A recent appearance by Lauryn Hill at the VIBE Music Fest in Atlanta this past weekend left fans stunned and colleagues shaking their heads.
According to SOHH.com, Hill arrived for her Georgia Dome performance two hours late and immediately requested that the entire backstage area be cleared. All workers, fellow performers and employees who happened to be backstage at the time of her arrival were commanded to immediately stop whatever they were doing on and leave the premises.
Fellow performers at the event included Kanye West, Common, Amerie, John Legend and Lyfe Jennings, among others.
In addition, all those who couldn't exit the backstage promptly were told to face a wall as Hill arrived. People in Hill's entourage claimed the ex-Fugee did not want people looking at her.
"As the event patrons enjoyed the show, the performers were having an equally good time backstage, fellowshipping via handshakes, smiles and blackberrys," said SOHH.com's unnamed source. "That is... until Ms. Hill made her unfashionable entrance into the Georgia Dome with her entourague, demanding the entire backstage area be cleared and that everyone drop what they were doing and scurry into the nearest nook or cranny. On top of that, if you were one of the unlucky people who did not manage to find a corner to huddle into, you were told you could not look at the Queen of England, er, New Jersey. You had to turn your nose to the wall third grade time-out style."
Once onstage, Hill, who wore a wig shaped like a mushroom and unusual clothing, left fans perplexed as she berated her band and made them re-start a song, claiming they were out of key. Audience members claim it was Hill, not the band, who performed off-key.
After a clumsy set which saw her zip through a handful of selections from her 1998 classic, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, seemingly forget her own material, and witness people leaving after a couple songs, the once-sought after singer quickly exited the stage saying, "Okay, I'm out."
Over the past few years, it has been speculated that Hill has grown mentally unstable and is being influenced by a less than ethical "spiritual leader" who allegedly has taken great sums of money for his leadership. It is also reported that Hill referred this spiritual leader to the currently embattled comedian Dave Chapelle.
It is unknown whether Hill's long-promised sophomore studio album will be released this year.
|