Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill Initiated The Fugees Reunion, According To Pras

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The Fugees reunion is off to a great start, with a well-received comeback show at New York’s Pier 17 as part of the Global Citizen Live concert series and a tour planned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the trio’s classic 1996 album The Score. Now, thanks to the sometimes overlooked group member Pras, fans know who to thank for the return of Fugees: Ms. Lauryn Hill, who apparently was the one who reached out to her former bandmates during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

In an interview about the reunion with Billboard‘s Nadine Graham, Pras said, “It was kinda initiated by Ms. Hill, but the idea was floating around since last year. But you know last year with the pandemic, nobody really knew which way the world was going. It happened organically. She reached out to Wyclef and they reached out to me. I said, ‘Listen, if it feels right, let’s see what happens.’ I think the culture really needed it, wanted it, so we’re just giving them what they want.”

However, with regard to whether the crew would be turning their reunion tour into a comeback album, he was a little more cagey. “I’ma say it like this to you,” he replied. “Last night, it really felt good.”

You can watch Fugees’ reunion performance of “Ready Or Not” above.

The Fugees Return To The Stage To Celebrate 25 Years Of The Score

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The Fugees

After a 15 year hiatus, The Fugees, the iconic hip-hip group consisting of Ms . Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Mitchell, will reunite in an international tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their bestselling 1996 album “The Score.” Performance Is In Support Of Philanthropic Cause The group’s first public performance will be in […]

Fugees Are Going On A Reunion Tour To Celebrate 25 Years Of ‘The Score’

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Fugees were only active for a few years, but their star burned brightly during that brief window thanks to their massively influential 1996 album The Score. That release celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, so Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel are marking the occasion by reuniting for a brief set of reunion tour dates.

The first of them is this week, on September 22 at a yet-to-be-announced venue. After that, they’ll pick things back up in November and December for a handful of shows in the US, as well as dates in Nigeria and Ghana.

Hill says, “The Fugees have a complex but impactful history. I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention. I decided to honor this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”

Jean also says, “As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.”

Check out the full list of dates below.

09/22 — New York, NY @ TBA
11/02 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
11/07 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
11/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
11/18 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
11/21 — Miami, FL @ FTX Arena
11/26 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
11/28 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
12/04 — Paris, France @ La Defense Arena
12/06 — London, UK @ The O2 Arena
Date TBA — Nigeria @ TBA
12/18 — Ghana @ TBA

Nas Said Lauryn Hill Laughed When She Heard Fans’ Surprised Reaction To Her ‘King’s Disease II’ Verse

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Nas has been on a hot streak of late, with last year’s comeback collaboration with Hit Boy, King’s Disease and the very quick sequel, King’s Disease II that dropped earlier this month. Part of the excitement around part two of this release was the guest features he was able to score, because he’s hip-hop royalty, and fans damn near lost their minds over his collaboration with Eminem on “EPMD 2” — the first time these two legendary MCs have been on record together.

But another high-profile feature, from the semi-retired legend Lauryn Hill, had fans equally impressed that Nas could draw a verse from her. Speaking with Ebro Darden for Apple Music’s show Rap Life, Nas explained his relationship with the reclusive star. “I hit her up, ‘Yo, this is crazy. People are asking me like, how did I get you on a record,’” Nas said. “She’s laughing like, ‘What do you mean? We just had a tour like, a few years ago.,’” he told Ebro. “She’s like, ‘All my life is right now is concerned with my freedom.’ That’s a different individual. That’s her first line. She’s not out here playing games, man. Thank you, Ms. Hill.”

Check out their conversation below.

Meanwhile, Nas is already teasing King’s Disease 3, and praising his producer Hit Boy as a “Quincy Jones”-style figure.

Lauryn Hill Addressed Her Notorious Lateness On ‘Nobody,’ Her Collaboration With Nas

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Nas’ new album, King’s Disease II picks up right where part one left off, and this new installment has plenty of high-profile features to make it just as impactful as the first one. Since King Disease, which the legendary Queens rapper made with producer Hit-Boy, was the record that finally won him a Grammy after all these years, maybe he’s going for another with the second installment.

On board to help him in that potential quest is Eminem, on his first-ever collaboration with Nas, dropping bars so fire that people are losing their minds over his verses (including 50 Cent himself), and the one and only Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Though Lauryn has been back in the music world for a while now, she struggles with showing up late to her own shows, and that was the topic she wanted to broach on “Nobody,” her song with Nas. “My awareness like Keanu in The Matrix,” she rapped on the track. “I’m saving souls and ya’ll complaining about my lateness.”

Well, at least she’s aware of the problem… she just thinks fans should be more patient. Fair enough for a legend like her to ask for some grace in that area. Check out the song above.

Lovers & Friends Festival Adds A Second Date For Its 2022 Showcase

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Last spring, Live Nation, Snoop Dogg, and Bobby Dee announced the Lovers & Friends festival, a massive showcase that would bring some of the best singers and rappers of the 1990s and 2000s to one stage. The festival flyer was equipped with names that included Lauryn Hill, Usher, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Ciara, Nelly, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, Brandy, and, Monica — and that’s just on the first two lines of the poster.

Then the pandemic arrived and forced the postponement of the festival, as it did for many other big name showcases. Luckily Lovers & Friends announced that the festival — with all the artists that appeared on the original flyer — would return on May 14, 2022. Now, the showcase has unveiled a second date for the show.

Lauryn Hill, Usher, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and the rest of the crew will take the stage for the festival in Las Vegas for an added show on May 15, 2022. Those who signed up for access to presale tickets for the May 14 date will now have access to the “First Dibs Presale” for the May 15 date which begins on Saturday, August 7 at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST. Another presale for the second date will begin on Monday, August 9 at 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST while tickets for the general public will be made available starting August 9 at 5 p.m. EST / 2 a.m. PST.

For more information, check out loversandfriendsfest.com.

Lovers & Friends Festival Is Set To Return In 2022 And Moving To Las Vegas

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Just before the pandemic started, one of the most anticipated festivals of the 2020 season was Lovers & Friends, a new but nostalgic festival that popped up out of nowhere and caused mass havoc and confusion on Twitter as fans clamored to figure out if the stacked lineup was real. Furthering the confusion, some of the billed acts, like Lil Kim, claimed to have not been booked, adding a layer of intrigue and attention that had anticipation sky-high when they finally confirmed.

Unfortunately, as we all know, Corona came through hating and we all missed out on seeing every elder Millennial’s favorite artists return to the stage alongside contemporary artists like Jhene Aiko, Megan Thee Stallion, Saweetie, and Summer Walker (all heavily influenced by 2000s-era sounds and aesthetics). It looked like Lovers & Friends was a wrap, a fever dream we all shared for a bit before the world collectively went to hell.

Live Nation

But apparently, Live Nation, Snoop Dogg, and Bobby Dee had to do it again (see what I did there?), bringing the festival back for a new date, May 14, 2022. The venue has changed as well; while the original was scheduled for Carson, CA (a smaller venue that prompted the show’s organizers to add a second day) the 2022 iteration will take place in Las Vegas. Presale begins August 2 at 10 am PT. For more information, check out loversandfriendsfest.com.

Nicki Minaj’s Dream Collaborator Is An Unexpected Hip-Hop Legend

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For those who thought the Queen of rap was in retirement, think again. Last night Nicki Minaj returned in full force, with her new single “Fractions,” (which is drawing ample criticism for the way it references her husband’s accuser), and the re-release of her 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty on streaming services for the first time to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The re-release also came with another new track “Seeing Green” that includes appearances from her most trusted Young Money collaborators Drake and Lil Wayne.

To help all this sink in for fans, Nicki also made a surprise appearance on the audio streaming app Clubhouse today, visiting the National Barb Association room to speak directly to some of her biggest fans. One of the takeaways from this visit from Nicki is that she still has a hip-hop legend dream collaborator that she hasn’t worked with yet. It’s true, one of rap’s number one purveyors of getting artists to guest feature still hasn’t hit the top spot on her list. She revealed that the person she still most wants to work with is Lauryn Hill, which does make sense if you’ve paid attention to the way Nicki has continued to praise her as an influence over the years.

So, hey, someone hit up Lauryn’s camp right? Let’s make this happen.