Lauryn Hill: Her history of tardiness, cancellations and problems with the media

At one time, it seemed that Lauryn Hill could do no wrong, and she was the perfect artist. That had to do with her remarkable rapping on The Score, the second album by her group the Fugees, and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, her solo album. The former is considered a classic, the latter a masterpiece, and it practically turned Hill into a deity among her fans.

In the latter years of her career, however, Hill has built a reputation for being late to shows and canceling concerts altogether. The latest cancellation involves an 18-date Fugees tour, which was shut down days before it was supposed to start in Tampa, Florida on August 9.

First, a reason wasn't given for the cancellation. Then on Wednesday, August, 7, Hill took to Instagram and blamed the media. She also said the overall chatter of her being tardy and canceling shows has negatively affected U.S. ticket sales.

"With difficulty the decision was made to pull down our upcoming North American tour dates. The shows in the UK and Europe ARE MOVING FORWARD as planned," wrote Hill. “Last year, I faced an injury that necessitated the rescheduling of some of my shows."

"Regrettably, some media outlet’s penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines have seemingly created a narrative that has affected ticket sales for the North American portion of the tour," she added. “The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.”

Hill then explained that ticket sales have done well in Europe because fans haven't seen The Miseducation Anniversary performances yet, nor a Fugees show in 25 years.

The New Jersey-raised singer closed her message by saying she thoroughly enjoys performing and is highly disappointed that she and the Fugees won't be able to play the U.S. leg of the tour. "I appreciate your understanding," wrote Hill. "We’re looking forward to performing at the shows in the UK and Europe in October — and for our fans in North America, when these unforeseen circumstances are resolved, we’ll be back in full force."

This latest cancellation marks the third year in a row that Hill and the Fugees have pulled the plug on their tour. Last year they canceled the remaining dates of their shows due to Hill having vocal strain problems. Plus, in 2022, they put the kibosh on their tour because of COVID. Again, between the cancellations and her tardiness, Hill's reputation has taken a serious hit.

But the masterful songwriter hasn't taken the criticism lying down, because she's hit back more than once. Like on Nas' song "Nobody," from his 2021 King's Disease II album, where she raps, “My awareness like Keanu in The Matrix / I’m saving souls and y’all complaining about my lateness."

"My awareness like Keanu in The Matrix / I’m saving souls and y’all complaining about my lateness."

- Lauryn Hill

Then in 2023, when Hill was late again for a 25th anniversary show for The Miseducation album at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, she addressed the crowd directly.

“You’re saying 'She’s late. She’s late a lot.' Yo, y’all lucky I make it on this blood ras stage every night,” Hill stated. "I don’t do it because they let me do it. I do it because I stand here in the name of God and I do it. God is the one who allows me to do it, who surrounded me with family and community when there was no support."

But despite all of the show issues and people's frustration, Hill still has a robust fanbase, which allows her to tour the world off one solo album that was released a whopping 26 years ago. That's how much The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is still adored.

Hill spoke about only releasing one solo album while addressing her tardiness at that L.A. show, explaining that she didn't have an opportunity to do a follow-up LP. Yes, it's true that a second solo album from Hill was released, but it was a collection of acoustic songs that she performed on MTV in 2001.

"When the album sold so many records, and no one showed up and said, ‘Hey, would you like to make another one?' So I went around the world, and I played the same album over and over and over and over again," she told the L.A. crowd.

So, now, the question remains: Will U.S. ticket sales for Hill and the Fugees continue to be affected? Plus, it's still up for debate about who's at fault for the low sales, the media, as Hill claims — which is possible — or the artists themselves.