‘She Been Doing This for 10+ Years’: Fans Are Not Surprised Lauryn Hill Only Showed Up Two Hours Late for New Jersey Concert, Some Say Its ‘Growth’
Lauryn Hill is still moving to the beat of her own drum after new complaints of her being hours late to a concert surfaced. Fans recently gathered at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Oct. 17 for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” 25th Anniversary Tour.
The event, which was heralded as a homecoming for Hill, was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. The singer did not hit the stage until just before 10 p.m., leaving some concert attendees frustrated and others beyond disappointed.
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Complaints about the singer’s consistent history of being tardy and her vocal performance were found across social media.
“Lauryn Hill concert starts at 7:30 and she gets on stage at 9:55. She doesn’t sound good. A lot of people are leaving…” wrote one X user. A screenshot of one attendee’s scathing texts said the show was “trash,” “the sound quality was horrible,” and that “Lauryn seems to have had a creative spirit awakening” as many of her songs were sped up or distorted by her “loud a– band.”
A tweet of the screenshotted message was captioned, “Y’all have got to stop giving Lauryn Hill your money. Just put the album on and reminisce at home.”
In response to fans complaining about Hill’s tardiness, two individuals said, “She been doing this for 10+ years,” and “955 is pretty punctual though…is this growth?”
The multifaceted artist is notorious for showing up late to performances, but in the past she attempted to add some reasoning for why she does so.
“I don’t show up late to shows because I don’t care. And I have nothing but Love and respect for my fans,” Hill wrote on Facebook in 2016, after showing up late to a showcase in Atlanta.
“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.”
She explained that she cares deeply about her artistry and “some days are more successful than others.” But said her intent is always to making her performances “worthwhile and special to begin with, while also making that experience available and accessible to others.”
Hill stunned London concert goers back in 2018 when she was only 20 minutes late for a performance. In other instances, such as an appearance in Atlanta that same year, she began performing an hour after showtime and only delivered a 45-minute set.
Ahead of this year’s annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia in June, fans’ speculation about when Hill would arrive was rampant. She was on time and staged a surprise when she reunited with Fugues band members Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel.
Lauryn Hill was amazing. I can’t believe she came back this sharp from retirement.
She legit did two concerts – one covering her Miseducation album and a whole second concert going through the Fugees catalog. pic.twitter.com/2OscQyoIm6
— Baruch Spier (@BaruchSpier) October 18, 2023
The Oct. 18 concert also served as the final time the Fugees would perform as a trio before Michel is sentenced for his federal conviction. In April, he was found guilty of funneling millions of dollars into former President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign in conspiracy with a Malaysian financier.
The “Nothing Even Matters” vocalist’s supporters, however, attempted to defend Hill. “Lauryn Hill was amazing. I can’t believe she came back this sharp from retirement. She legit did two concerts – one covering her Miseducation album and a whole second concert going through the Fugees catalog,” read a tweet. Someone else reiterated, “She still sounds fantastic.”
During the Fugees’ extended set, an emotional Hill shared that she “A lot of people did not believe this would happen, including some of the people on this stage.” She continued, “Thank you for 25 years, 25 years of support, 25 years of love.”
The group initially planned to embark on a reunion tour in 2012, but the feat never came to fruition.