Lauryn Hill has canceled the remaining dates on the 25th anniversary tour of her only solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill made the announcement via Instagram on Tuesday night (November 21), blaming the cancelations on her strained vocal cords. She also talked about how rewarding it’s been to reunite with her fellow Fugees, Pras and Wyclef Jean.
“I’d like to start this off by saying how much I’ve enjoyed being on the road, and how much I appreciate all of the fans who have come out to celebrate this incredible milestone anniversary and history making reunion with us,” she wrote in the caption. “Being able to tour this album to sold out crowds after 25 years has been an emotional experience! I’ve loved sharing the stage again with Wyclef and Pras. The Return of the Fugees has been powerful and amazing—those who’ve witnessed it can testify.
The tour itself reminds us the artists, and the audiences alike of earlier, perhaps less complicated times when ‘It could all be so simple…’ or ‘Ready Or Not, here I come!’ were on repeat on the airwaves. Simply put, classic. Classic music, classic performances with audiences who love those classics has been nothing but…wait for it…EPIC. (I almost said classic again!) As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month. I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time. In order to prevent any long term negative affect on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely.”
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Lauryn Hill did say she would still perform in Philly over the weekend, noting it was close to New Jersey and “basically hometown.” But that will be the final show in 2023. Hill said she has plans to reschedule the canceled dates early next year. She also promised to ad more dates due to “overwhelming demand.”
Hill performed in Los Angeles on November 4 and showed up a bit late but wasn’t afraid to address her tardiness. In a clip making the rounds online, Hill spoke passionately about why her fans should be grateful she shows up at all.
“I hear, ‘She’s late. She’s late a lot,’” she said. “Yo, you’re lucky I make it on this stage every night. I don’t do it because they let me. I do it because I stand here in the name of God. God is the one who allows me to do it, who surrounded me with family and community when there was no support, when the album sold so many records and nobody showed up and said, ‘Hey, would you like to make another one?’ So I went around the world and played the same album over and over and over and over again. Because we’re survivors. We’re not just the survivors, we’re the thrivers.”
Hill’s comments didn’t sit well with many of her fans, and she eventually addressed the chatter, posting the entire speech she gave prior to the “tardiness” remarks. She wrote in the caption, “Context is key.” Watch it below.
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