Lauryn Hill ended up hitting the Superdome stage in New Orleans after 2:30 a.m. ET early Saturday (July 5) to close out night one of ESSENCE Festival, which took responsibility for her two-hour performance delay.
With plenty of chatter surrounding her tardiness, the Fugees legend set the record straight with a lengthy statement clearing the air on Tuesday (July 8).
The Grammy-winning artist admitted this wasn’t the first time production issues have caused her to delay concerts, and also defended her performance artistry and how much of herself she pours into every aspect of her shows.
“Thank you Essence for clarifying that the delays were not my fault,” Hill began on Instagram. “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.”
She continued to push back: “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. That’s nonsense. And anyone who’s been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true.”
However, it didn’t come off as if MLH was seeking out sympathy, as she called her artistry and performances a “labor of love.” “I am involved in every aspect of what it takes to put on my shows, because it requires THAT much involvement to protect the integrity of my message and the quality of what I do,” she added.
Lauryn Hill was added to the ESSENCE Festival bill about two days before showtime, and performed deep into the wee hours of Saturday until after 3:35 a.m. ET in front of a sparse Superdome crowd in the Big Easy.
ESSENCE shouldered the blame for Hill’s latenessm, as the entire lineup had to be jumbled throughout an unpredictable night.
“The delay? Not hers. We will take that,” the festival said in a statement. “The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched. Put some respect on her name. Keep the takes, but keep her out of them. All love and deep profound admiration for Ms. Lauryn Hill.”