Reports surfaced hours before showtime on Monday evening (Feb. 15), that famed artist, Lauryn Hill, was scheduled to join The Weeknd for his performance at the Grammy Awards. Although nothing was confirmed, a few of Ms. Hill’s bandmates posted photos to Instagram, alluding to the notion that they were on their way to the annual showcase.
But The Weeknd, who raked in two gramophones for his Beauty Behind The Madness album, took center stage solo, prompting the “Ex-Factor” singer’s management to issue a response on the missed appearance.
In a statement published by Billboard, a rep for Hill said they unfortunately had to cancel the surprise collaboration due to a lack of adequate time to prepare. “The Grammy’s announced a performance by Ms. Lauryn Hill prematurely and without approval. Ms. Hill had concerts all weekend, leaving no time to prepare, and was uncertain she would even be able to make it to LA in time to rehearse for the event,” the statement reads. “Any performance that could have happened was never confirmed, and should not have been advertised as such. Ms. Hill was invited to do a collaboration with an artist she appreciates. The performance was intended to be a surprise and unfortunately due to its last minute nature, was unable to come to fruition.”
Although Hill wasn’t listed on the bill of performers for the 58th annual program, other artists who left their mark on stage included Adele, Tori Kelly, Justin Bieber, and the highlight of everyone’s night, Kendrick Lamar who took home five gramophones.
vibe.com
