Lauryn Hill, together with the Fugees, a hip-hop trio she built with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michél, garnered significant success with their 1996 record called ‘The Score’, made popular by their rendition of ‘Killing Me Softly’ which dominated the airwaves. However, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, released in 1998, managed to surpass all expectations. The album was a unique blend of neo-soul, classic 70s rhythms reminiscent of Marvin Gaye, Ann Peebles, and Curtis Mayfield, and mixed with hip-hop, funk, and reggae. It was Lauryn Hill’s extraordinary vocals that truly set this record apart, capable of eliciting profound emotion and raw energy from listeners. Ultimately, the album sold over 20 million copies and won the accolade of Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, the first hip-hop album ever to do so.
Following this massive success, Hill has been surprisingly quiet on the music release front, with her contributions mainly comprising sporadic tracks for film soundtracks. However, she has continued to tour regularly, particularly in recent years. Surprising, the US leg of her much-anticipated tour was cancelled just one week before its scheduled start as Hill cited media sensationalism and “clickbait headlines” as detrimental to ticket sales.
Yet, Hill’s live performances have not been without their controversies. She has gained a reputation for being unpredictable, often mirroring the late George “No Show” Jones, frequently showing up late for gigs, if she turns up at all. In 2018, a performance at the 3Arena was delayed and a year later a one hour concert in Cork’s Musgrave Park left fans disgruntled. Despite a portion of the concert being dedicated to complaining about the sound and her band, it didn’t go over well with social media users.
Nevertheless, the Dublin show featuring Lauryn Hill and the Fugees proved to be a brilliant merge of soul and power, delivering exactly what fans had been yearning for. The performance epitomised the essence of Lauryn Hill, her visionary blend of genres, and that uniquely profound voice telling stories through sound, much like the ‘Heart of Philip Glass’ draws a line from Blondie and Talking Heads to iconoclastic minimalism.
In addition to all these circumstances, Pras has initiated a legal suit against her for the breach of contract involving cancelled shows. The lawsuit alleges that the Fugees missed out on a Coachella fee worth $5 million because Hill was discontented about not being at the top of the bill. With all these under consideration, it wouldn’t be surprising if people are somewhat agitated as DJ Wax from 2FM (known for his catchphrase ‘Where my ladies at?’) weaves his way through a well-appreciated classy club set in 3Arena, which is comfortably packed.
Around 8:50 pm, DJ Reborn declares that Lauryn Hill is en route to the concert venue before commencing her own set, which thrillingly jumps from dance hall reggae to Afrobeat to Snoop Dogg, and even unexpectedly makes space for U2’s Pride. After a video introduction that merges shots of the Civil Rights fight with glimpses of the young artist herself and music from Stevie Wonder and The Last Poets, Lauryn appears onstage a mere half-hour later than scheduled.
Looking bold in silver eyeshadow, striking jewellery pieces, and multicoloured beaded dreadlocks, clad in a snow camouflage leisure suit which one may wear while engaging in a war in Norway, Lauryn enquires Dublin about its well-being, resulting in an eruption from the audience.
The first part of the show focusses on Miseducation. With the stop/start rhythm of “Everything Is Everything” (which she dedicated to Ireland), it takes some time for her voice to develop its depth. This is then followed by a spectacular vocal interlude supported by her three backup singers and her excellent band, who were on point from the start. During ‘When It Hurts So Bad’, she belts out some really high notes as if to challenge anyone who doubts her vocal ability, and delivers a fiery performance of ‘Final Hour’.
‘Ex-Factor’ is a predictable standout, and by the time Hill reaches the ‘This is crazy’ refrain, her voice is back in full form. ‘To Zion’ is nearly as impressive, particularly when the band takes a break and lets the boss’s voice, guitar, and the delightful congas take centre stage.
When young Zion Marley, the son of Hill and Bob Marley’s son Rohan, steps onto the stage, there’s a notable decrease in performance quality. His attempt at his grandfather’s War is satisfactory, yet his three original reggae tracks fail to impress, regardless of his proclamation that it’s “Irie-land”. Hill salvages the performance with a nostalgic talk about discovering music in her parent’s basement, before blending it all together: soul, hip hop, and reggae. She rekindles the audience’s energy with her most iconic tune, Doo Wop (That Thing). Some critics might argue that she’s yelling rather than singing, but the crowd enthusiastically belts the lyrics in response.
Despite the highs and lows of the gig so far, the energy spikes when Hill introduces Wyclef Jean to the stage. Although Pras’s absence was largely expected, the performance doesn’t fall short. Adorned in a fur coat and hat, with his Strat in tow, Jean exudes charisma. Their compilation of The Fugees’ hits is powerful and passionate.
Throughout the performance of How Many Mics, Jean’s electrifying energy is undeniable. Hill seems to gain momentum from her old bandmate, firing away lyrics passionately. Their rendition of Zealots, incorporating samples from The Flamingos and Willie Williams, is transformed from Paris to Dublin. Jean keeps the energy flowing, integrating a rendition of U2’s Sunday Bloody Sunday, and performing a handstand during The Score. He fires up a quick-paced version of No Woman, No Cry, seemingly unaffected by a stumble over a monitor. Whatever Hill’s paying him, it’s undervalued.
She takes control over her gig once again, spearheading a communal singalong of Killing Me Softly, with the audience performing most of the work. After that, her vocally-driven Ready or Not serves as a defiant response to gangster rappers, declaring, “While you’re imitating Al Capone I’ll be Nina Simone”, followed by a crowd-rousing performance of Fu-Gee-La. This alone made leaving the house worthwhile.
Maybe she was resolute in defying her numerous critics, especially considering the previously called off gigs. One might attribute it to Wyclef Jean’s performance, which was as though his very existence relied on it. Regardless of the driving force, Lauryn Hill spectacularly put all doubters to rest by delivering a remarkable performance brimming with raw soul and compelling strength. It was everything one could have wished for and potentially exceeded all expectations.