| bad, real bad: *walks to exit* |

Here's footage of ex-Fugee (and long-ballyhooed hip-hop recluse) Lauryn Hill showing up 4 hours late to a gig in Brooklyn. Upon being booed by the impatient crowd, she reacted by scolding them like she was their Mama. By the end of the short clip, there are two lines that remains festering in my head:

"I personally know I'm worth the wait."

Few, if any, people walking this planet should ever be able to utter those words and get away with it. Yeah sure, it's disrespectful of the fans to boo. But did they ever stop to think about why people boo? Maybe it's because by throwing down $100 for a pair of tickets, you have purchased the right to see the featured artist perform at the time shown on the face of the tickets. Any experienced concert-goer will tell you that if you have to wait more than 1 hour (after doors) to see the opening act, that's pretty bunk. If you have to wait more than 2 1/2 hours to see the headliner, they really must not have their shit together. So in the case of Lauryn Hill's Brooklyn gig shown above, a 4-hour wait is totally worthy of boos.

Side story: I recently went to see J.Cole at Fortune Sound Club. Doors @ 8PM, the opener didn't hit the stage until 11-something, and Cole didn't come out until just past 12:30AM. And no, it's not because he was late or held up at the border... his tour bus was outside the club well before people even started to line up for the show at about 7pm. Yeah, mindlessly waiting around for someone to show up is incredibly frustrating. This is especially true when the club is over capacity, and people are drunk, sweaty, and tired. Worst 4+ hours of my life.

That said, I fully support any and all people at the Lauryn Hill show who booed or made an attempt to show her that this kind of shit doesn't fly. It's truly disappointing how little of a shit she gave that people had to stand around and wait for hours on end. Like how is she going to hit the stage and front like her time is more precious than everyone else's, like she's doing everyone a favour merely by showing up? The crazy part is they're there just to see if she can still put on a good show. No one even knows is she's still got it (whatever "it" is that she's supposed to have).

"You get what you get."

Dear Lauryn: what they got was TICKETS to your damn show! They showed up on time, so should you! No one said it's easy getting a tour up and running, but how is calling your fans ignorant going to make things better? We probably don't know what it takes to set up a concert, but evidently neither do you.What you get is two clenched fists pointed in your direction with my thumbs pointing downwards. I hate it when people ego-trip like they don't need or want your money. If no one buys tickets to your shows, you don't have a job anymore, Lauryn Hill. You understand me?

I don't care who you are: if you're going to address the lateness, just apologize and sing a damn song.  Either that, or just don't address it but put on a great show.

I'm all for real talk, but exposed in this clip is a once-great entertainer believing her own hype well before she's earned back the right. In a "What have you done for me lately?" world of celebrity, this definitely knocks her down a few pegs in my books. Disappointing...