I got to meet a legend in this – an ICON – I met Ms Lauryn Hill in Atlanta last year.
Last October was a really special time for me as it would have been my first time back in the states since being signed. I got on a plane with my team and headed straight to Los Angeles, where I would have rehearsals for my Soultrain Awards Performance, brunches and many meetings with my label. I had a busy month planned and I was so excited, partly because I knew I would also be spending my birthday abroad.
Around this time, my song āCollideā (featuring EARTHGANG) was gaining lot of attention as the release of movie āQueen and Slimā drew closer. It was the first single that dropped from the movieās soundtrack, which also included songs from heavy hitters such as Bilal, Megan Thee Stallion and Ms. Lauryn Hill. To celebrate the release of the movie, Spotify invited me to perform at their private screening in Atlanta Georgia which fell on my birthday. There were rumours that Lauryn Hill was going to perform as the surprise guest which made me so excited but I didnāt want to get my hopes up, just in case they werenāt true.
The day of the show finally came and my performance was cute. The crowd was very receptive and seemed to know the lyrics to āCollideā but I couldnāt help but wonder throughout, if she was somewhere listening to me. But after hours of waiting, mingling and eating as much finger food I wanted, she appeared on stage with a FULL band. She looked beautiful and I genuinely couldnāt control my inner fangirl. She performed songs from āThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hillā as well as her song on the soundtrack, āGuarding the Gatesā. I was mesmerised and didnāt want it to end but like all good things, it had to. When it was over, I looked at my team and they just knew how much her performance meant to me. Someone on my team had grabbed my hand and we walked up to the huge crowd of people surrounding her. We managed to skip the queue and she greeted me and asked me what my name was. I told her that I sang about an hour before her on the same stage and she told me āthatās beautiful, keep on goingā. We snapped multiple pictures, hugged and at that moment, I felt like I was set for life. I didnāt end up speaking to her for as long as I would have liked to, but our brief encounter was enough. Sheās a huge inspiration to me as an artist, I love her music so much! I posted the picture on Instagram within minutes because I couldnāt contain my excitement, I had to share it. EVERYONE HAD TO KNOW I MET L BOOGIE.
I couldnāt tell you if she actually knows who I am or even remembers that chat but I donāt care, that was the best birthday ever!
