Lauryn Hill returns to the limelight

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lauryn Hill's long freeze-out of the public is beginning to thaw.

Hill, whose 1998 solo debut "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" sold millions and won her a record five Grammys, has been largely MIA since. But in the new issue of Trace magazine -- her first interview in years -- Hill discusses her self-imposed exile, the Fugees and her future.

"If I make music now, it will only be to provide information to my own children," says Hill, who has four children, in the issue on newsstands July 14. "If other people benefit from it, then so be it."

Hill has continued making music -- and her long-awaited follow-up to "Miseducation" is upcoming. Along with Wyclef Jean and Pras, Hill and her old Fugees mates have been reuniting recently for sporadic concerts, including a surprise performance at the BET Awards.

However, in the interview, Hill has few kind words about the group.

"The Fugees was a conspiracy to control, to manipulate and to encourage dependence," she says. "I took a lot of abuse that many people would not have taken in these circumstances."

The 30-year-old singer, who dated Jean when the group was together, says she saw a "spark" in him. Though she says she's now married to Rohan Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley and the father of her children, Hill emerged disillusioned with men.

"As a young woman, I saw the best in everyone, but I did not see the lust and insecurities of men," she says. "I discovered what a lie was, and how lies manifested themselves."

Hill's last recording was 2001's "MTV Unplugged" -- a soul-searching breakdown of a performance where she confessed things such as, "I find it hard to say that everything is all right."

"In order to bare one's soul, one has to display their whole vulnerability, which most people will never do," Hill says. "These people who bare their souls end up being the source of ridicule."

Her reluctance to release new music since, she says, "is because a lot of the songs were transitional. The music was about how I was feeling at the time, even though I was documenting my distress as well as my bursts of joy."

No release date has yet been set for Hill's next album.

Sorry, but to me she just sounds like a black guy that just got out of prison.

Busty, be careful, insulting a black women is a double no-no in obner land.

Also, her first album is such a seminal document on the struggle of the upwardly mobile woman and minority, so I don't knwo why you hate it so much, except that you are racist.

This is a banner day. I'm really glad we're finally releasing all of that latent racism I knew we had in us.

Anybody want to call her a spade?

little mention of the lawsuits regarding who wrote most of her album though.

This is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard a human being say. You can pass info on to yer kids by being their mother easily enough - you don't have to go making crappy albums to do the job.

I've never understood the appeal of her or the Fugees...everything I ever heard was full-on hackery.

Do I really need to defend myself when it comes to this no-talent hack? And she does sound like a guy who read too many books while in prison. And I say a black guy because it's a joke that everyone knows except maybe you, THEM!

Wasn't she the one who made some very harsh comments about white people in the late 90's? If that is her, anything negative thrown at her is well deserved. No, I'm not even close to being racist.

That story is apocryphal.

There are a lot of racist people in the world who think they are not racist.

there are also a lot of self righteous and pretentious assholes who go around calling people racists and confusing it with not giving a fuck.

It is possible to insult a black person without being a racist. It is possible to call a women a bitch without being a mysoginist. It is possible to use the word fag without being anti-gay. It is possible for black people to be racists, and it is possible to hate every and all ethnic groups, including fucking honkies and not actually be a racist, just hate all people.

Why do we always have this argument whenever anyone deigns to mention race? I believe that it is the enlightened among us who wish for us to move beyond race, yet always want to label something as racist.

Not giving a fuck about what? That statement doesn't even make sense. You don't have to be Al Sharpton for a blanket dismissal of Lauryn Hill followed up by "she sounds like a black man who just got out of prison" to raise some questions of motivations. Especially when there is this lie floating around about her that she hates white people. I'm sorry, but this is not a simple matter of "bringing up race," as much as you like to try to simplify ever argument to meaninglessness so that you can win on your own terms. Not to mention the fact that anyone says "man there were a lot of rednecks at the Indy 500," you haul off. What a joke.

It means that I feel I can say anything I want about anything, and get away with it, because I know my motivations.

The reason I go buck when someone mentions rednecks is because that is the last group of people it is perfectly OK to insult, and I think that if you people are as 'open minded' as you claim, then you may want to understand that black people can be "bad" and rednecks can be "good," but I see a lot of fucking liberal mumbo jumbo white guilt around this motherfucker, and I don't like it. I think it is stupid, and I think it is unhealthy. They aren't noble savages you know

Maybe I do simplify shit Haq, but at least I speak my mind and don't run away crying like the rest of you. What you don't get, and I have tried to explain is that no topic is off limits and there are no sacred cows in my world. Everything is up for scrutiny, and dismissal or approval on its merits.

Lauryn should be blanketly dismissed because her music sucks, she is a hack, and she should go away.

No man, you're almost mind-bogglingly easy to get. What YOU don't get is that shouting someone down is not the same as winning an argument, speaking your mind is not worth a damn to anyone if you're wrong, and that it is possible to scrutinize, approve or dismiss any issue without being offensive to broad swaths of people and not giving a shit.

Interesting. I purposely used that last sentence and someone took a bite at it, rather quickly I may add.

Really? You didn't accidentally hit the "No, I'm not even close to being racist. " key?

So you're saying I win? Thanks Haq, I knew you'd see it my way.

Again, you think you know but you have no idea. And I don't think I really shout anyone down, but I do like to argue. In this case, I happen to be right, though. And oftentimes, if you are offending people, you are doing something right. I hate racism, and I encounter it almost everyday. It is an ugly fucked up problem, but trust me, amigo, hiding your head in the sand, or calling people racist because they bring up a subject does as much to perpetuate the problem as almost anything else.

I would also like to add that I still fucking hate Lauryn Hill and her awful album.

I still have your latte and your cardigan when you need it sweetie.

She sucks.

See, just because your stupid ass read some shit on the internets somewhere that makes you think that "spade" is derogatory, you think that that is my intention. Even after I explained the Keith reference and everything; See, you might just be so ignorant as to miss slang. Your fault, not mine.

And fuck L. Hill; she's a no talent ass-clown.

And that ain't got shit to do with her race; believe me there are plenty of untalented, ignorant white motherfuckers pretending that they some shit too.

This kind of logic ought to score you about an even 140 on the LSAT.



You keep saying that I'm hiding my head in the sand or running away from something and crying, but I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. It's also hilarious that you're trying to paint me as some sensitive hippie leftist - it's a serious discredit to your contention that you know "my kind" so well.

No matter how much you call Busty's post "bringing up a subject," quoting an article with a "thumbs down" and then saying someone sounds like a black man who was just released from prison is hardly thoughtful commentary. I know you think that I'm somehow trying to bury Busty's intelligent dissenting opinion here, but since you think I'm just going around calling everyone racist, let me spell things out for you.

1. It is in fact possible to mention race without being (or at least sounding) racist. Here are examples: "he/she is black; there is a large arab population in that area." Counter-examples: "who is that spade?" or "[that black woman] sounds like a black man who was just released from prison."

2. Far from being baseless, my suggestion that Busty's opinion was racially motivated or otherwise prejudiced was based on the following considerations:
a. It is common among racists (I know a fair share) to constantly make reference to the high rate of criminality among the black population
b. It is common for men who feel threatened by women to insult them by comparing them to men (vice versa for men who feel threatened by gay men)
c. It was an unnecessary and a totally invalid musical criticism to say that she sounded like a black man - she IS black and sounding like a man has not hampered many great artists (especially those who are men)
d. It is commonly believed that Lauryn Hill made a comment about her distaste for white people. Without checking to see if she in fact did make this comment, many white people (in my own experience) have taken this as license to express an otherwise inexplicable animosity toward her.

So instead of saying that I'm somehow squelching racial dialogue, why don't you tell me why my guess was wrong, and in the meantime explain why you have to do all of Busty's arguing for him.



Spade is derogatory. Find one black person who does not mind being called a spade and I'll give you a dollar. Clarifying that your use of a derogatory term was a reference to someone else's use of that derogatory term doesn't change anything.

I don't really get this statement. Why should rednecks be spared insult?

But yeah, Laurel Hill does suck and I wish she stayed away.

I thought her album was good. Overated, but good.

I do think that she now sounds like a fuckin' loon. Needs to stop smoking so much dope and get out of seclusion. That sort of thing ain't good for your perspective. A little self-obsessed would be a bit of an understatement.

Christ, she's filthy rich and has millions of fans of all races and nationalities that worship her. Sorry if we haven't elected her god yet. And, wow, she don't get alng with her ex and has some nasty remarks to say about him...that's a big shock and amazing there. I can't think of anybody who's had a less than perfect relationship.

I hope she does put out a good record, and I'll be happy to listen to it, but the interview just sounds like a load of self-pity from someone who's better off than roughly 99.9% of the world. I ain't too concerned for her. Course, if it took her over 20 years to figure out what a lie is...maybe she needs a little special help.


LooGAR...if you haven't read the Redneck Manifesto, you probably should.

Hey Haq, you can keep your guesses as to my LSAT scores in a little magic box somewhere, or in your hope chest, and we will compare them when I take it. Doesn't really matter, because people like you will always work for people like me anyway. What you miss about my comment is that I was implying that oftentimes when you crack up someone's preconceived notions, it is offensive, but having those notions altered or even just considered is oftentimes a good thing. If you don't agree you are more of a dogmatic politically correct fuckwit than I thought before.

And I paint you as a sensitive leftist hippie, because, though I am easy to read and my motivations such an open book, so are you and yours. Anytime something that is close to controversial comes up, about women, minorities or even most records, you reach in to your bag of tricks and defend the offended with lightning speed.

As to your bullet points, you make some mighty big jumps in logic assuming Busty's motivations. I see now that not only is he racist, but by sheer dint of comparing her to an uneducated felon (which if we put her comment next to Damon Wayan's character from In Living Color, I am unsure even you, Sr. Sensitivo and knower and see-er of all that is right in the world, could tell the difference) he also hates and is afraid of women. This is going to win you a lot of cases, HaqDiesel, Esq...you keep making those leaps without a shred of anything back you up. I bet the partners in whatever firm you are slaving for will love it. You also assume that Busty knew anything about the Lauryn Hill Hates Whitey Controversy, but someone else mentioned that. You have an innate ability to assign behaviors and motivations to people that, while impressive in its sheer wrongheadedness is still quite wrong.

If I were to assume a few things about your argument, as you do to Busty's I would summarize it thusly: Busty is white, he is from GA, so he hates women and minorities, especially women who are minorities.

And there is the crux of this argument, my indie-superhero friend, I think it is just as wrong of you to go arouund just calling folks racists as racism is. It is just as divisive and is exactly the sort of attitude which hampers my ability to get my job done day to day. You know fuck all about Busty and why he posted this, or his attitudes toward race, yet you just call him a racist for one offhand comment. Real open minded of you there, Bucko.

as to Chris referring to Cowboy Troy as a spade. That is A) fucking hilarious given teh context and B ) he explained why he said it.

Anyway. PM me your address and I will send along your cardigan and your copy of that PooPoo Bear record, both should get you through your harsh days up in Harvard Yard.

If the the Senator weren't black, I would swear that he was having a love affair with Haq.

Haq one question. Not specifically pertaining to Busty's comments, but do consider Eddie Murphy or any black comedian to be racist because they often make fun of whites for a host of reasons?

i really like hill's voice and i think she's very talented as a rapper and vocalist. she's a bright lyricist though subtlety has never been her gift. i hope her next record doesn't suck.

as a public personae, the interviews i've read with her always seem very dramatic and catty. i don't want to hang out with her, but i'd see her in concert any day.