Photo by Irma Mchedlishvili
Lauryn Hill, who was supposed to play Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 8, 2023.
The Bay area was supposed to enjoy a visit from Miss Lauryn Hill next month, but the Fugee celebrating the 25th anniversary of her landmark album has changed plans.
Citing vocal strain over the last month, the 48-year-old songwriter, singer and rapper announced a postponement of a tour with the Fugees that was supposed to stop at Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Dec. 8.
“I’d like to start this off by saying how much I’ve enjoyed being on the road, and how much I appreciate all of the fans who have come out to celebrate this incredible milestone anniversary and history making reunion with us,” she wrote.
“I fought through the last couple shows, pushing my voice, and masking the injury with medication. This isn’t safe or sustainable,” Hill added, saying that she’s been taking prescribed prednisone to power through gigs. “In order to prevent any long term negative affect 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.”
Hill said the shows would be rescheduled for early 2024 and that she anticipates adding new dates and overseas stops to the tour. “We’re working on the new calendar now, and announcing soon,” Hill wrote.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to a rep for Amalie Arena for details on the Dec. 8 postponement and will update this post with any details
Tampa Bay is no stranger to Hill having to change plans, however. The eight-time Grammy award-winner was supposed to play St. Petersburg’s Al Lang Field in 2018, but canceled the show. Before that, Hill visited the Bay area in 2016 and 2011.
See Lauryn Hill’s full statement below.
I’d like to start this off by saying how much I’ve enjoyed being on the road, and how much I appreciate all of the fans who have come out to celebrate this incredible milestone anniversary and history making reunion with us. Being able to tour this album to sold out crowds after 25 years has been an emotional experience! I’ve loved sharing the stage again with Wyclef and Pras. The Return of the Fugees has been powerful and amazing—those who’ve witnessed it can testify. The tour itself reminds us the artists, and the audiences alike of earlier, perhaps less complicated times when ‘It could all be so simple…’ or ‘Ready Or Not, here I come!’ were on repeat on the airwaves. Simply put, classic. Classic music, classic performances with audiences who love those classics has been nothing but…wait for it…EPIC. (I almost said classic again! 🙀)
As many of you may know, I’ve been battling serious vocal strain for the past month. 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 affect 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.
For this reason we have to reschedule most of the remaining shows this year. The shows that were cancelled this year will be rescheduled for early 2024 AND because of the overwhelming response, we’ll be adding new cities to the tour, including overseas.
We’re working on the new calendar now, and announcing soon.
The show in PHILLY this weekend IS STILL HAPPENING. We already had to move this show once and being so close to New Jersey, it’s basically hometown for us—so we’ll close out the year with one final show amongst friends and family!
We want to thank everyone who celebrated with us—EVERY👏🏾SINGLE👏🏾 FAN👏🏾 …and ALL band, crew, production, staff, family, friends and Day 1-OG-CAMP members who helped make each and every single night LEGENDARY!
We’re ALL looking forward to getting back out again next year to finish this EPIC (now extended anniversary) celebration of these CLASSICS. 🙀❤️🔥
Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel
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