Lauryn Hill responds to criticism about the late start to her Essence Festival Show last weekend.
Fans expressed their frustration on social media following the event, prompting Ms. Lauryn Hill to respond. The former Fugee MC started her Essence set at approximately 2:30 a.m., hours after its scheduled start time. In a post on her Instagram, she thanked the festival organizers for clearing things up.
“Thank you to Essence Fest for clarifying that the delays were not my fault,” she wrote in her lengthy post. She added in her post, “Family, let me address a few things: 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.”
Lauryn also addressed criticism that she is always late to her shows, stating that a lot of it is due to her involvement with all aspects of her craft.
“I don’t show up late to shows because I don’t care. And I have nothing but love and respect for my fans,” she said. “There seems to be a misconception out there 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.”
Lauryn Hill also thanked her fans for their support amid heavy backlash from fans following her Essence Music Festival performance. A lot of her fans expressed their thanks and joy after witnessing her performance at the show. Despite her tardiness, Hill’s performance was well-received by concertgoers.
The show also saw a farewell performance from Master P, who says he is retiring from rap to focus on his basketball career as President of Basketball Operations at the University of New Orleans.
There were also notable performances from Babyface, Ari Lennox, Patti LaBelle, and Erykah Badu.