Robert Glasper caused quite a bit of fuss on social media after a recent interview of his went viral.
In the interview, he claimed that working with Lauryn Hill for a past show was awful.
He claimed that he and other band members were told that they could not look her directly in the eyes. They were also told to refer to her only as Ms. Hill.
Robert said that Lauryn has a reputation of firing band members for no reason and being cheap when it’s time to cut checks.
Then he said Lauryn had no right being arrogant because she didn’t write her songs on “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”
The longstanding rumor of Lauryn not being able to perform the original version of songs on the album also came up.
Lauryn is now addressing Robert’s claims via Medium.
On it being said that she didn’t write her own songs:
You may be able to make suggestions, but you can’t write FOR me. I am the architect of my creative expression. No decisions are made without me. I hire master builders and masterful artisans and technicians who play beautifully, lend their technical expertise, and who translate the language that I provide into beautifully realized music.
I’m confused as to why such a principled musician, who thought I ‘stole’ from his friends, would show up to work for me anyway. ? If that was hypocrisy or opportunism instead of genuine interest, it would further explain why an artist would feel the need to put his or her guard up.
She was also not here for Robert saying “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was the only good thing she’s done.
Who are you to say I didn’t do enough? Most people are probably just hearing your name for the first time because you dropped MINE in an interview, controversially. Taking nothing away from your talent, but this is a fact.
The Miseducation was my only solo studio album, but it certainly wasn’t the only good thing I did.
I was also a member of the Fugees, another groundbreaking, multi-platinum selling group, who bridged social and cultural gaps, and were ambassadors of hip-hop all around this planet. We laid important groundwork upon which an entire generation of artists and musicians still stand. We broke through conventions and challenged limited world views every time we played.
There’s this nugget too:
Show me an artist working now who hasn’t been directly influenced by the work I put in, and I’ll show you an artist who’s been influenced by an artist who was directly influenced by the work that I put in. I was and continue to be a door opener, even if the blind don’t see it, and the prideful are too proud to admit it. I lived this, you watched this and heard about it.
Regarding the rumor that Lauryn doesn’t want people to look her in the eyes:
I never told anyone not to look me in the eye, that may have been something someone said assuming what I wanted. However, I would understand why an artist would say that. It’s about reaching a level of vulnerability while making or playing your art, and not wanting to worry about being examined while you’re in that process.
On being called Ms. Hill:
And yes, Ms. Hill was absolutely a requirement. I was young, Black and female. Not everyone can work for and give the appropriate respect to a person in that package and in charge. It was important, especially then, for that to be revealed early.
Lauryn feels Robert coming for her shows the double standards in the industry.
I adore Stevie, and honor Herbie and Quincy, who are our forebears, but they’re not women. Men often can say ‘I want it done like this’ and not be challenged. The same rules don’t always apply for women who may be met with resistance. When this happens you replace that player with someone who respects you and the office you hold.
On not being allowed to play her original songs:
I remix my songs live because I haven’t released an album in several years. There’s a ton of backstory as to why, but there’s no way I could continue to play the same songs over and over as long as I’ve been performing them without some variation and exploration. I’m not a robot. If I’d had additional music out, perhaps I would have kept them as they were. I didn’t, so I revise and rearrange them according to what I’m feeling in that moment. This way, my performances are heartfelt and authentic, not me just going through the motions. I can’t imagine why that would be a foreign concept to anyone who appreciates jazz.
And the myth that I’m not allowed to play the original versions of my songs is…a myth (anyone who’s seen my current show knows this).
She also clapped back at complaints that she’s always late to her shows.
Me being late to shows isn’t because I don’t respect my fans or their time, but the contrary, It can be argued that I care too much, and insist on things being right. I like to switch my show up regularly, change arrangements, add new songs, etc. This often leads to long sound checks, which leads to doors opening late, which leads to the show getting a late start. This element of perfectionism is about wanting the audience to experience the very best and most authentic musical experience they can from what I do.
