Dave Chappelle had something to say when Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean’s microphones were abruptly cut off during a performance of the Fugees’ “Ready or Not” at the Diaspora Calling! Festival in the United Kingdom.
Hill hosted the inaugural Diaspora Calling! Festival at the Milton Keynes National Bowl last week, with a stacked lineup featuring Erykah Badu, YG Marley, Giggs, and a headlining set from the Fugees, among others. Hosted by Dave Chappelle, the festival provided Hill and Jean an opportunity to celebrate 30 years of the Fugees’ beloved second studio album, The Score. But when the 11 pm curfew hit, the celebration was cut short, with Hill and Jean’s microphones getting cut off halfway through a performance of “Ready or Not.”
As seen in footage recorded from the side of the stage, Chappelle made it clear he wasn’t happy about the situation.
“You’re fucking up history,” Chappelle could be heard in the clip, as seen below. “You turned off the mic on Martin Luther King, n***a? Let us close the show. Who can I talk to? It’s a moment! Man, y’all fucked up. I’ll never forget this… Tell ‘em, whoever's in charge. Let us close! Who’s in charge?!”
Despite the curfew bringing an unfortunate premature end to the event, the festival still gave attendees plenty of memorable moments. Hill and Jean revisited a couple of tracks from The Score, and highlighted songs from across their respective solo catalogs. They also brought out several other performers during the set, including YG Marley and Zion Marley, as well as Erykah Badu.
“When we started, this was the mission from the beginning,” Hill said, reflecting on the event. “Sometimes you get off the path a little bit, but you have to reclaim that and get back on it. That was a big deal for us. I grew up with heroes who did that for me.”
It was the Fugees’ first time ever performing in the UK, though they were missing third member Pras Michel, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison last year.
Diaspora Calling! also pulled in some big-name attendees backstage, with Gunna, Common, Rapsody, Tiwa Savage, Little Simz, Stonebwoy, Victony, Derek Chisora, Sabrina Elba, Tolu Coker, Zeze Millz, and Foday Dumbuya among those on hand to witness the event.
