S. Samuel
G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks and Nelly have shared their reaction to Grammy-winning femcee Lauryn Hill making her way back into the music industry after an 11-year hiatus.
Speaking on the rapper’s recent Rock the Bells New York City performance, Banks opened up about what Hill means for hip-hop.
“I wish I could have been there,” Banks said about her recent set which featured surprise guests Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz. “What she’s done for Hip-Hop as a whole is incredible. I’m excited to hear what her new music will sound like. I don’t think anyone has come close to Lauryn in Hip-Hop. She stands alone.” (VIBE)
Nelly believes Hill is merely just one smash hit away from regaining her spot atop the music charts.
“O man! True artists are only 1 hit away and I always say that. True artists are only 1 hit away. That being said, which artist do you know who’s truer than Lauryn Hill (giggles)? She is the blueprint when it comes to female cooperation. When I say cooperation I mean being a Hip-Hop star and an R&B star all in one. When you mix that up and you have that cooperation on both sides there is nobody bigger than Lauryn Hill. For her to have a comeback that’s easy; she’s 1 hit away from being what she was when she left.” (That Grape Juice)
Speaking with radio personality DJ Drama, rapper Nicki Minaj recently talked about her admiration to the renowned Fugees singer.
“It’s like, freaking, I want to bow down and kiss her feet,” Minaj said about the return of Lauryn Hill. “Like, I think everyone in my generation, we look at her as a freaking, and I hate to say this because it sounds kinda blasphemous, she’s almost like a godly-type of creature. It’s not human. So the fact that she’s doing stuff and performing, I think that it’s a great day and I’ve always loved her and I still love her and I always will love her, and that’s about it.” (Rap Radar)
Last June, Hill explained taking an 11-year break from the music industry.
“There were a number of different reasons (why I left),” she says in the interview. “But partly, the support system that I needed was not necessarily in place. There were things about myself, personal-growth things, that I had to go through in order to feel like it was worth it. In fact, as musicians and artists, it’s important we have an environment — and I guess when I say environment, I really mean the (music) industry, that really nurtures these gifts.” (USA Today)
Check out recent concert footage of Lauryn Hill below:
