Credit: Fugees

Following the last-minute cancellation of the North American leg of Lauryn Hill‘s tour with the Fugees, the hip-hop icon has blamed the media for affecting ticket sales.

Hill has amassed a reputation over the last few years for being late to the stage, with fans often waiting hours for her to arrive, and also for cancelling shows without much warning to ticket holders. Now, she has claimed that fans have been put off buying tickets to the Fugees tour because of the media’s reporting of these prior events. The tour was set to begin on August 9th in Tampa, Florida.

The run of dates was set to see Hill reunite with the Fugees, consisting of Pras Michel and Wyclef Jean, with Hill’s son, YG Marley, also scheduled to appear on the bill. They plotted to perform an extended number of shows throughout North America, which was lined up to conclude in New Jersey on September 27th.

In 2023, Hill was forced to cancel a number of shows due to damaged vocal cords, which is a justifiable reason. However, she claims the media sensationalised the story, which is why ticket sales have suffered and now, as a result, the Fugees have cancelled their North American dates.

Notably, at the Forum in Los Angeles last year, Hill defended her lack of punctuality, telling the crowd, “You’re saying, ‘She’s late, she’s late a lot.’ Yo, y’all lucky I make it on this stage every night! I don’t do it because they let me do it, I do it because I stand here in the name of God! God is the one who allows me to do it!”

“Last year, I faced an injury that necessitated the rescheduling of some of my shows,” she wrote on Instagram about her vocal cord injury.

Hill continued: “Regrettably, some media outlet’s penchant for sensationalism and clickbait headlines have seemingly created a narrative that has affected ticket sales for the North American portion of the tour. The trust and faith I have in my intentions and my commitment to my art seem to have been overshadowed by this unfortunate portrayal.”

Hill then shared her disappointment that the Fugees were left with no choice but the axed the run of scheduled dates, concluding, “Performing for my fans, is a profound exchange of energy and emotion that excites me every time. Every show is a piece of my expression and testament to our connection and shared love for music. I can assure you that no one is more disappointed about not being able to perform than I am.”

Judging by Hill’s comments, the European leg of the reunion tour is still set to go ahead and kicks off at the 3Arena in Dublin on October 7th. While ticket sales have been a problem in North America, they recently announced new dates in Cardiff, Cologne, Paris, Antwerp, Stockholm, Berlin and Hamburg due to phenomenal demand, suggesting the UK and Europe has far more of an appetite for the Fugees than her native continent.