It turns out that Lauryn Hill popping out for Drake's Wireless Festival set last year won't be the most hotly debated guest performance of hers in the past 12 months. She surprised fans who attended the second of Kanye West's SoFi Stadium concerts last night (Friday, April 3), performing some of her own tracks and joining performances of the Ye cuts that sample her.
Ms. Hill also brought out her sons Zion and YG Marley to perform some of their songs. While many fans expressed awe and joy at this special performance, others took more critical stances due to Kanye's past controversies and bigotries.
Of course, the Fugees legend is no stranger to backlash and criticism herself. But those are very different to the situations the Chicago artists has either suffered or brought on himself throughout his career.
Some fans just want folks to shut up and enjoy the show. Others refuse to believe Kanye West's apologies and continue to demand condemnation. Whether they expressed disappointment or gratitude concerning Lauryn Hill's appearance, they joined a cavalcade of dissenting opinions online.
Read More: Kanye West "Bully" Album Review
Kanye West & Lauryn Hill In The Studio
What's more is that new alleged studio footage caught by Kurrco on Twitter shows Ye and Ms. Hill working together on a song, possibly for a Bully addition to "I CAN'T WAIT." But we still have to wait and see if that pans out.
In any case, their work together will not shift the perceptions of this performance. Some believe the family theme and the long-awaited reunion communicated feelings of forgiveness, grace, unity, and legacy. Others were not as charitable, claiming Lauryn Hill is hypocritical for doing this considering her past work and political views.
Kanye West has talked about Lauryn Hill's industry retirement for a long time, so that's another important factor to consider. Their solidarity in this regard might shut off praise or criticism of their performance.
Fan Reactions
Overall, one performance does not equate to a wholehearted endorsement of every little ideology, but it doesn't address controversies outright either. For many hardcore fans, it was a great performance and concert above all else, which is all they can ask for at this point.
