Fugees cancel 25th anniversary tour

Having already delayed the live dates as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fugees have announced the cancellation of their 25th anniversary tour. 

The rap group — comprising Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel — had originally planned on celebrating the quarter century anniversary of their landmark debut album, ‘The Score’, with performances across the US, Europe, and Africa in November and December 2021. These were then rescheduled, pushing shows into 2022 in the hope of avoiding falling foul of the coronavirus crisis. 

With infection and hospitalisation rates in the States and continental Europe still worryingly high, the band have now confirmed all planned gigs will be pulled, accepting that “it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work.”

The statement was shared on social media, along with thanks for those who managed to attend the one concert that did go ahead, on a Manhattan, New York City rooftop in September last year. 

“We anticipate and understand disappointment but our anniversary tour will not be able to happen. The continued Covid pandemic has made touring conditions difficult, and we want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe,” the post read. 

“We’re grateful for the special night we did get to share with some of you in New York, with that rare live moment. If opportunity, public safety, and scheduling allow, we hope to be able to revisit this again sometime soon. THANK YOU for all your love and support throughout the years,” it continued.

Had the dates gone ahead, it would have been the first time the trio took to the stage together in over a decade. After their second disbandment in the mid-2000s, it looked unlikely they would ever reunite thanks to the rather public disagreement between Hill and Jean, as exemplified in the former’s track, ‘Lost Ones’, and the latter’s jarringly open books. 

Last year, Lauryn Hill became the first female MC to receive diamond music sales certification. Her solo album, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, has now sold over 10million copies in the US alone.