Despite an intriguingly small catalog. Lauryn Hill is one of the most successful musicians of all time. Given this success, when she plead guilty to tax evasion last year many fans were confused. How could someone that successful owe money to anybody?

Following in the footsteps of Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill decided to release an open letter via her Tumblr addressing the situation and alluding to her plans for the future. The letter is a bit opaque, but Ms. Hill raises some good points, namely the fact that she signed her record deal when she was young.

Adding to that, we should also remember that her deal was penned in the 90’s. If you have been paying even slight attention to rappers’ lyrics over the past 15 years, you know that record deals, especially early record deals, are notoriously exploitative. That doesn’t forgive Hill if she actually did any wrongdoing, but it does put things into a broader context, so let’s withhold judgment for now. The real day of judgment is May 6.

In the meantime, let’s hope her new contract with Sony Worldwide Entertainment is better and that her future music is financially and artistically beneficial for both her and her audience. Word? Word.

Read the full letter here.

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