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Lauryn Hill, Nas at the Fillmore Auditorium, 11/16/12

By Elana Ashanti Jefferson | November 19th, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Lauryn Hill must really hate the music that catapulted her career.

Because from the moment this diva took the Fillmore Auditorium stage on Friday night, she clearly had no intention of performing anything the crowd would recognize.

Sure, her lineup included such seminal hits as “Everything Is Everything” and the classic Fugees cover of “Killing Me Softly.” But Hill so thoroughly rearranged all of the songs into calypso-funk-scat mash-ups that she essentially presented new material. (Why one would rearrange a previously-rearranged cover as she did with “Killing Me Softly” is in itself a head-scratcher.)

Many artists grow tired on their early-career catalogue. But to simply ignore fans’ desire to revisit memories and milestones marked best by the music of that bygone era, smacks of vanity and disconnectedness. Frankly, an entertainer’s job is to give the people what they came for, and make them smile. When that work is done, go ahead and try to wow them with your stuff. But fail to hook the crowd from the start and you may get what Hill did on Friday night: A restless room and even a few… boos.

The first sign that something was askew arrived toward the end of co-headliner Nas’ heady, engaging set. Touring behind this year’s release “Life Is Good,” the prolific Queens-born lyricist moved deftly through old and new material with help from a large band and documentary-style video flickering at the back of the stage. Crowd faves included “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Daughters” and “Shoot ‘Em Up.”

He also did, at least in part, the genre classic “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That),” a 1996 track that is perhaps most recognizable for Lauryn Hill’s haunting, crystalline chorus; harsh words and ideas wrapped in the sweetness of a mother’s lullaby. But when Nas delivered that song in Denver on Friday, he relied on a backup singer from his crew – not co-headliner Ms. Hill, who wouldn’t take the stage for about another 90 minutes – to perform those lyrics. To borrow the words of a fellow concertgoer: “That just doesn’t make sense.”

Hill still brings a commanding presence to the stage. She looks and sounds gorgeous and strong, and for this tour she assembled an impressive pool of singers and musicians. She surely gave this crowd an eclectic show characterized by a global sonic scope. It just may not have been the show that people expected to see.

Seth McConnell is a member of YourHub at The Denver Post and a new contributor to Reverb.

Elana Ashanti Jefferson is an editor at The Denver Post and a longtime music fan.

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Lauryn Hill's mug shot emerges as she faces three years behind bars for tax evasion
By Cassie Carpenter
PUBLISHED: 14:54 EST, 13 August 2012 | UPDATED: 17:13 EST, 13 August 2012


Lauryn Hill faces three years behind bars after admitting she failed to file tax returns between 2005 and 2007, during which time she earned $1.8 million, and her mugshot was released today.
The solemn 37-year-old is seen in the picture wearing the same white blouse she donned on June 29 after pleading guilty to the three-count misdemeanor filed in U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey.

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The eight-time Grammy-winner, currently free on a $150,000 unsecured bond, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 27.

And as there's nothing more certain than death and taxes, her attorney Nathan Hochman said Hill planned to pay back the $818,000 from 2005, $222,000 from 2006, and $761,000 from 2007.

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The troubled singer-rapper, who first gained fame and millions of dollars as the lead singer of The Fugees, also faces $75,000 in fines.

In a lengthy post on her Tumblr page earlier in June she responded to the charges, claiming she wanted to leave mainstream society in protest against its 'climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism.'

Lauryn said: 'My intention has always been to get this situation rectified. When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes.

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'This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family.'

It's ironic that Hill cites the safety and well-being of her family as a reason she failed to pay up as little Zion, 15, Selah, 13, Joshua, 10, John, 9, Sarah, 4, and one-year-old Micah will surely suffer if their mother toils in jail.

Lauryn released one solo album, the critically-acclaimed Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in 1998 and then largely disappeared from public view to raise her six children, five of whom she had with reggae singer Bob Marley's son Rohan.

After over a decade together, the 39-year-old is now engaged to supermodel Isabeli Fontana despite only a short courtship.

Meanwhile the talented singer has been making several appearances at concerts, including last month's Openair Frauenfeld Festival in Switzerland and the annual Wawa Welcome America concert in Philadelphia.

Lauryn has also found herself in a legal wrangle after her former fashion consultant accused her of stealing clothes.


Company Via Davia Vintage claimed in 2011 Hill took the majority of a 'wardrobe of high fashion items' from them after they agreed to provide them for her 2007 tour of Europe.

She was also sued in relation to the tour for harassment and unpaid wages by Jay Gore, a guitarist in her band, who claimed she would insult the band while he toured with her.

Part of the lawsuit stated: 'After shows, Hill would demand that the musicians and road support personnel attend meetings where she would engage in a person-by-person critique and berating.'


Read more: [www.dailymail.co.uk]