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Lauryn Hill Defends Her Late Appearances at Her Live Shows: 'God Is the One Who Allows Me to Do It'

ByDogli Wilberforce|
Ms. Lauryn Hill And The Fugees Performs At Oakland Arena
Ms. Lauryn Hill And The Fugees Performs At Oakland Arena | Steve Jennings/GettyImages

Lauryn Hill, the legendary singer and rapper, has been facing criticism for her persistent lateness for her tours. However, the former Fugees member has a message for her fans and detractors: she is not late because she does not care, but because she is doing God's work.

At her recent show in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 4, 2023, Hill addressed the crowd after showing up late and said,

"They say, 'Oh, she's late' and 'She's late tonight.' Yo, y'all lucky I make it on this blood ras stage every night." She continued, "I leave my soul on this stage. And I don't do it because they let me. I do it because I stand here in the name of God. And I know it. God is the one who allows me to do it, who surrounded me with family and community when there was no support when the album sold so many records and no one showed up and said, 'Hey, would you like to make another one?"

Hill also referenced her debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which was released in 1998 and won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist. She said,

"I went around the world, and I played the same album over and over and over and over and over again. Because we're the survivors, and we're not just the survivors; we're the thrivers."

In 2016, she posted a lengthy statement on her Facebook page, saying that she was trying to "align her energy with the time" and that she did not have an "on/off switch". She also apologized to her fans and said that she valued their presence and support.

Hill is currently touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her first and only studio album, with Fugees serving as co-headliners on the tour's U.S. and Canada dates. The tour has been met with mixed reviews, with some fans praising her performance and others complaining about her tardiness and sound issues.

Hill is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in hip-hop and R&B, and her album is considered a classic and a masterpiece by many critics and fans. She has also been involved in various social and humanitarian causes, such as supporting education, health, and justice for African people.