Lauryn Hill may be caught up in yet more concert-related controversy, but that hasn’t stopped her from putting on an impromptu show at her high school reunion.
Footage emerged on Monday (August 26) of the Fugees legend performing a medley of her classic songs for her old classmates at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey.
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In the clip, Hill performs the Fugees’ “Ready or Not,” changing the lyrics to give a shoutout to her alma mater: “CHS taking over / Buffalo soldier / Dreadlock Rasta.”
She also performed “Ex-Factor” from her Grammy-winning solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
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“People traveled from out of state to love up on their village. It was simply amazing. Still speechless from @mslaurynhill giving us an impromptu performance. This reunion was SO good for the soul,” one of Hill’s lucky classmates said of the free concert on Instagram.
Check out the footage below.
Lauryn Hill made headlines for very different reasons earlier this month when her U.S. tour with the Fugees was abruptly canceled just days before it was due to begin.
Addressing the cancelation on social media, Hill blamed the media for “creat[ing] a narrative that has affected ticket sales” while clarifying that the group would still be performing in Europe this fall as planned.
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“Last year, I faced an injury that necessitated the rescheduling of some of my shows,” she wrote, referencing her damaged vocal cords. “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.
“The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.”
Fellow Fugee Pras Michel feels differently, however, and has pointed the finger at Lauryn.
After taking a shot on her on his song “Bar Mitzfa” (“Don’t blame me, blame her, she made the mess / Not another fucking penny is what I told ‘Clef”), the rapper spoke about his issues with his groupmate in an interview with Vulture.
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“This is not something that just happened overnight. My frustration was for the fans. They are paying their hard-earned money to see you,” he said.
“There’s magic when the three of us are onstage. But there’s obviously reservation. We don’t even ask her if she’s gonna be on time anymore; we say, ‘How late is she going to be?’
He added: “It gets to a point that you say, is it even really all worth it?”
