05 August 2007
Over the Hill
Aug/08/07 08:12 |
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The following article has been taken from the bestjess.blogspot.com
Article by Jessica Lewis
Depending on where you go or whom you ask, most people want to grow old. In some neighborhoods it's a great anticipation to even live to see adulthood. Point blank, it's safe to say that no one is ever ready to die, even though they want to age. Yet, while we hold on so tightly to our own lives, we quickly lose interest in things around us that grow old. Now don't get me wrong--NOT everything is something to hold on to. Say for instance; jheri curls, windbreaker jogging suits and bellbottoms. Those can rest in peace for now...forreal. See? We're quick to ridicule the old. However, we all know when we've come across something special, something to be cherished, something that cannot be let go, no matter how much time passes. This is exactly why I don't quite understand the recent rejection of Lauryn Hill. Sure, she's changed. She looks and sounds different, but she is a gem! Why is everyone acting so over her? Of course, it's been some time since Lauryn was first brought to the mainstream spotlight with The Fugees in 1994, but she initially wowed folks in 1993's Sister Act 2 with her unique singing ability and strong stage presence. Then she totally took over the music industry when her solo album dropped in 1998. Yes, this is information that most people already know, but it must need to be revisited, because we seem to have forgotten. Ever since her 2002 release of MTV Unplugged, there has been speculation and grumblings of her falling off, losing her mind, being strung out--you name it, that was her problem. The problem really seems to lie in the audience, and the fickleness of our society. After her Unplugged performance, she was dubbed crazy for rocking a neatly tied scarf, under a tilted traditional-styled New York Yankees baseball cap, with her own natural, no-longer-locked, hair peeking through. She was ragged on because her voice was not crystal clear throughout the entire performance, even though she explained that she thought the most important aspect of her artistry was that her message got out. People could not see beyond the change, the fact that she wasn't glitzy, glammed up, dancing around the stage, and singing with the top notch voice on her recordings caused a lot of individuals to miss out on one of the most profound works she has ever done. It seems like we're repeating that same cycle this time around. Nowadays, Lauryn has been donning a style that I've seen quoted around the internet as a "bag lady look." She's usually wearing a pretty big orange-hued afro (wig, maybe), large fake eyelashes, gaudy make-up, and a trench coat or jacket of some sort, that combination alone can take away attention from a neck full of costume jewelry, also apart of the ensemble. She's rocking a style very different than we remember her, and extremely different from any other act out now, but really, that's what she's always done. She was never like anyone else, which is what made her so widely admired . Have we really been in such conformity lately within the music industry, that we've forgotten how to honor and appreciate the versatile quality in an artist? The idea that people want a 1990's Lauryn in 2007 is insane. And speaking of insanity, even if she has gone slightly crazy, she was your support when you were putting Miseducation's "Ex-Factor" on repeat because of that bad relationship, so as a fan, why wouldn't you still support her? She's older now, she's matured, and she has changed. What about you?
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