Lauryn Hill backstage during Day 1 of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2011 held at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2011 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Over the weekend, Lauryn Hill confirmed what many had suspected as early as two months ago after she was spotted rocking Rasputia's old club tops.
Yes, she's pregnant again, and if you've lost count this will make baby number six for one of fertility's most valuable players. The not as reclusive as she used to be singer, rapper and actress told the crowd at Detroit's Chene Park, "I'm going to be taking time off to give birth." Lauryn is still on deck to perform her celebrated debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, at the Rock The Bells festival, but after that there's no clue as to if and when she may give touring another go.
Congratulations are certainly in order for Ms. Lauryn Hill, but a wake up all is long overdue for fans taking the news as bittersweet for their own selfish and unrealistic reasons.
Click here to view a Grio slideshow looking back at Lauryn Hill over the years
Far be it from me to strip anyone of his or her dream, but I can't believe people still fantasize about L-Boogie releasing some incredibly brilliant sophomore album that will make her as musically relevant as she was during the Clinton administration. You know, the kind of record that will erase her antics over the years from public memory. I've previously dubbed those believes along with a few others as signs of LHDD, or Lauryn Hill Denial Disorder.
I used to suffer from it, too, but after a while you have to at try to lease a clue.
I'll acknowledge that she's actually made more public appearances in the last six months than she has in 10, but have you fans that refuse to give up hope been reading about how those gigs have turned out? The consistently late starts to her concerts that were arrogantly excused by the sentiment, "I personally know I'm worth the wait." Sentiments prefaced with the even more pompous and delusional, "I spent my entire 20s sacrificing my life to give you love. So when I hear people complain, I don't know what to tell you."
Then when she finally does hit the stage she often appears in a way best described as, "What if George Clinton had a uterus?" Moving beyond the more shallow criticism of Ms. Hill, one needs to be reminded of the way in which she performs the songs that caused audiences to cherish her. Citing boredom with the original arrangements (and possible bitterness over the lawsuits that stem from them), Lauryn has consistently rearranged her classics to the point that they're so obscure that it's hard for audiences to know what song she's performing.
Sure, she has had her bright spots -- most recently on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon -- but they are few and far between.
Some fans continue to make excuses all the same. The reports of her being an egotistical diva are the result of jaded journalists trying to soil her public legacy (even with direct quotes). The consistently late starts to shows appear to be the fault of the clock for not working on Ms. Hill's schedule. Enough already.
I know many of you want to believe that the Lauryn of yesteryear will one day return, but after all these years maybe it's time to give it up, turn it loose.
I wouldn't be surprised if Jesus and Jay-Z released a Best of Both Worlds album before we got another studio release from Lauryn Hill. Even if Lauryn were to put out new material, she's consistently proven herself to be over the music and persona she had at her peak. You're not getting ever that Lauryn back, baby on the way or not.
And honestly, that's fine. No matter what she may do to aggravate or confuse her lingering fan base in the latter years of her career, she's already made her contribution. Isn't that enough? If not, I guess waiting nine more months isn't so bad if you've already waited 10 years. But when you're ready to let go, don't worry Lauryn fans that have long let go of the fantasy will be here to console you.
In the meantime, let's all just wish Lauryn success in one thing we know for sure she can produce a sequel to: a beautiful healthy baby.
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