Because the great Lauryn Hill goes on early (before A Tribe Called Quest at San Bernadino) and I, for one, am going there to see Hill first, second, and third.
Rolling Stone said this about Lauryn’s opening day: “Hill took the stage wearing a sheer black dress, black lace tights, black suede boots, and a red beret, then quickly launched into a frantic version of “Lost Ones,” the opening track from 1999’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Later, introducing “Zion,” a tribute to the oldest of five her children, Hill alluded to all the time she has spent out of the spotlight: “My son Zion is now 13 years old. Thirteen years … Can you believe that much time has passed?” The crowd went wild as Hill performed Fugees songs like “Fu-Gee-La” and “Ready or Not.” During a seven-minute rendition of “When It Hurts So Bad,” she made eye contact with many fans, repeating “I gave you too much, I gave you too much, I gave you too much” during the drawn-out bridge. Her voice, grittier now than in the ’90s, cracked as she attempted to falsetto on “The Ex Factor,” but her passion came through.”
In theory, I woulda love to have heard her perform Miseducation from beginning to end. In practise, as long as Hill keeps away from the terrible MTV Unplugged album, me and she? No beef.
As for the rest… Doggystyle? Rakim? Wu Tang? I’ll hang as long as I can but NO PROMISES.