Is Zion the son of Lauryn Hill? Meaning behind singer's iconic song explored

Lauryn Hill is a rapper from the hip-hop trio, The Fugees. Lauryn reached the peak of her career in the 1990s. She was advised not to go ahead with her pregnancy as it would impede her career.

Against all odds, she welcomed Zion with her partner Rohan Marley on August 3, 1997. To Zion is a song and features on her studio album called Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. In an interview with Los Angeles Times in 1998, Hill said:

"A lot of people were against my having a child so early, and at that point in my career."

However, she decided to go against the odds and added:

"It was one of the first things I did where I put my happiness first.”

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Lauryn Hill dedicated a song to her son in her 1998 Album

Lauryn Hill in Concert - Source: Getty. (Photo by Mauricio Santana/Getty Images)

As an artist in 1990s, Lauryn was advised to think about the consequences of becoming a parent amid her fame. A year after Zion's birth, Lauryn spoke to Los Angeles Times and revealed her experience of becoming a mother. She said:

“Having Zion helped me realize what was really important.”

She explained:

“I had made a lot of decisions for other people more than myself — which women tend to do."

In the lyrics, Lauryn Hill reveals her experience and pays tribute to her son. She sings:

“I knew his life deserved a chance / But everybody told me to be smart / 'Look at your career' they said / 'Lauryn, baby use your head' / But instead I chose to use my heart / Now the joy of my world is in Zion.”

Lauryn often posts about her children on Instagram, particularly for their birthdays.

In another interview with Rock's Backpages in 1999, reiterated that going ahead with her pregnancy was the "best decision" she made. She said:

"I had always made decisions for other people, making everybody else happy, and once I had him that was really the first decision that was unpopular for me."

She added:

"It was the best decision that I could have ever made because I'm the happiest and healthiest that I have ever been."

After Zion's birth, many asked Lauryn if there would ever be a second studio album. She told Rock's Backpages:

“Everybody asks me, ‘What’s your next move?’, and right now my focus is just being a good mother."

She added:

“If I could do that properly, I’d be really, really happy. If I could be half the parent that my parents were to me, then I’d be very happy.”

Lauryn Hill performed To Zion at the ONE Musicfest in Atlanta in October, 2022. In a full-circle moment, Zion made a surprise appearance during the performance with his children, Zephaniah and Azariah. Overwhelmed by their presence, Hill introduced them to the audience and said:

"All of these children are making me a very young grandma. I'm like listen. Mimi, they call me Mimi."

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To Zion is a critically acclaimed song and holds special significance for Lauryn Hill. While it has been more than two decades since the song's release, Lauryn Hill continues to perform on the groundbreaking hits.

She's currently on The Celebration Continues: The Miseducation Anniversary Tour with her hip-hop band Fugees. In a joint statement, they announced on August 7 that the US leg of the tour has been cancelled, but shows in the UK and Europe are moving forward as planned.