8 Sep 2018

Lauryn Hill is coming to NZ with controversial rapper Nas

From RNZ Music, 6:00 am on 8 September 2018

Lauryn Hill will perform her first New Zealand show in eight years this February. The Grammy award winner is bringing rapper Nas as her support act, amid ongoing controversy involving his ex-wife, R&B star Kelis.

Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill Photo: Supplied

Lauryn Hill is bringing her The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20th Anniversary Tour to Auckland's Spark Arena on February 16.

Last time Hill performed in New Zealand was Rotorua's Raggamuffin Festival in 2010. It was her first show in almost three years, after appearing only sporadically throughout the early 2000s.

Joining Hill on the tour is rapper Nas who is currently the subject of domestic abuse claims made in an interview by ex-wife R&B star Kelis.

Hill’s career began in 1994 as the sole female member of R&B group The Fugees, considered one of the most successful groups of all time, selling 10 million copies of their 1996 album The Score. By 21, she was famous, still living at home with her parents, and had founded the Refugee Project, which worked with at-risk urban youth.

In 1998 Hill ventured out as a solo artist and released what would be her only solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, recorded in Jamaica. The album, which featured D’Angelo, Santana and Mary J. Blige, won five Grammys.

Around the same time the album came out, Lauryn had a child with partner Rohan Marley – Bob Marley’s son. She went on to have another five children.

Hill’s career has been long and varied, writing and producing ‘A Rose Is Still a Rose’ for the late Aretha Franklin, appearing in films Sister Act II and The Best Man and touring with the likes of The Roots and Outkast.

In 2000 she dropped out of the public eye, fired her management and began working with a spiritual advisor. Over the next few years, she was involved in various projects and concerts but her return as Ms. Lauryn Hill wasn’t until 2010.

Hill says her upcoming tour is about an album that marked an important part of her youth: “It was the summation of most, if not all, of my most hopeful and positive emotions experienced to that date. I hope the love and energy that permeated this work can continue to inspire change with love and optimism at the helm.”

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Photo: Supplied

Supporting Hill on her visit to NZ is 'friend and collaborator', New York rapper Nas, who has recently been the subject of controversy following domestic violence claims by his ex-wife Kelis.

In April she alleged he’d physically and emotionally abused her. Nas didn’t immediately respond to the allegations, but encouraged online criticism of Kelis, at one point replying “Applause,” to a suggestion that black women were being used by the "feminist agenda" and white supremacists, to target black men.

Yesterday, Nas posted a seven-part Instagram rebuttal to Kelis’ claims. He says her version of events was “exaggerated” and that she was taking advantage of the #metoo movement, at one point commenting, “You bumped your own head sis.”

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Nas and Hill first collaborated on his 1996 single ‘If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)’.

The rapper's debut album Illmatic came out in 1994. The record featured fellow New York rapper Q-Tip and legendary producer DJ Premier and is considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Nas is known for his unique style of rap, which is centred around his ability to use a sizeable vocabulary while maintaining a natural flow. Amongst his accolades are two BET Hip Hop Awards and 13 Grammy nominations.

Lauryn Hill and Nas will be performing one show at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Saturday, February 16. Tickets are available from Live Nation.

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