In this weekly column, MC/DJ Hesta Prynn pairs pop culture stories with an original playlist. Two of my current favorite pop culture obsessions center around prison life. Of course I'm referring to Orange is the New Black and Ms. Lauryn Hill. In case you've been living under a rock, OITNB is a new Netflix series based on Piper Kerman's memoir of her year in a women's prison. Similarly, MLH is currently serving a three-month sentence for tax evasion and her new record is out in October. This week's Five 'n' Five pairs characters from the show with songs from Lauryn Hill.
1. Piper Chapman: "Forgive Them Father" - Lauryn Hill
Who among us hasn't made a bad decision or two (or ten) in the earlier part of our twenties? Lauryn Hill has been called many things, but, as Piper Kerman discovered in real life, accountability is the biggest bitch of all.
"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
2. Alex Vause: "Ex-Factor" - Lauryn Hill
Visitation rights for the dog. Dividing up the books. Splitting the couch in half. Sending one another to prison. Breaking up is hard to do.
"It could all be so simple, but you'd rather make it hard."
3. "Red": War in the Mind - Lauryn Hill
Ever get so mad you just hit someone? In the boob? And it deflates their implant? And you find yourself in jail?
"Everyone knows they're guilty, everyone knows they've lied."
4. Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren: "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill
Some people just can't take no for an answer.
"Some girls are only about that thing."
5. Sophia Burset: "The Mask" - The Fugees
One of the most interesting characters on the show, Burset, committed credit card fraud in order to pay for her sex reassignment surgery. Sadly, sometimes being who you really are comes at the highest price.
"Feds be hawking me, jokers be stalking me. I walk the streets and camouflage my identity."