Lauryn Hill vs. JP Cooper | Head 2 Head

In the seventh edition of Head 2 Head (2025), Lauryn Hill and JP Cooper contend for the best rendition of “Ex-Factor.”

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians performing the same song and compare their performances.  After deliberation, we decide which performance is the best or moves us more subjectively.  In the seventh edition of Head 2 Head (2025), Lauryn Hill and JP Cooper contend for the best rendition of “Ex-Factor”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!  

1. Lauryn Hill, “Ex-Factor”

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill // Ruffhouse // 1998

“Loving you is like a battle / And we both end up with scars.” Oh, snap! Grammy-winning hip-hop/R&B singer/songwriter Lauryn Hill captivated us with the soulful “Ex-Factor” from her 1998 masterpiece, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. “Tell me, who I have to be / To get some reciprocity.” Reciprocity, huh? Not a common lyric, which is part of the sheer brilliance! Those timeless lyrics hail from one of the truly great classics about exes. Pushing three decades since its release, “Ex-Factor” and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill carry ample weight.  The backdrop of “Ex-Factor” is fueled by a 1993 Wu-Tang Clan sample, “Can It Be All So Simple”. Considering the sample, in addition to Hill, there are multiple songwriters: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, and U-God. Hill produced it.

“Ex-Factor” is a prime example of the plight of love, as well as how potent songs incorporating breakups can truly be. At one point, Hill sings, “And when I try to walk away / You’d hurt yourself to make me stay / This is crazy.” Crazy indeed, Ms. Lauryn Hill, but, again, exes and broken-off relationships serve among the preeminent topics in music regardless of genre.  Throughout, Hill’s voice is magnificent. She oozes with soul and sings authentically and sincerely. You can feel her struggle with love.  Arguably, the best section of this 90s classic is the ‘breakdown’:

“(Care) Care for me, care for me  

I know you care for me  

(There) There for me, there for me  

Said you’d be there for me  

(Cry) Cry for me, cry for me  

You said you’d die for me  

(Give) Give to me, give to me   

Why won’t you live for me?” 

Delivering a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ song and performance, could anyone even challenge Ms. Hill for the crown regarding “Ex-Factor”? English singer/songwriter JP Cooper gives it a go. 

Appears in 🔻:  

• Throwback Thursday No. 3 (2020)  
• Weekly Gems No. 3 (2020) 
• 13 E Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason (2021) 
• Ex-: 5ive Songs No. 94 (2021) 
• 15 Songs Where Great Sampling Fuels the Fire (2023)

2. JP Cooper, “Ex-Factor – BBC Live Session”

Covers // Island / Universal Music Operations Limited // 2018

“It could all be so simple / But you’d rather make it hard.”  Those classic lyrics hail from an R&B/hip-hop icon, Lauryn Hill. “Ex-Factor” is a once-in-a-lifetime song from the Grammy-winning musician.  English singer/songwriter JP Cooper made a bold move – covering and making “Ex-Factor – BBC Live Session” his own. A tough song to reinterpret given the superbness of the original, Cooper transforms it without changing the tenor of the song.

In the hands of Mr. Cooper, “Ex-Factor” receives a more laid-back interpretation.  His performance remains emotional and heartfelt but has a contrasting groove and sound.  Where the Hill original is firmly planted in neo-soul, Cooper embraces more pop soul. The sound is more stripped-down, not far-fetched for a live session.  Harmonically, the progression differs, with more simplistic chords and substitutions.  At first, I questioned some of the chord changes after hearing the original so many times. The differing progression is effective overall, growing even more effective with successive listens.  Vocally, Cooper sounds exceptional from start to finish.  His falsetto is particularly impressive, though we only get a pinch of it. Still, he spoils us with a gorgeous tone that is perfect to capture the heartbreak of this song.  Cooper is also more laidback on the dramatic ‘breakdown’ section (“Care for me, care for me / I know you care for me / There for me, there for me / Said you’d be there for me”), yet captures those ‘feels’ nonetheless.  It is an elephantine task to cover a huge hit, but JP Cooper does a nice job of making his “Ex-Factor” cover distinct.

Appears in 🔻:

• JP Cooper, Ex-Factor: Covers No. 7 (2025)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

So, who captured the plight of love the best via “Ex-Factor”? Was it the original Wu-Tang Clan-sampling original by Lauryn Hill or the sweet, live cover by JP Cooper? No need to draw this decision out needlessly. While I would love to say that this head-to-head is a close one, it belongs to Lauryn Hill, hands down.  Cooper impresses with his beautiful, beautiful voice – that man can ‘sang’ – but the original by Hill packs a mightier punch.  Lauryn Hill made one album, and it was more than enough to solidify her legacy.

Lauryn Hill vs. JP Cooper: Head 2 Head No. 7 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Island, Ruffhouse, Universal Music Operations Limited; Israel Torres, KoolShooters, Los Muertos Crew, RDNE Stock project, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels]