Robert Glasper Accuses Lauryn Hill Of Stealing Music, Mistreating Band
Robert Glasper went in on Lauryn Hill in a recent interview on The Madd Hatta Morning Show in Houston, as XXL points out. The musician and producer accused Hill of mistreating her band members and claimed that she effectively stole the music on her landmark 1998 debut album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, profiting off other musician’s ideas and work.
Glasper was asked about managing big personalities as a producer, and he called out Hill by name and said that during rehearsals for a show in 2008, Hill threatened to cut the band’s payment in half. He went on to say that Hill had “stolen all of my friends music.” And continued: “Miseducation was made by great musicians and producers that I know, personally. You got a big hand off of music that you didn’t even write.”
“She took the credit for making the classic album,” he went on to say. “Those songs were written by other people, and they did not get their credit. She likes to take credit so she can become this super person. If you’re a super person and you’re that talented … do it!”
Shortly after Miseducation was made, a group of musicians that Hill dubbed as New Ark sued Hill, saying that they were not properly credited for their work. The suit was settled out of court in 2001 for a reported $5 million.
Glasper also said that, at one point, Hill couldn’t tune her guitar and asked one of her band members to do it for her. He also compared his experience with her to other experiences he’s had with Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Herbie Hancock. “Lauryn Hill should be able to be cool,” he said. “You haven’t done enough to be the way you are. You just have not. The one thing you did that was great, you didn’t do.”
Hill is currently in the middle of a 20th anniversary tour for Miseducation.
Here’s the video of Glasper’s interview: