" reached Bob Marley levels in terms of their sentiment.{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Daryl |title=10 Underrated Sophomore Rap Albums From the '90s |url=https://theboombox.com/underrated-hip-hop-sophomore-rap-albums/ |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=The Boombox |language=en}}

The album has been recognized in multiple retrospective rankings for its impact and uniqueness, most notably in lists highlighting the most memorable MTV Unplugged performances,{{Cite web |last=ebflake |title=Blavity News & Politics |url=https://blavity.com/12-old-school-mtv-unplugged-performances-that-were-beyond-epic |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=Blavity News & Politics |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sommers |first=Kat |title=The 10 Most Memorable 'MTV: Unplugged' Performances Ever |url=https://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2017/09/the-10-most-memorable-mtv-unplugged-performances-ever |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=BBC America |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Nierenberg |first=Jacob |date=2019-11-26 |title=Best 'MTV Unplugged' Performances: 15 Era-Defining Appearances |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-mtv-unplugged-live-performances/ |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}} and has also been cited among the best live R&B and hip hop albums.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-07 |title=20 of the best live R&B and hip-hop albums |url=https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/20_of_the_best_live_r_b_and_hip_hop_albums/s1__37656902 |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=Yardbarker |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Doelen |first=Jaap van der |title=10 Best Live Hip-Hop Albums, Ranked |url=https://djbooth.net/features/2017-01-04-best-live-hip-hop-albums-ranked |access-date=2021-10-05 |website=DJBooth |language=en}} In his list of the 15 best MTV Unplugged episodes, Andy Greene of Rolling Stone characterized the album as "the most unique, unpolished Unplugged ever to see the light of day".{{Cite magazine |last1=Greene |first1=Andy |last2=Stone |first2=Rolling |date=2017-09-08 |title='MTV Unplugged': The 15 Best Episodes |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/mtv-unplugged-the-15-best-episodes-119361/ |access-date=2020-06-28 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 has been cited by various artists and writers who have spoken about the album's significance and its influence on their work. Writer and comedian Neal Brennan stated that he and Dave Chappelle watched Hill's set on VHS "over and over" while writing the sketch comedy television series Chappelle's Show.{{Cite news |last=Aku |first=Timmhotep |date=2017-03-30 |title=All Songs +1: Comedian Neal Brennan Of 'Chappelle's Show' And '3 Mics' |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2017/03/30/521770303/all-songs-1-comedian-neal-brennan-of-chappelles-show-and-3-mics |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=NPR |language=en}} Author Casey Gerald included "I Get Out" and "I Remember" in a PBS playlist accompanying his 2018 memoir There Will Be No Miracles Here, stating that their themes of rebellion and remembrance "mirror the spirit and intention" of his book.{{Cite web |date=2018-12-27 |title=20 songs for reading 'There Will Be No Miracles Here' |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/20-songs-for-reading-there-will-be-no-miracles-here |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=PBS News |language=en-us}} Furthermore, Actress America Ferrera wrote in her book American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures that the album helped her accept her African ethnicity.{{Cite book |last=Ferrera |first=America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UZunDwAAQBAJ&dq=America+Ferrera+lauryn+hill&pg=PA36 |title=American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures |date=2019-09-03 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-5011-8092-7 |language=en |access-date=2022-06-21 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220628120621/https://books.google.com/books?id=UZunDwAAQBAJ&dq=America+Ferrera+lauryn+hill&pg=PA36#v=onepage&q=America%20Ferrera%20lauryn%20hill&f=false |archive-date=2022-06-28 |url-status=live}}

Adele named the album as an inspiration for her own unplugged session on VH1, telling MTV news "My favorite one is the Lauryn Hill one; I've got that one on CD as well. I've never been so choked up by something, and it was so refreshing". She also praised Hill's artistry during the performance, stating, "that broken look, just her and a guitar, her banter between the songs — I felt like how I feel when I hear Etta James. I was just like, 'I totally get it. She's in my head, she's in my heart, she knows me".{{Cite news |title=Adele Says VH1 'Unplugged' Performance 'Was A Complete Joy' |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1659119/adele-says-vh1-unplugged-performance-was-a-complete-joy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211100959/http://www.mtv.com/news/1659119/adele-says-vh1-unplugged-performance-was-a-complete-joy/ |archive-date=2015-12-11 |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=MTV News}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Adele on Lauryn Hill |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q_UUDwdLUaY&feature=youtu.be |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/q_UUDwdLUaY |archive-date=2021-12-21 |access-date= |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}

In a 2014 Entertainment Weekly interview, English singer Ed Sheeran ranked Hill's Unplugged set among the series' standout entries, alongside Unplugged (1992) by Eric Clapton and MTV Unplugged in New York (1994) by Nirvana, while calling it "great".{{Cite web |title=Ed Sheeran: The Soundtrack of My Life |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/06/27/ed-sheeran-soundtrack-my-life/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=EW.com |language=en}} Katy Perry also listed it as a personal favorite, stating "I remember listening to Nirvana and Lauryn Hill and wanting to do that one day".{{Cite news |date=2009-11-05 |title='Russell Brand romance is special' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-10002758 |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} Singer Sam Smith once referred to it as "My Bible" in a tweet.{{Cite tweet |number=599051510211710976 |user=samsmith |title=Lauryn Hill MTV sessions. My bible. Fucking goals |date=2015-05-15 |access-date=2020-06-29}}

The album's songs have also been widely sampled and reinterpreted. According to music executive JB Marshall, MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 was a major influence on Kanye West's 2004 debut studio album The College Dropout, recalling that it was considered "like the Bible" during the album's creation, leading to West's interpolation of "Mystery of Iniquity" on "All Falls Down".{{Cite magazine |date=2014-02-05 |title=Kanye West's 'The College Dropout': An Oral History |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-wests-the-college-dropout-an-oral-history-5893976/ |access-date=2022-06-19 |magazine=Billboard}} ASAP Rocky and Frank Ocean sampled "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" for their track "Purity", the closing song on ASAP Rocky's album Testing (2018).{{Cite magazine |date=2018-05-25 |title=A$AP Rocky Returns With 'Testing,' His Most Experimental Album to Date |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8457947/asap-rocky-testing-album-review |access-date=2020-06-28 |magazine=Billboard}} Pitchfork noted Hill's influence as essential to the song's emotional resonance, referring to it as the moment where ASAP Rocky "finally grasps that ineffable quality that makes artists like Hill and Ocean iconic: humanity".{{Cite web |last=Jayasuriya |first=Mehan |title=A$AP Rocky: "Purity" [ft. Frank Ocean] |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/asap-rocky-purity-ft-frank-ocean/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} Ocean also interpolated "Just Like Water" on his track with Jazmine Sullivan on the song "Rushes" from his 2016 visual album Endless,{{Cite web |title=Everyone Who Contributed to Frank Ocean's 'Endless' |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2016/08/frank-ocean-endless-contributors |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=Complex |language=en}} and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man sampled Hill's vocals on "Say", the lead single from his 2006 solo album 4:21... The Day After.{{Cite web |last=Pearce |first=Sheldon |date=2018-04-19 |title=6 Rap Songs That Sample Lauryn Hill Masterfully |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/6-rap-songs-that-sample-lauryn-hill-masterfully/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}

Women in both hip hop and R&B have acknowledged MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 as a creative influence, including Ella Mai,{{Cite web |date=2018-10-27 |title=Ella Mai Shares Her Love For The "Genius Mind" Of Lauryn Hill [#KYSFest Exclusive] |url=https://kysdc.com/3689411/ella-mai-lauryn-hill-h-e-r-kys-fest/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220626080608/https://kysdc.com/3689411/ella-mai-lauryn-hill-h-e-r-kys-fest/ |archive-date=2022-06-26 |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=93.9 WKYS |language=en-US}} Samara Cyn,{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Meagan |date=2025-03-19 |title=Samara Cyn Is Keeping It Moving |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/samara-cyn-rapper-new-music-interview-1235290444/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Celeste,{{Cite web |title=Rising star Celeste reveals Lewis Capaldi is a fan of her music |url=https://www.8days.sg/hollywood-buzz/rising-star-celeste-reveals-lewis-capaldi-fan-her-music-263746 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628121448/https://www.8days.sg/hollywood-buzz/rising-star-celeste-reveals-lewis-capaldi-fan-her-music-263746 |archive-date=2022-06-28 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=8 Days |language=en}} Kelela,{{Cite news |last=Shapiro |first=Ari |date=2018-03-15 |title=Kelela On Taking Herself Apart |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/15/593925713/kelela-on-taking-herself-apart |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=NPR |language=en}} Doechii,{{Cite web |title=Doechii Shares The Lauryn Hill Song She Gravitates Toward "All The Time" |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/doechii-lauryn-hill |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=OkayPlayer |language=en}} and Sinéad Harnett.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-22 |title=Front + Center: Sinéad Harnett |url=https://ratedrnb.com/2021/05/front-center-sinead-harnett/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Rated R&B |language=en-US}} Songwriter H.E.R. named "Just Like Water" from MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 as one of her favorite Lauryn Hill songs, while recalling how Hill influenced her early songwriting.{{Cite web |date=2018-09-21 |title=H.E.R. Is More Than a Rising Star—She's a Damn Galaxy |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a23305900/her-music-interview/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=ELLE |language=en-US}} Rapsody credited the album as foundational to her personal work, often listening to it while recording her 2023 album Please Don't Cry, and later covering "Adam Lives in Theory" for Amazon Music.{{Cite web |last=Press |first=Associated |date=2024-05-25 |title=Rapsody’s brave new album, ‘Please Don’t Cry,’ displays strength through vulnerability |url=https://thegrio.com/2024/05/25/rapsody-new-album-please-dont-cry/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=TheGrio |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Rapsody on X |url=https://archive.ph/Gbm2a |website=X/Twitter}}

Solange Knowles cited MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 as an inspiration for her critically acclaimed album A Seat at the Table (2016), and hailed it as a rare example of a Black artist occupying a space usually reserved for punk performers, who are embraced for their disruption, rage, and anti-establishment expression. She stated "That's something that Black artists are not usually able to do, especially R&B artists," adding that Hill sang "some real shit… disruptive things that are going to shake some people up". She also reflected on the backlash Hill faced at the time and noted how public perception has evolved, with audiences now embracing the album's messages.{{Cite web |date=2016-09-30 |title=Solange Shares Her Inspirations For A Seat At The Table |url=https://www.stereogum.com/featured/solange-shares-her-inspirations-for-a-seat-at-the-table/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628121237/https://www.stereogum.com/1902296/solange-shares-her-inspirations-for-a-seat-at-the-table/interviews/ |archive-date=2022-06-28 |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=Stereogum}}

Hill re-released the song "I Find It Hard to Say (rebel)" in 2016 amid the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. The original song was written in response to the 1999 police killing of Amadou Diallo in New York City. Joe Talbot of the post-punk band Idles described Hill's original version as a spiritual song about breaking down and regaining strength.{{Cite news |last=Rogers |first=Jude |date=2020-05-24 |title=Lockdown playlists for every mood, part two: chosen by Norah Jones, Joe Talbot and Flohio |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/24/lockdown-playlists-for-every-mood-part-two-chosen-by-norah-jones-joe-talbot-and-flohio |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} The song was also sampled by Egyptian hip hop artist Arabian Knightz during the Arab Spring uprisings, alleging that they were blocked from releasing the song until Egypt's internet censorship was lifted.{{Cite news |last=Staff |first=N. P. R. |date=2011-06-09 |title=The Rap Songs Of The Arab Spring |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2011/06/09/137067390/the-rap-songs-of-the-arab-spring |access-date=2025-06-02 |work=NPR |language=en}} Similarly, Hill's "Freedom Time" has been repurposed as a protest song, including by Palestinian-American rapper Phay in his 2024 single "Watermelon Seeds", written in response to the Israeli bombing of Gaza.{{Cite web |last=Gee |first=Andre |date=2024-03-08 |title=Palestinian Rapper Phay Speaks Up For His People On 'Watermelon Seeds' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/palestinian-rapper-phay-syntk-watermelon-seeds-1234983775/ |access-date=2025-06-02 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

Many publications such as have noted Hill's use of the nylon-string classical guitar during the performance as one of the prime examples of the instrument being used throughout music history.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-10 |title=10 Essential Non-Classical Nylon-String Guitar Albums |url=https://acousticguitar.com/10-essential-non-classical-nylon-string-guitar-albums/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628122652/https://acousticguitar.com/10-essential-non-classical-nylon-string-guitar-albums/ |archive-date=2022-06-28 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Acoustic Guitar |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=What Percussion Sounds Good With Nylon String Guitar? – Mozart Project |url=https://www.mozartproject.org/what-percussion-sounds-good-with-nylon-string-guitar/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628123056/https://www.mozartproject.org/what-percussion-sounds-good-with-nylon-string-guitar/ |archive-date=2022-06-28 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=www.mozartproject.org}}{{Cite web |date=2020-11-12 |title=15 Best Acoustic and Electric Guitars for Beginners |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-guitars-for-beginners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628122759/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-guitars-for-beginners/ |archive-date=2022-06-28 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} British singer Lianne La Havas also noted the album and Hill's use of the guitar as an inspiration stating "[I was inspired by] Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged. I already loved The Miseducation… and the Fugees, and finding out that she played guitar was mind-blowing."{{Cite web |date=2020-07-24 |title="I needed to make something that was really mine this time": Lianne La Havas on her musical destiny |url=https://guitar.com/features/interviews/lianne-la-havas-self-titled-album/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628122259/https://guitar.com/features/interviews/lianne-la-havas-self-titled-album/ |archive-date=2022-06-28 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=Guitar.com {{!}} All Things Guitar |language=en-GB}} In an interview with Billboard, rapper B.o.B cited Hill's guitar playing as inspiration for his career, telling them "Lauryn Hill was a huge influence to my guitar playing, her whole Unplugged DVD that she did… I mean, it just changed my life. It kind of gave me the inspiration to keep going, [to] invest a lot more time into the music and not the stuff that doesn’t matter."{{Cite magazine |last=Herrera |first=Monica |date=2010-04-27 |title=Watch B.o.B. Do "Nothin'" Live, Talk No. 1 Success |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/watch-bob-do-nothin-live-talk-no-1-success-958463/ |access-date=2022-06-19 |magazine=Billboard}}

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Lauryn Hill, except "So Much Things to Say", a cover of the Bob Marley and the Wailers song written by Bob Marley

| headline = Disc one

| title1 = Intro

| length1 = 2:28

| title2 = Mr. Intentional

| length2 = 6:58

| title3 = Adam Lives in Theory

| length3 = 7:26

| title4 = Interlude 1

| length4 = 1:55

| title5 = Oh Jerusalem

| length5 = 8:54

| title6 = Interlude 2

| length6 = 1:21

| title7 = Freedom Time

| length7 = 4:59

| title8 = Interlude 3

| length8 = 3:18

| title9 = I Find It Hard to Say (Rebel)

| length9 = 6:50

| title10 = Just Like Water

| length10 = 6:09

| title11 = Interlude 4

| length11 = 1:41

| title12 = Just Want You Around

| length12 = 4:36

| title13 = I Gotta Find Peace of Mind

| length13 = 9:19

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Disc two

| title1 = Interlude 5

| length1 = 12:12

| title2 = Mystery of Iniquity

| length2 = 5:11

| title3 = Interlude 6

| length3 = 1:42

| title4 = I Get Out

| length4 = 5:17

| title5 = Interlude 7

| length5 = 0:20

| title6 = I Remember

| length6 = 3:46

| title7 = So Much Things to Say

| length7 = 5:59

| title8 = The Conquering Lion

| length8 = 3:20

| title9 = Outro

| length9 = 2:57

| total_length = 106:36

}}

• Lauryn Hill – acoustic guitar, vocals, production
• Julian Alexander – art direction
• Adam Blackburn – recording, mixing
• Alex Coletti – mixing, editing, film production on video broadcast
• Joe DeMaio – direction on video broadcast
• Max Feldman – recording assistance
• Scott Gries – photography
• Christopher Koch – audio post-editing technician
• Mel Papaterpou – guitar technician
• Sue Pelino – audio post-mixing technician
• Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
• Van Toffler – executive production on video broadcast

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for MTV Unplugged No. 2.0}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=Lauryn Hill|title=MTV Unplugged 2.0|award=Platinum|relyear=2002|certyear=2002|access-date=February 22, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=album|artist=Lauryn Hill|title=M T V Unplugged|award=Gold|relyear=2002|certyear=2002|access-date=February 22, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|type=album|artist=Lauryn Hill|title=MTV Unplugged|award=Gold|relyear=2002|certyear=2002|access-date=February 22, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Lauryn Hill|title=MTV Unplugged 2.0|award=Platinum|relyear=2002|certyear=2002|multidisc=2|access-date=February 22, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Bottom}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{discogs master}}
• {{MBrgID}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080702030318/http://www.lauryn-hill.com/lyrics.html Official MTV Unplugged 2.0 Lyrics]

{{Lauryn Hill}}

{{MTV Albums}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mtv Unplugged No. 2.0}}

Category:Lauryn Hill albums

Category:MTV Unplugged albums

Category:2002 live albums

Category:Columbia Records live albums

Category:Live soul albums

Category:Folk albums by American artists

Category:Albums produced by Lauryn Hill

Category:Live folk albums

Category:Live hip-hop albums

Category:Albums produced by Alex Coletti