Lauryn Hill wants to set the record straight on her history of tardiness. The musician’s most recent late start was at Essence Festival, where she took the stage to a significantly sparse crowd at 2:30 a.m. The festival organizers acknowledged that she arrived on time, and the delays were due to their own production issues. In a lengthy statement on Instagram, Hill commended Essence Fest for taking accountability instead of letting her take the fall — something she doesn’t plan on allowing to happen again.
“Thank you Essence for clarifying that the delays were not my fault,” Hill wrote. “I’m often quiet, knowing full well that God fights my battles. But this is not the first time production delays have delayed my performances. This IS however the first time a promoter has acknowledged the slip up on their end, and this will be the last time I’ll allow production challenges to look like the fault is mine alone, when they aren’t.”
Despite what some may think, she said, she isn’t pulling up to her performances whenever she wants with no regard for the people who paid to be there and the crew helping to pull it together. “There seems to be a misconception out there though that I am somewhere on the Riviera with my feet up, drink in hand, showing up to concerts whenever because I’m too important to care,” she said. “That’s nonsense.”
Hill emphasized her role in “every aspect of design, preparation and production of my shows” while also showing up in her role as “a parent, grandparent and steward to my immediate family and community.” Having an increased involvement is the only way she knows how to protect “the integrity of my message and the quality of what I do.” This includes rehearsing and arranging performances with her band, but also contributing “to most if not every department and more.”
Hill noted that she doesn’t mind putting the work in “because it is truly & labor of love and great passion for me to be able to perform meaningful music for my audience,” but acknowledges that it comes in addition to her role as “a parent, grandparent and steward to my immediate family and community.”
Many who feel they have been personally victimized by Hill showing up late to a concert they attended have counted her out by now. They’ve started to take on the blame themselves for showing up on time in the first place. Hill isn’t worried about “those of you who can no longer extend me grace,” she said. “I’m ok with that because it’s not your grace that sustains me. It’s God’s grace that sustains me and the love of the fans who appreciate that my message came for them when they needed it most and KNOW that I was probably punished for being so honest in the midst of big business.”
As Hill sees it, if she doesn’t continue to show up and spread her message, no one will. “Those of us who are still out here grinding to present an alternative to the divisive, to the shallow, to the controlled, and to the intentionally limiting narrative of our representation do what it takes to do so,” she said. “We are here, pushing through the resistance. Ask yourself how and why I’m still standing after years of public effort to defame me? Because someone has to do it!”
