Excessively Late Lauryn Hill Booed By Concertgoers, Blames Driver As She Faces Unhappy Fan
Once again, Lauryn Hill was booed by fans who waited for more than two hours to see her and one unhappy concertgoer let her know how he felt to her face. She was supposed to start her performance at 8 p.m. Friday night at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, but she didn’t show up until 10:20 p.m., according to AllHipHop. When she finally made it to the stage, she was greeted with a sea of “boos” by a frustrated audience. Hill managed to sing a couple of her hits “Ex-Factor,” and “Everything is Everything” before her microphone was cut off. That’s when the boos reached a fever pitch.
The fan confrontation happened after the down-sized concert while she was signing autographs and shaking hands. The unhappy concertgoer wanted an explanation for her tardiness and when she blamed it on her driver getting lost, he reminded her that she was at the same location just four hours before for a sound check.
NOT him dragging Lauryn to her face. She deserved it though! pic.twitter.com/zEuYUbnWoE
— N?TE (@NathanNAVY) May 7, 2016
His sentiments were echoed all over Twitter. Many of her followers seemed more unhappy with the fact that she offered no valid excuse for being so late or, an apology for shortchanging her audience. They found her actions, in particular, her faux attempt to get the venue to let her continue knowing that the Chastain Park Amphitheatre has a strict 11 p.m. curfew.
Lauryn Hill finally arrived and played for 30 minutes at Chastain Park. After hearing her, I preferred the 2-1/2 hours prior to her arrival
— Anna Francine Booth (@AnnaFrancineBoo) May 7, 2016
I have love for #LaurynHill but she has NO respect for her fans. it’s sad that every time she’s trending it’s because she is 2hrs late smh=(
— lovelyti (@lovelyti) May 7, 2016
Lauryn Hill said her driver got lost. I assume he gets lost on the way to all her shows. #laurynhill
— Jeremy On Air (@JeremyGoldMedia) May 7, 2016
Rapper Talib Kweli Greene dedicated a lot of his time on Saturday defending her on Twitter.
Nothing in life is guaranteed. Not even a good time at a show love. U pay for the chance of a good time. Facts only. https://t.co/lg92TTKdwq
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) May 7, 2016
Talib wasn’t alone in defending the the five-time Grammy winner and her fans see her tardiness as part of her artistic process.
Like everyone has something better to do.#laurynhill https://t.co/3e2928X9Gf
— The Gretsch One (@gretschjones) May 7, 2016
#laurynhill is one of the most skilled lyricists EVER. not just her delivery, her wordplay and content. she made intelligent cool in hiphop
— F.I.T.E. M.E. (@FiteMePodcast) May 7, 2016
Her abilities as a vocalist, a rapper, and a writer have catapulted her into icon status ever since she materialized as a member of the Fugees. Their album The Score put them on the map, but her failing relationship with Wyclef Jean caused her to leave the band and begin a solo career which resulted in The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, an album that gave her massive recognition and five Grammys at the 41st Grammy Awards.
Hill doesn’t appear to be in love with the music industry and money doesn’t seem to be a motivator. She remains culturally relevant, and if she wanted to, she could easily rival the popular female rappers of today because she has substance. Regrettably, her followers don’t feel relevant because of so-so performances and chronic lateness. She has another concert on Sunday in Virginia, and hopefully, the exchange she had with her frustrated fan will provoke her to be a little more considerate of her fans so that she can be welcomed with applause instead of boos.
[Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images]
