Photos by Andy Argyrakis

The pandemic prevented The Fugees from reuniting for the 25th anniversary of “The Score,” but holding out a couple of years meant it became that very same birthday for member Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.”

Of course, fans are used to practicing patience regarding her typical start time, let alone waiting since 1997 for a full American tour alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras, the latter of whom is currently requesting a retrial over conspiracy and campaign finance convictions.

Yet all of those issues melted away the moment Hill stepped out at a near capacity United Center around 9:30, featuring much of the neo-soul meets R&B and hip-hop masterpiece on shuffle, accompanied by numerous social and racial justice-themed quotes on the screen.

Granted, it’s the deeply personal and thought-provoking singer/songwriter’s sole solo album, but considering it redefined the entire course of culture upon its release and went on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album ever by a female rapper, it will forever hold a monumental place in history.

But rather than simply firing up the jukebox, “The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill” was very much a living, breathing and brilliant example of what can happen under the spontaneous interpretation of a massive band, string section, horns, background singers, and most importantly, the soulful passion of the primary performer, despite having recently postponed for required vocal rest.

In that regard, Hill came across similar to Prince, who always ensured no two performances were exactly the same, as she spent the next hour-plus uplifting and empowering thanks to “Everything Is Everything,” “When It Hurts So Bad,” “Final Hour,” and of course, “Doo Wop (That Thing).”


Forgoing an intermission, The Fugees immediately followed with a joyful set of free-flowing flashbacks, which nonetheless still felt ahead of the curve and thankfully found the trio of titans on the same page.

As “Vocab,” “How Many Mics,” “Killing Me Softly” and “Ready Or Not” came in rapid succession, it was evident just much the group redirected the entire course of alternative hip-hop and rap, and while they have often been imitated, there’s no chance of ever being duplicated to this innovative extent.

In other words, what The Fugees lacked in recorded quantity beyond “The Score” and “Blunted On Reality” beforehand, they made up for in terms of consistently exceptional quality, which may have taken the United Center into the wee hours, but wound up being well worth the wait.

For additional information on Ms. Lauryn Hill and The Fugees, visit MsLaurynHill.com and TheFugees.com.

For a list of upcoming Live Nation concerts, visit LiveNation.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the United Center include Queen + Adam Lambert (Oct. 30-31); Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Ricky Martin (Nov. 1-2); Depeche Mode (Nov. 13); Rod Wave (Nov. 22); Mariah Carey (Dec. 03); Doja Cat (Dec. 13); Travis Scott (Dec. 15); Juice WRLD Day (Dec. 16); Madonna (Feb. 1-2); Playboi Carti (Feb. 12); Zach Bryan (Mar. 5-7); Olivia Rodrigo (Mar. 19-20) Dan + Shay (Mar. 22); Bad Bunny (Mar. 28-30); Tim McGraw (May 31); Tyler Childers (Jun. 13) and Windy City Smokeout (Jul 11-14). For additional details, visit UnitedCenter.com.

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