Lauryn Hill took to the Essence Festival stage super late and organizers want you to know that wasn’t her fault
Lauryn Hill performs on July 4
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
(CNN) — The organizers of Essence Fest don’t want you to be miseducated about Lauryn Hill.
The singer closed out the first night of the festival with a performance that began around 2:30 a.m. Though Hill has a run late for her shows on occasions in the past, organizers of the festival wanted to make clear Hill was not responsible for her the delayed start over the weekend.
“Family is family and around here we protect our own no matter what the PEOPLE have to say. Let’s be very clear— WE don’t play about Ms. Lauryn Hill,” the festival wrote in a post shared on social media. “Not for clicks. Not for headlines. She arrived on schedule, stepped on that stage, and delivered the kind of performance only a legend can.”
The post, which includes a video of her performing, goes on to read: “The delay? Not hers. We will take that.”
“The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched,” the caption reads. “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.”
Hill’s setlist included several of her hits such as “Everything Is Everything” and “Ex-Factor.”
Her debut solo album, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” was released in August 1998 and won five Grammys, including album of the year and best new artist for Hill.
Hill shared the video from Essence Fest on the stories portion of her verified Instagram account.
The-CNN-Wire
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