Lauryn Hill & Erykah Badu Continue to Make History!
Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu Make History After Diaspora Calling!
- Lauryn Hill's Diaspora Calling! drew more than 35,000 people in the U.K., with Dave Chappelle hosting and Erykah Badu and Wyclef Jean among the featured artists.
- Hill and Badu were photographed together for their first formal joint portrait following their Diaspora Calling! performance in Milton Keynes.
- Erykah Badu and The Alchemist will release their collaborative album August 28 and are taking the project on tour across North America, the U.K. and Europe.
Ms. Lauryn Hill brought more than 35,000 people together in the U.K. for Diaspora Calling!, creating a massive celebration of Black music, creativity and culture that stretched across generations and genres.
The festival featured an impressive lineup of influential artists, with comedian Dave Chappelle serving as host and performances from Erykah Badu, Wyclef Jean and more. The event also commemorated 30 years of The Fugees, celebrating the lasting influence of the group that helped shape hip-hop and R&B throughout the 1990s and beyond.
Diaspora Calling! extended far beyond the music. Hip-hop, R&B, reggae and Afrobeats came together alongside fashion, art and film, highlighting the many ways Black culture has influenced entertainment around the world. With tens of thousands of fans gathered for the experience, the event became a meeting point between generations of artists and audiences.
One of the weekend’s most memorable moments, however, happened after the stage lights went down.
Following their appearance together at Diaspora Calling!, Hill and Badu were formally photographed together for the first time in a historic joint portrait for Outlander Magazine. The shoot was captured around 1 a.m. on August 7, shortly after the artists’ performances.
The setting was just as unique as the moment itself. Rather than posing inside a traditional photography studio, Hill and Badu were photographed on a custom set constructed in a field in Milton Keynes, England. The shoot was photographed and creatively directed by Elliott Hensford, with creative direction by TJ Saw.
The portrait carries added significance considering the impact both women have had on music and Black culture. Hill’s work as a member of The Fugees and her landmark solo career helped reshape the relationship between hip-hop, R&B and soul. Badu, meanwhile, became one of the defining voices of the neo-soul movement, building a career known for experimentation, individuality and a sound unmistakably her own.
Despite their decades of influence and careers that have often existed within the same cultural conversations, the Outlander portrait marked the first time the two artists had been formally photographed together.
For Badu, the historic weekend also arrives as she prepares to enter another chapter musically.
Badu has teamed up with acclaimed producer The Alchemist for a new collaborative album scheduled to arrive August 28. The project comes after approximately 18 months of working together and pairs one of R&B’s most distinctive voices with a producer whose work has become a staple across generations of hip-hop.
Fans have already received a preview of what the collaboration will sound like through their new single, “Witch Doctor.” Badu and The Alchemist are also taking the project beyond the studio with a tour spanning North America, the U.K. and Europe.
Between more than 35,000 people gathering for Diaspora Calling!, the celebration of The Fugees’ three-decade legacy, Badu’s upcoming musical era and a historic portrait bringing two legendary artists together, the weekend represented much more than another festival.
It became a celebration of legacy, evolution and the continued global influence of Black music and culture.
