Pras Says He Was ‘Both Surprised & Not Surprised’ When Lauryn Hill Announced Cancelation Of Fugees U.S. Tour: ‘My Frustration Was For The Fans’

Pras Says He Was ‘Both Surprised & Not Surprised’ When Lauryn Hill Announced Cancelation Of Fugees U.S. Tour: ‘My Frustration Was For The Fans’

Pras Michel isn’t holding back when it comes to addressing the recent Fugees tour cancellation.

In a revealing interview with Vulture, Pras Michel opened up about his frustrations with the cancellation of the American leg of the Fugees’ much-anticipated reunion tour, pointing to Lauryn Hill as the reason behind the disappointment.

Pras

He stated,

“Everyone’s frustration has been building up. My frustration was for the fans. They are paying their hard-earned money to see you … We’re going on almost three decades of our existence, individually and as a group. To have people still interested in wanting to come see you, man, you have to be grateful.”

Pras Michel expressed his surprise when Lauryn Hill, known for her chronic lateness, announced the cancellation:

“I was both surprised and not surprised. Last year, there were supposed to be 20 shows, and we did ten. They were all sold out, but ten extra shows needed to be done that she canceled. Now you put shows on sale this year, and people are like, How do we know this is not gonna be canceled? The fans are saying, ‘It’s summertime, school’s about to come, I gotta buy supplies for my kids, there’s inflation.’ There’s so much you have to coordinate in your life. To go through that process for her to turn around and say, ‘Oops, canceled’”

Lauryn Hill

Noting that Lauryn Hill should be grateful people are even attending the shows, he added,

“I’ve never seen this kind of fan reaction toward Lauryn Hill. There is a rejection — ‘We help to pay your bill. Just like we should be happy you came, you should be happy we coming.’ This dynamic is a two-way street. It’s tough love. But this is not an indictment of her and her character. All people are complaining about is lateness.”

Following the tour’s cancellation, Pras released a track titled Bar Mitzfa, where he candidly addressed his feelings toward the situation. “Don’t blame me, blame her, she made the mess,” he rapped, though he insists the song is not a diss track:

“Artistically speaking, sometimes we say things because that’s how we express ourselves. This track is me speaking my truth.”

He emphasized that despite the lyrics, his feelings toward Lauryn Hill remain unchanged, describing her as “like a little sister.”

Reflecting on whether he was hesitant to agree to the tour in the first place, Pras admitted there was some nervousness:

“We don’t even ask her if she’s gonna be on time anymore; we say, ‘How late is she going to be?’ It gets to a point that you say, is it even really all worth it?”

Despite the concerns, he acknowledged the “magic” that happens when the three of them perform together, calling it “euphoric.”

The Fugees

In the midst of these challenges, Pras is also dealing with significant legal battles. Last year, he was convicted of ten counts of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. He’s now awaiting sentencing and is seeking a resolution.

He criticized his former attorney’s choice to rely on an artificial intelligence generator for his defense, stating,

“Once I was found guilty, I had to bring in new lawyers. You’re representing someone’s life, you can’t use a computer generator that just came about, like, within months.”

As he navigates these legal troubles, Pras is still hopeful about the upcoming international leg of the Fugees tour, saying,

“I’m always going to love to perform. I feel like when we’re onstage, nothing can stop us.”

However, he also expressed concern for the fans, stating,

“I don’t want to be a part of something that’s not going to be able to reciprocate the appreciation and gratitude. If the tour in Europe can be cleared up, I want to come.”

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