After Being Accused of Bashing Gays in New Song, Lauryn Hill Explains Lyrics

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Is Lauryn Hill homophobic? R&B singer and rapper Lauryn Hill might be on her way to serve time in jail for failure to pay her taxes, but in an attempt to avoid any time in jail, she inked a new deal with Sony and dropped a new song. The track, “Neurotic Society,” was met with mixed reactions, especially since for many it was just too political and abstract than her previous songs. To some the song just sounded rushed and like ramblings of an artist who has just about had enough of society, but to the gay community, it seemed like Lauryn was using lyrics to bash gays. With certain phrases such as “girl men,” “drag queens,” “social transvestism,” and “pride men” being heard throughout the track, the song became a subject of immense criticism. The singer decided to take to her Tumblr blog to clear up the confusion surrounding her lyrics. She writes:

Neurotic Society is a song about people not being, or not being able to be, who and what they truly are, due to the current social construct. I am not targeting any particular group of people, but rather targeting everyone in our society who hides behind neurotic behavior, rather than deal with it.

The world we live in now is, in many ways, an abhorrent distortion, an accumulation of generations and generations of response to negative stimuli. Many don’t even have a concept of what normal is, by virtue of having lived afraid, ashamed, as victims of abuse, or inadequately handled for so long. I believe in coming up from under that fear and allowing the psyche/soul to truly heal. I understand that healing is a process, but I also believe that it is our responsibility to seriously care for ourselves, so that we can extend that level of concern for others and positively affect our environment.

I want what is best for Humanity. Humanity, aligned with the Spiritual principles, that help each individual conquer fear, and transcend limited circumstance. I believe in healing and dealing with the traumatizing events of our lives, both in this lifetime, as well as those passed down to us, or inherited, so we can live as fully as possible.

The whole world suffers from a lack of honest dialogue. Character and integrity have suffered at the hands of political correctness and corporate agenda, while our society moves further and further towards unhealthiness and breakdown. I oppose these trends.

Everyone has a right to their own beliefs. Although I do not necessarily agree with what everyone says or does, I do believe in everyone’s right to protest.

The overarching message of my music is to get up and stop compromising! And hopefully it will stimulate and motivate the changes that our society needs.

Artists are constantly under media and public scrutiny. This is not a one-way street. Those of us with the charge of putting out faithful vibrations, have a responsibility to report what we see, and to write about what we know. I have seen some of the best and also some of the worst representations of human behavior. The same way that I exalt that which is high, is the same way I expose that which is abusive, in order to motivate and remind if not all of us, than as many as possible, of the Higher Calling.