Over the Hill

By: A Money

As the first headliner at Soulful Saturday, India Arie’s words, music, and spirit helped everyone forget about the heat in West Palm Beach, Fl this forth of July weekend. But after waiting over 2 hours for Ms. Lauryn Hill to perform, the heat began to emanate from the crowd.

Hill’s eight-piece jazz band practiced runs until DJ Irie hit the wheels, soothing the audience. Shortly after, he announced that The Roots-originally slated to follow Lauryn-were up next.

The Legendary Roots proved again that Hip Hop is still alive and able to deliver a polished, energetic, and genuine performance, keeping it fun while meeting professional standards. Talib Kweli surprised guests when he joined The Roots for a special rendition of his “Get By.”

After a very quick set-up, the rock solid upright bassist/band leader, Miles Mosley, began Lauryn’s set of remixed classics from her Grammy-winning first solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). Hitting the stage almost three hours later than scheduled, the singer was almost unrecognizable under a large Afro wig, sunglasses and sweatshirt—in the Florida heat.

Hill shouted orders to her tight band and their perceptive leader, who followed her, despite the erratic changes she made impromptu. The performance had barely reached fifteen minutes when Hill told the crowd, “They’re telling me my time is up, but I’m going to stay till they shut me down. Tell them I’m trying to do a set here.”

It was evident the Organizers’ patience had grown thin when lights and sound were cut during the first verse of “That Thing.” The performance resumed a few minutes later, with Lauryn’s mic at half volume, muffling her voice and frustrating the crowd. A disenchanted audience began to gather their things until Rev. Al Green took the stage and performed a miracle. He wooed the disgruntled concert-goers with an immaculate and technically sound hour-long performance. Green said to the crowd, “what took y’all so long, I’ve been ready since eight o’clock!”