Ms. Lauryn Hill and Essence set the record straight about her performance at Essence Fest 2025

Lauryn Hill performed in the wee hours at the Caesars Superdome during the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture. 

When Ms. Lauryn Hill finally hit the stage to close out the first night of the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture’s evening concert series, it had already reached the wee hours of the morning. However, despite the initial misconception, the late start was beyond her control.

On Monday, July 7, two days after her Saturday, July 5, performance—originally slated to begin at 12:30 a.m. local time at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans but didn’t start until 2:30 a.m.—ESSENCE took the responsibility. 

“Family is family and around here we protect our own no matter what the PEOPLE have to say,” they began in the caption of a post on Instagram that included footage from her show. 

“Let’s be very clear— WE don’t play about Ms. Lauryn Hill. Not for clicks. Not for headlines. She arrived on schedule, stepped on that stage, and delivered the kind of performance only a legend can,” it continued. “The delay? Not hers. We will take that. The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched. Put some respect on her name.”

On Tuesday, the 50-year-old musician released a statement of her own on social media, further clearing the air and thanking ESSENCE for taking the responsibility.

In screenshots of her statement, the “Ex-Factor” performer began: “Family, let me address a few things: I am involved in every aspect of what it takes to put on my shows, because it requires THAT much involvement to protect the integrity of my message and the quality of what I do.”

She continued, “And for this reason: I rehearse and arrange the music diligently with my band. I am involved in every aspect of design, preparation and production of my shows while also being a parent, grandparent and steward to my immediate family and community.”

She added, “while some get to focus on a single discipline or category, my role requires that I have eyes everywhere and contribute to most if not every department and more.”

She said, regardless, she carries out her artistry “without complaint because it is truly labor of love,” adding, “[It is] a great passion for me to be able to perform meaningful music for my audience.”

Both ESSENCE’s statement and Ms. Hill’s arrived after scrutiny into what may have caused the delay reached a fever pitch. A narrative had formed from headlines erroneously claiming she’d been the cause of the late start to chatter online from fans. 

Friday night’s concert series ran late. It happens, as fans of the “Doo Wop (That Thing)” singer have come to understand. In her statement, she even addressed how, for some, she may have developed a reputation stemming from multiple late starts.

“There seems to be a misconception out there that I am somewhere on the Riviera with my feet up, drink in hand, showing up to concerts whenever because I’m too important to care,” the singer wrote, adding, “That’s nonsense… and anyone who’s been a part of these productions knows that IN FACT the opposite is true. Those of us who are still out here grinding to present an alternative to the divisive, to the shallow, to the controlled, and to the intentionally limiting narrative of our representation do what it takes to do so. We are here, pushing through the resistance.”

The “Everything is Everything” singer added, “This is not the first time production delays have delayed my performances. This IS however the first time a promoter has acknowledged the slip up on their end, (thank you Essence!) and this will be the last time l’ll allow production challenges to look like the fault is mine alone, when they aren’t.”

Hill concluded her post by imploring the media to “fact check, and watch what you irresponsibly put out there— there are consequences for misrepresenting the facts. Despite the late start, I appreciate those who stayed and rocked with us.”

The 2025 Essence Festival of Culture took place from Friday, July 4, through Sunday, July 6, in New Orleans with daytime programming at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and an evening concert series at the Caesars Superdome.