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Appearing alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel on Wednesday night for their first live performance as Fugees in 15 years, Ms Lauryn Hill reminded the 3,000 guests on the rooftop of New York City Pier 17 what a miracle it was for them to be standing there.
“There was a destiny in bringing us together, there was a destiny in the tour, and there was a destiny in the people we inspired,” Hill told the crowd, briefly recounting the “complicated and beautiful” story. “from the group of three. It is also fate that brought the group together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their second classic album. The score long after their separation.
Hosted in partnership with Global Citizen and Live Nation, the New York City pop-up event marked the smooth launch of the Fugees’ Diaspora Calling Reunion Tour, which officially begins in November. The location of the concert, announced on Tuesday at the same time as the tour, was kept a secret from the general public until attendees received ticket confirmation from Global Citizen a few hours before the show’s doors open at 6 p.m.
Three hours after fans started joining the event, the crowd was still busy with Hill’s longtime mate DJ Reborn, their energy more and more zapped with each song that played. Tickets for the free show promised a 7 p.m. start time, which quickly grew to 8:30 p.m. for the DJ and almost 10 p.m. for the Fugees. The delay was due in part to a delayed soundcheck which pushed the entry time back by half an hour. Plus, punctuality has never been Hill’s strong suit. At some point, she ceases to be considered late and fans are simply ahead.
When the Fugees’ game began with a seamless transition from the theatrical introduction “The Score” to “How Many Mics”, hesitant fans erupted. It was almost easy to forget the size of the crowd; the group performed as much among themselves as with the public. At times they have come together, creating a space of privacy as if there aren’t thousands ahead of them and even more ready to see the performance when it airs as part of Global Citizen Live on September 25th.
Hammering through two strong points of The score, “Zealots” and “Fu-Gee-La”, the Fugees fostered an electricity between them that was as collaborative as it was competitive. The trio didn’t miss a beat as they traded bar for bar and filled ad-libs with succinct synergy. If you didn’t know better, you’d never guess that more than a decade has passed since they last shared a scene.
Halfway through, Jean praised a freestyle that Hill uploaded to Instagram weeks ago before delving into his. The subject of the rapper’s country of origin, Haiti, took precedence over the few other subjects inserted in his solo performance. “President Biden, I want you to do me a favor,” he slowed down to speak at one point, pushing for the cancellation of the administration’s immigration policy blocking Haitian asylum seekers. “Give Haitians a pass like you did with people coming from Afghanistan. Throughout the performance, Jean wore a Haitian flag as a bandana while fans in the audience waved theirs.
The spectacle of the Fugees reunion was too brief to ever feel too heavy. The band performed for around 45 minutes, if that, and viewed the show as a preview of the full tour they shared is still in development. The 12-date tour will take place in arenas in major US cities including Chicago, Oakland, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, Newark and Washington, DC, with additional shows in Paris and London as well as cities in Nigeria and from Ghana.
The group placed their real hits on the second half of the set, stacking “Killing Me Softly With His Song” against “Ready or Not” at the discretion of Hill, who declined to play his own freestyle in favor of remembering the Last 25 years of the Fugees. “I had to take a break,” she said, recalling being on the road since she was 18 and in the studio years before. “I had to experience the youth that I missed. “
Before launching into this last song, Jean urged the audience to light their lighters. The only problem is that the cell phones that replaced the lighter in concert sets were locked in Yondr pockets in order to maintain the feeling of exclusivity of the event. But the audience demographics spanned generations, so a few BIC lighters flickered after all.
The trio wrapped in a warm performance by The scorethe penultimate track from “No Woman No Cry” – appropriate as the song opens as a dedication to refugees around the world. In less than an hour, Jean, Hill and Michel served as physical and respiratory manifestations of the impact and influence of their work as musicians. With thousands of fans showing up hours early – including Busta Rhymes and Miguel – the Fugees weren’t too humble to brag about the role they played in turning hip-hop into a global phenomenon and of influence they continue to have two and a half decades later.
As the roof cleared at the end of the set, a group of fans rushed around the stage hoping to snag one of the few setlists that had been recorded on stage. A few were lucky enough to catch the crumpled paper as it was thrown into the group, including a fan dressed from head to toe in clothing marked with the Haitian flag. Others waited by the barricade as they took turns to have their photos taken with the printed song list –– blown away despite the late start and short set because they were just happy to have been there.
“Respect the miracle of this union,” Hill reminded the audience at the knockout meeting. “Respect that we can get on this stage and continue to do so. ”
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