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Viqi_french
Newbie Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 50
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 11:46 am: | 
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I noticed in another thread a photo of Lauryn Hill, whom I'd been wondering about a few months ago. I wound up Googling her name and found this excellent article by Toure, which Rolling Stone ran a few years back.
Thought I'd dig-up the article for those who never read this startling piece... It may explain that '?' photo of Lauryn that was posted here.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5940100/the_mystery_of_lauryn_hill/
Stay strong,
Viqi
http://southsidestar.blogspot.com |
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 3668
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 11:54 am: |
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And this, folks is what happened to a woman who had a SUCCESSFUL career.
Everybody thinks showbiz folks live the life of Riley.
Imagine being afraid to go out because people will see you not looking your best, or that they'll take a photo of you looking like a bum.
Imagine all kinds of people coming up to you touching you and talking to you when you are having one of those days--they have them just like we do.
Don't even bother to post "That goes with the territory"--getting shot in the balls goes with the territory of being a combat soldier but they still scream when it happens.
These people are unnaturally in the public eye--and they are often more sensitive than the average person by being artists and it don't help.
She is not psycho crazy but being Lauryn Hill has made her neurotic as hell--she has plenty of company. |
Viqi_french
Regular Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 52
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 12:14 pm: |
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Isn't that the saddest story? Being so beautiful, yet feeling so extremely scrutinized about your appearance that you go to wack extremes to hide away.
I will say that Lauryn's motivation to "show Wyclef" is absolute proof of 'The Secret,' focus, visualization or whatever you want to call it. She showed him alright. But I guess you have to be careful what you ask for...
I hope the sister one day gets angry and hurt enough by someone again to 'spit' the way The Universe has called upon her to. |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4516
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 12:18 pm: |
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Thank you Chris.
I didn't even read it yet, refused to, I got the feeling that the shit was going to piss me off. If so, thx for softening the blow for when I do decide to read it.
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Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4517
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 12:25 pm: |
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And I like Toure a lot...
...But if he mess with my girl Lauryn he's gonna need his balls off.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7340
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 12:34 pm: |
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IMO. Certain people who chose show business as a career are people whose brains are wired in such a way that the same reason they are driven to pursue success, is the same reason so many of them can't handle it. Movie director Alfred Hitchcock once said that all actors/performers are children. They all say how they thrive on the applause and approval of an audience and the love they feel from their fans, yet at the same time they start having doubts as to whether they are worthy of the adulation they receive. So a lot of the people who go into show business are already neurotic and this makes them more prone toward being tempermental. The ones who do manage to cope with the pitfalls of fame and fortune are usually the ones who went into show biz for the love of their craft not for the love of themselves. You never lose your talent but you can lose your self. It's all about having a healthy ego. |
Viqi_french
Regular Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 53
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 12:43 pm: |
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Tonya,
Toure's article won't piss you off; it may make you a little sad, though. And it will definitely make you think about the high price of fame.
Toure just wrote the story as told to him by people who are/were insiders in Lauryn's life. And all those quoted seemed to have love and deep understanding for what she's going through.
If you're a Lauryn fan, you should read it. It may make you remember her in your prayers, that's all. |
Viqi_french
Regular Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 54
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 12:48 pm: |
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Cynique,
Excellent statement you made: "You never lose your talent, but you can lose your self." So true.
Clearly, this is what happened to Lauryn Hill and many others who are not famous. Life's ups and downs and strange contours can knock the shyt out of anyone if you don't very carefully nurture your spirit and sense of self. |
Brownbeauty123
Veteran Poster
Username: Brownbeauty123
Post Number: 1764
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 01:29 pm: |
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I heard that Lauryn falsely took all the credit for the writing and producing on her first solo album. I'm not sure if she was sued for it or not |
Viqi_french
Regular Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 56
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 01:43 pm: |
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Brownbeauty re: law suit...
The article I posted at the top discusses this. It says she eventually stopped fighting it and went ahead and settled with the 4 guys for about $5 million. Ouch! |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4519
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 05:58 pm: |
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Viqi, it didn't make me feel sad at all. It was an intimate view of a genius who lives an everyday life no different than everyday people. Some may think she's crazy and headed for self destruction; they're mistaken, that there is a genius. And she hasn’t been damaged by her experiences AT ALL that’s nonsense too. She seems more passionate, ready and determined than she's ever been in her career BECAUSE of all she experienced. Which makes her a genius hell-bent on a mission, I’m anticipating her next CD. I believe this part: she's gonna bring it.
(She reminds me of KB, btw.) |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8447
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 17, 2007 - 11:35 pm: |
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Hill CHOSE to become an entertainer. Nobody forced her to. Hell. She pursued both singing AND acting careers when she was still a kid.
And there was PLENTY of information available to her concerning what can and often does happen to the rich and famous. Hell. The bio of MOST famous entertainers read like the scripts of Freddy Krueger movies.
Either Hill should have known what she was getting herself into or she willingly turned a blind eye to it.
So when I consider the above and all the MILLIONS she's earned, it's difficult for me to empathize with all of Lauryn's self-righteous consternation and handwringing.
In Lauryn Hill, I largely see a talented yet profoundly ungrateful, self-deluded person. |
Viqi_french
Regular Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 57
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 03:09 am: |
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Tonya, the only thing is, sometimes genius carries a penchant for self-sabotaging behavior.
Uninspired, some people get writer's block to the point of skill debilitation. Some are obsessive perfectionists, so can't let things go or follow-through. others procrastinate to avoid their insecurities. Either way, one could wind up tinkering with a project forever.
I don't know any more than anyone else about how deep this goes for Lauryn. But I do trust Toure's reporting, and there seems to be a greater dose of complexity than recommended.
This reminds me of how Anita Baker described the pain that caused her long absence from the scene -- but worse in some ways. (Aligning with a questionable religious character?)
I hope to hear another magical Lauryn album, too, and hope she surprises us soon. Have to say I wouldn't put money on it, though. |
Viqi_french
Regular Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 58
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 12:44 pm: |
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LOL @ Abm! "...self-righteous consternation and hand-wringing."
Also for the holla at 'Freddy Krueger.' |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3528
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 02:00 pm: |
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Has anything relevant happened with Lauryn since October 2003??? |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7360
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 02:19 pm: |
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I don't know, but Lauren's appeal has always escaped me. Her self-absorbed lyrics were OK but her singing was mediocre at best and I've always been distracted by her lips. There are full, luscious, curvacious lips and then there are bloated, bizarre-looking ones like hers. And, yea, I been takin swigs from that bottle of hater-ade that is always being passed around. Meooooow. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3530
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 02:25 pm: |
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We don't hate. We criticize. Because we're perfect and because we can  |
Brownbeauty123
Veteran Poster
Username: Brownbeauty123
Post Number: 1770
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 02:36 pm: |
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Lauryn always had beautiful full lips. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7364
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 02:47 pm: |
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I disagree. To me, her top lip looks swollen like she's been stung by an angry bumble bee. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3535
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 02:53 pm: |
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I never got the appeal of Lauryn either. Or India or Tracy Chapman. All I know is that they were all on Oprah and were shoved down our throats. I like regular people that sing about regular things - such as Anita Baker, Sade, the Pattis, etc. I guess I'm old school or old fashioned or just plain old.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 7366
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 03:02 pm: |
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I'm old school, too. Spare me the guitar strummers who narrate songs in a monotone. |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4520
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 05:30 pm: |
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Viqi, I trust Toure's reporting, too, especially this one. Because I doubt he would risk his credibility over some bullshit lies on someone like Lauryn Hill; I mean, she's no Anna Nichole. So I'm not questioning whether he's telling the truth, or if the people he quoted were being truthful. It's their perception of what they know that I believe is all wrong. Look. I'm only a fan of Lauryn's image. (I think she possesses a healthy image for young Black girls.) As a musician, actress and superstar I know little about her. I only own one of her CD's, her first solo. I never read her bio, watched a special on her, or read anything about her other than this article. But after reading this article, it is plain to see that this young lady is a genius--not just an artist--a genius on the level of John Coltrane and Nina Simone. This is apparent by the way she THINKS. The people around her are looking at her actions and they're wrong. This CD will, imo, eventually come out. It will be worth the wait. And it's going to take her career to a level it's never been at before. Now. Do I know how or where she'll ultimately end up? No. After all, look what happened to Simone. |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4522
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 06:37 pm: |
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Mzuri,
"We don't hate. We criticize. Because we're perfect and because we can."
YOU. I don't care.
You're down there with the likes of Lil -Z, imo
Don't kid yourself. |
Lil_ze
Veteran Poster
Username: Lil_ze
Post Number: 767
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 06:43 pm: |
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tonya, what color panties do you have on?
did you have you "time of the month" yet?
is you tampon inserted right now?
are your toes painted?
do you douche?
come on tell me tonya! |
Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4523
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 18, 2007 - 06:44 pm: |
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Brownbeauty123,
"Lauryn always had beautiful full lips."
Yep. Just like many of us--some on this very thread, only hers are precisely as you described. |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 8462
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 19, 2007 - 10:41 am: |
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Tonya,
Lauryn Hill's got a lot more WORK to do before she can be favorably compared with John Coltrane and Nina Simone.
A LOT MORE... |
Viqi_french
Regular Poster
Username: Viqi_french
Post Number: 60
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 19, 2007 - 11:07 am: |
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Well said, Tonya. Lauryn's outlook was transformational and empowering for many young women, on so many levels. In terms of career ambition while keeping it real; emotionally; romantically; and politically.
But I have to defer to Abm about the Nina Simone / John Coltrane reference. Both were prolific and fairly consistent; both recorded numerous albums. I hope that Lauryn can do this, too. But she's got a couple more platters to go before she can sit on the same throne as those legends.
There's a lot to be said for putting out more than 1.5 solo albums, when you have artists like Stevie Wonder, etc. who've probably lost count.
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Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 3566
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 - 06:57 pm: |
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Here's something more current:
http://www.urb.com/online/features/144_lauryn_hill.php |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 1845
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 04:12 am: |
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"There are full, luscious, curvacious lips and then there are bloated, bizarre-looking ones like hers. And, yea, I been takin swigs from that bottle of hater-ade that is always being passed around. Meooooow."
Oh God!! Help me!!! I can't stop laughing! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Dang Cynique, you are hatin' hard on the sister girl! And ...her top lip looks swollen like she's been stung by an angry bumble bee? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Look Cynique, the woman is just flaunting her Negro genetics. No harm in that. Don't be so hard on her. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
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Tonya
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 4535
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 23, 2007 - 12:23 pm: |
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Thanks Viqi_french 
But I never compared her work to theirs, not once did I say she’s done what they have. Like them she has an outstanding ability--which we’ll see-- which is what I thought I said.
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