"To Zion" is a song recorded by American recording artist Lauryn Hill for her debut solo studio album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written and produced by Hill herself.
Featuring American guitarist Carlos Santana, "To Zion" is an acoustic Spanish guitar-driven hip hop track. It is one of only two tracks from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on which production by someone besides Hill was credited, as Che Guevara received a co-production credit. Lyrically, "To Zion" is a tribute to Hill's oldest son Zion David Marley, to whom she gave birth in 1997, during her relationship with Rohan Marley. The song discusses Hill's decision not to terminate her pregnancy in favor of her burgeoning career, while further lyrical themes derive from spirituality, rebirth and Hill's relationship with God. While it was never issued as an official single, the song was released as the third promotional single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on November 18, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records.
Upon the release of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, "To Zion" received unanimous acclaim from music critics, predominantly directed towards its lyrical themes and production, while being highlighted as one of the album's standout tracks by numerous reviewers. Despite its downscaled release, the song peaked at number 77 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Hill most notably performed the track at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards (1999), where she performed it along with Santana, and has included it on set lists for all her concert tours. In retrospective commentary, the critics have acknowledged the influence "To Zion" has had on artistry of numerous rappers who achieved mainstream prominence decades after the song's release, as well as the impact its lyrical message of encouragement to pursue motherhood simultaneously with a career has had on various female celebrities. In addition, multiple recording artists have sampled or referenced the song in their respective works.
Background and development
In 1996, Lauryn Hill met Rohan Marley, son of Bob Marley, while touring as a member of the Fugees. The pair gradually formed a close relationship, and while on tour, Hill became pregnant with his child. The pregnancy and other circumstances in her life inspired her to record a solo album. After contributing to fellow Fugees member Wyclef Jean's solo debut Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival (1997), Hill took time off from touring and recording due to her pregnancy and cases of writer's block. The pregnancy, however, renewed Hill's creativity, as she recalled in an interview several years later: "When some women are pregnant, their hair and their nails grow, but for me it was my mind and ability to create. I had the desire to write in a capacity that I hadn't done in a while. I don't know if it's a hormonal or emotional thing ... I was very in touch with my feelings at the time." Of the early writing process, Hill said: "Every time I got hurt, every time I was disappointed, every time I learned, I just wrote a song." Hill gave birth to Zion David Marley on August 3, 1997.
Hill revealed that her affinity with Latin music came from a young age, crediting her parents' record collection for introducing her to the Latin rock band Santana. She frequently listened to their second studio album Abraxas (1970), accentuating its instrumental track "Samba Pa Ti", further elaborating: "I used to write my first songs to other people's music, and this particular album had this beautiful, soulful guitar, and it was instrumental, so I was in heaven. From that time – Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman – all those songs just really touched me, and gave me an appreciation for guitar and for the Latin African rhythms." Hill's admiration for Santana stimulated her to seek their frontman Carlos Santana out to collaborate with her. Their collaborative effort would become "To Zion", and Hill consequently wrote, produced and recorded "Do You Like the Way" for Santana's subsequent album Supernatural (1999).