Not only did Ms. Lauryn Hill actually show up at her Columbia High School reunion in Maplewood, New Jersey earlier this month, but she also surprised her former classmates by delivering an impromptu performance.
Videos that have surfaced on social media show Hill running through some of her signature songs, like “Ex-Factor,” “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and “Lost Ones” from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and the Fugees smash “Ready or Not.” On the latter track, she changed the lyrics to shout out her former stomping grounds: “CHS taking over/ Buffalo soldier, dreadlock Rasta.”
Watch footage from Hill’s surprise performance below.
Raised in South Orange, New Jersey, Hill graduated from Columbia High School in 1993. She formed Fugees and landed her breakthrough roles in As the World Turns and Sister Act 2 while still attending CHS.
Hill made the unexpected appearance shortly after she canceled the US leg of her co-headlining tour with Fugees and put out a statement blaming poor ticket sales caused by media “sensationalism.” Fugees co-founder Pras pushed back on the narrative and followed up with a diss track claiming, “She made the mess.”
For now at least, the European leg of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour” is still scheduled to begin in Dublin on October 7th. Get tickets here.
@donnastewartshe My high school is better than yours. The CHS/ MLK club had an amazing reunion #chsmlkreunion weekend!!
@c.c.b112 My 30 Year HS Reunion turned into a full Lauryn Hill concert!! AH-MAZING! We has a TIME🙌🏾🙌🏾🥰🥰 #laurynhill #columbia #30years #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp
@donnastewartshe #laurynhill #highschoolreunion This was epic! Impromptu concert!!
@donnastewartshe #laurynhill we were blessed with a mini impromptu concert and it was lit!! My high school is the truth! #columbiahighschool #mlkclub #chsmlk
@c.c.b112 Ready or Not!! We were NOT READY! A reunion to REMEMBER❤️❤️🔥🔥! #laurynhill #columbia #30years #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp