As you’ve probably read by now, Ms. Lauryn Hill was forced to cancel the remainder of her Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th anniversary tour due to vocal strain. While this has disappointed fans eagerly awaiting this rare event, Philadelphia lucked out. Hill previously cancelled a show in the City of Brotherly Love a few weeks back, and felt obligated to make up the date. And what better way to kick the night off than with a guest DJ set by Philly’s own Questlove? The Roots co-founder showed up onstage wearing a Sade sweatshirt before jamming legacy tunes ranging from James Brown to Soul II Soul. This had the crowd moving in their seats and ready for the main event.
While Hill has also been in the news lately for her tardiness, she went on at a reasonable hour. The evening was peppered with guest appearances, notably including local emcee Freeway on his hit “What We Do,” Black Thought on The Roots’ “You Got Me,” and even The Delfonics on “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” and “Ready or Not.” Wyclef Jean also joined Hill for a cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and performed “Gone Til November” solo, allowing Hill a much needed break before the evening ended with a raucous “Fu-Gee-La.”
While Hill gave 110 percent on stage, it was obvious her voice isn’t well. Let’s hope a few months of bedrest as the doctor prescribed does the trick, and we see her back onstage where she belongs again soon. It’s been too long.
