Lauryn Hill Defends Herself Against Fans Who Call Her Unprofessional: ‘My True Audience Knows I Care’
Oh, the many difficulties of being a Lauryn Hill fan, nearly 20 years after the release of her classic debut solo album.
If you’ve managed to catch Lauryn live sometime in the last few years, your story probably reflects the same of most of her fans. Hill has become known for showing up several hours late to her performances, if at all. When she does hit the stage, hardcore fans lament a voice that is far from the powerhouse that made The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill such an unforgettable event in late ’90s R&B.
Since then, it’s been a downward spiral ending in Lauryn’s shows being called some of the worst fans have ever seen from an artist of her caliber. Furthermore, those paying to see Hill practically expect her to show up late — sometimes as much as two to three hours after the projected start time.
On Friday, fans in Atlanta weren’t quite so willing to let this go. Lauryn was so tardy for her concert that she was only able to play for 40 minutes before the venue’s curfew kicked in, previously reported Inquisitr. Hill’s move caused such a massive backlash that on Sunday afternoon she took to social media to talk a little bit about why she has become one of the least reliable women in show business.
“I don’t show up late to shows because I don’t care. And I have nothing but Love and respect for my fans. The challenge is aligning my energy with the time, taking something that isn’t easily classified or contained, and trying to make it available for others. I don’t have an on/off switch. I am at my best when I am open, rested, sensitive and liberated to express myself as truthfully as possible. For every performance that I’ve arrived to late, there have been countless others where I’ve performed in excess of two hours, beyond what I am contracted to do, pouring everything out on the stage.”
Lauryn went on to say that her “true audience” already knows how much heart is behind her music, and that to these people, she doesn’t have anything to prove. After the drama raised from this particular misstep, Hill also said that she was working to make it up to her fans in Atlanta; something that those who have gone home disappointed from previous shows might also be interested in cashing in on.
“Because I care so deeply about the artistic process, I scrutinize, have perfectionist tendencies, and want space made for spontaneity, which is not an easy process, with the many moving parts on the road. Some days we are more successful than others re time. However, the vitality that is infused into the performances is always appreciated by the audiences, who may not know exactly what it took to accomplish. What hasn’t been touched upon by the media, I’m sure, are the hundreds of people who rushed the stage and stayed in excess of an hour after the show ended last night, just to connect.”
Response to Lauryn’s apology was decidedly mixed. While many other performers — several of whom were no doubt heavily influenced by her solo work and time with The Fugees — defended her late arrival, there were also others completely unsatisfied with Hill’s excuses.
Handing Lauryn Hill’s whack apology back to her like pic.twitter.com/7APlNG3rcg
— Ira Madison III (@ira) May 8, 2016
Shorter Lauryn Hill statement: “Beloved, I’ll get there when I get there because I’m Lauryn Hill and you will deal. Sorry, not sorry.”????
— Charles Wade (@akacharleswade) May 8, 2016
The next time I’m asked why I’m late to work I’ll just say my energy didn’t align with the time like Lauryn Hill???? pic.twitter.com/Gc25sI958W
— kelz (@kelechnekoff) May 8, 2016
Have you been to a Lauryn Hill show? What did you think?
[Image via Graham Denholm/Getty Images]
