A recent article was sent to me by a couple of people entitled “It’s Finally Time to Stop Caring About Lauryn Hill.” (https://medium.com/cuepoint/its-finally-time-to-stop-caring-about-lauryn-hill-e822d4dc22db) I found it quite ironic when the article was sent to me because the day before I held a conversation about Lauryn Hill with my loctician and her performance in Raleigh, NC. My first response after reading this article was “Amen!” It “hit home” for me not only as an artist, but as a devout supporter of musicians/artists and live music. I was elated that someone finally shared my thoughts on this matter in printed form.
I was one of those individuals who found Lauryn Hill’s gift for song and words simply extraordinary. When her one solo album was released I found myself utterly speechless at the sheer brilliance of the material. I remember reshelving books when I was in college at the library on campus while listening to “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” I can’t lie and say I did not grow emotional listening to songs like “Ex-Factor”, “To Zion” and “When It Hurts So Bad.” I, like many others, kept this album on repeat in my CD player and could not wait to see Lauryn Hill’s star continue to rise even higher.
She then started to take a completely different path than I expected including a possible mental breakdown, going to jail for tax evasion and a serious length of time with NO new music. I felt a lot of sympathy for her because living a celebrity lifestyle is not easy for everyone and it seemed to be toxic for her. For years I prayed she would be able to pull it together and reclaim her space in the spotlight with a healthy mindset and stellar music.
Unfortunately, reality did not mimic my hopes for her. Instead I heard repeated stories for YEARS about her unpleasant attitude towards others and horrendous live performances. At first I thought she was just going through a rough patch and would get better. Oh no!! She continued to arrive 1 ½ to 2 hours late to every performance and sing butchered versions of some of her most beloved hits that always left the audience upset and feeling as if their time and money had been wasted. After all the stories I heard I decided that Lauryn Hill would never receive any of my financial support again. I’m all for giving someone a pass here and there, but not after years of continuous disrespectful behavior towards those who provide you with the means to put food on the table. There has to be a limit!
To further solidify my stance on Lauryn Hill’s outrageous behavior, I attended concerts in the last few months of two of my favorite artists, Lionel Richie and Maysa Leak. Lionel Richie is a music icon and Maysa is a veteran of the industry with over 25 years of musical excellence. Both of these artists started their concerts on time, performed a string of hits and said “Thank You” more than once to the audience for their support. Now if both of these gifted and highly respected veteran can maintain a high level of professionalism and express gratitude to people who support their artistry then surely Lauryn Hill could at least show up to one of her performances on time every now and then.
It boils down to gratitude and respect in my humble opinion. No one expects Lauryn Hill to not have human failings and always be on top of her game. However, those of us who have invested our hard earned money and sacrificed our time to support her artistry at least expect some simple expressions of gratitude beginning with showing up to concerts on time. To continue to disrespect her audience in this way without any expressed remorse is a slap in the face. I agree with the author of the article that it’s time for Lauryn’s fans to let go of the old image we have of her from when she released her groundbreaking solo album. In addition, people need to stop supporting her until she learns how to display appreciation and respect to those who have held her on an undeserved pedestal for so many years. Lord knows I blew up that pedestal a while ago!