LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� It's Sunday night, backstage ahead of the second Los Angeles show of It will be a few hours yet before Hill opens the concert with a solo set of 鈥淭he Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,鈥� 25 years after its release. The seats in the arena are slowly starting to fill.
Prakazrel 鈥淧ras鈥� Michel, a founding member of the Fugees, is sitting in his dressing room at the Kia Forum, watching the Tonight is a celebration 鈥� of his landmark group, of all of the generations who have loved their music 鈥� and of his freedom, however much remains.
In April, the rapper accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, after a trial in Washington, D.C., federal court that saw
鈥淪ome of the lyrics, this art, is imitating my life right now,鈥� he reflects on Fugees' legacy and this tour, taking place 27 years after the release of the Grammy-award winning 鈥淭he Score,鈥� his rap trio's second, final, and culture-shaping album. 鈥淓specially when I talk about feds and this and that.鈥�
The 鈥淢s. Lauryn Hill & Fugees: Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour鈥� has dates scheduled through mid-December. Michel, who faces up to 20 years in prison on the top counts, doesn't have a sentencing date yet. But, he says, he was never concerned about being able to do the tour.
鈥淚 trust the process,鈥� Michel explains. He has a new attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, and is optimistic.
Last month, in a motion for a new trial that, among other errors, his previous defense attorney used an 鈥渆xperimental鈥� generative AI program to help write closing statements. In the closings, the attorney appeared to confuse key elements of the case and misattributed lyrics 鈥� 鈥淓very single day, every time I pray, I will be missing you鈥� 鈥� to the Fugees instead of Diddy, according to the motion for a new trial.
鈥淥bviously there鈥檚 been a little bit of progress, so we鈥檒l see what happens,鈥� Michel says.
Despite that run-in with artificial intelligence, though, he hasn't soured on the concept: The world needs to recognize the technology is in 鈥渋ts infancy stage,鈥� Michel says, and there's a long way to go. 鈥淚t's the future.鈥�
Outside his dressing room, the narrow hallways of the famed Inglewood venue are full of excited spectators made up of friends, family, fans 鈥� including an ecstatic Tiffany Haddish. Wyclef Jean鈥檚 room quickly becomes the center of the party, with Drake鈥檚 鈥淪tarted from the Bottom鈥� playing over a loudspeaker as he shows off his performing fit.
Far too often, reunions feel like cheap plays at nostalgia 鈥� not so much a celebration of the great work that came a couple decades prior, but an attempt at capitalizing on collective memory. There is no such sentiment here. When Jean, the third member of the Fugees, thinks about the way these performances affect him, it鈥檚 a homecoming 鈥� and the result of many years of hard work.
鈥淚f you ever created a band like in high school the first year of college, that鈥檚 what it feels like. So, like , for example. It鈥檚 almost like you rehearse all your life through high school so you never have to rehearse again,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd tonight is monumental, because the arena we鈥檙e playing here, this is (where) the early Lakers (played). And so that鈥檚 how I always explain the Fugees. You know, I said, it鈥檚 like Showtime Lakers.鈥�
The Fugees' message is prescient, too 鈥� Michel points out a song like 鈥淢ask,鈥� and its resonance with members of a younger generation who have gone through the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥淚t's almost like we prophesized a lot of things,鈥� he says.
So how does a group know when they've got some magic? That a reunion tour is truly special? Jean compares it to a mountain 鈥� people don't see the 鈥渃ombustions鈥� that formed it over years 鈥� only 鈥渢he end result, which is beautiful," he says.
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 sort of like how music is made," Jean says. "So, when you make music that鈥檚 vulnerable, whether it is Stevie Wonder, , the Fugees, Nas' 鈥業llmatic,鈥� 50 Cent's 鈥楪et Rich or Die Tryin鈥�,鈥� it鈥檚 going to always last forever."
Close to 10 p.m., Hill emerges. She is awarded a plaque for 鈥淭he Miseducation of Lauryn Hill鈥� receiving diamond RIAA status; quotes from bell hooks appear on the screen behind her. In the first of many surprises, Nas appears on stage to perform 鈥淚f I Ruled the World (Imagine That).鈥�
Hill is joined by Jean and Michel, and it is as if no time had passed. Then Cypress Hill's B-Real comes out, as does for 鈥淩eady or Not鈥� and 鈥淎 Milli.鈥�
Afterward, fans pour out into the night. Nearby, rapper Travis Scott's show is wrapping up at SoFi Stadium. The two audiences weave into one in the street; here are the past, present, and future of hip-hop, intertwined.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
