Lauryn Hill has canceled nearly all of her remaining tour dates this year due to ongoing issues with her vocal cords. Her break will begin after a final show in Philadelphia on Saturday night, the singer said in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
Lauryn Hill has canceled all of her remaining 2023 tour dates due to ongoing issues with her vocal cords
"As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month," Hill said. "I made it through each show by taking prescribed prednisone, but this can be detrimental to the body when taken in large amounts over long periods of time. In order to prevent any long term negative (effect) on my voice and my body, I need to take time off to allow for real vocal recovery so that I can discontinue the medication completely."
The star added that all the canceled dates will be rescheduled for early 2024. "Because of the overwhelming response, we’ll be adding new cities to the tour, including overseas," Hill added. "We’re working on the new calendar now, and announcing soon."
The singer decided to move forward with the Philadelphia show since it's already a rescheduled date. She was originally supposed to play the city in October. "It’s basically hometown for us," the New Jersey native said. "So we’ll close out the year with one final show amongst friends and family!"
Most fans were sympathetic to Hill's situation in the comments below her post. "Your health and well being is more important than anything," one said. "Take your time and heal," said another. "Your true fans will always be here ready to see you and witness your gift."
Hill has been on tour to commemorate the release of her 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which made it to the No. 1 spot on the US Billboard 200, later becoming the first hip-hop album to take home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Before embarking on her solo career in 1997, the singer was a member of Fugees. The alternative hip-hop group released the critically-acclaimed albums Blunted on Reality and The Score in 1994 and 1996, the latter of which topped the Billboard album chart. The group embarked on a series of on-again/off-again reunion gigs in 2021.
Hill's habit of regularly arriving to shows (long a source of fan frustration) late drew headlines earlier this month. She addressed the situation during a concert in Los Angeles on Nov. 6.
"Y’all lucky I make it on this stage every night," Hill said in footage posted to social media. "I do it because I stand here in the name of God. God is the one who allows me to do it, who surrounded me with family and community when there was no support." The singer went on to claim that executives didn't ask her to record a follow up to Miseducation despite its broad popularity. "So I went around the world, and I played the same album over and over and over and over again. Because we’re the survivors. We’re not just the survivors, we’re the thrivers."
The singer, known for her 1998 album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," got her start with alternative hip-hop group the Fugees
