Dave Chappelle and Lauryn Hill are two of the most popular figures of the early 2000s, both black performers of immense and impressive talent, and maybe the very best artists in their fields. That’s a big “maybe” with so much talent in the world, but there can be no argument that Chappelle and Hill rank among the best at what they do.
Despite the consensus on their talent, neither Dave Chappelle nor Lauryn Hill has made much of an impact on the popular scene for years. Both have recently re-emerged briefly to do shows. The synchronicity of their returns underlines the similarities in the stories of these two former superstars.
Talent
Both Dave Chappelle and Lauryn Hill are multi-talented individuals. Chappelle is a brilliant stand-up comedian and comedic writer, as evidenced by his stand-up specials and his Comedy Central television show. You might remember that Chappelle also wrote and starred in a movie about love and marijuana called “Half Baked.” He showed he can act too.
Lauryn Hill’s talents also go beyond her singing voice. Hill came on the scene as a rapper with The Fugees in the 90s before going solo at the end of the decade. The follow-up to her super-hit album (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill) showed her playing acoustic guitar on an unplugged performance. She can play guitar too.
Excessive (?) Fame
It is entirely possible that both Dave Chappelle and Lauryn Hill got too famous. In Chappelle’s case, the comedian has given a number of interviews about his fame and how it got to him, got old for him, and ultimately led him to take a break from show business.
Audience behavior reputedly soured Chappelle and can certainly be seen as symptoms of his fame and notoriety. People would repeat slogans from his television show and quote him in inappropriate settings as well, as Chappelle discussed in his last stand-up special. His performance (read: his job) was compromised by his fame, so he quit for a while, walking away from a $50 million contract with Comedy Central.
Lauryn Hill’s situation may have been different as she became a mother soon after her fame peaked in the early 2000s. There is an argument to be made that she just didn’t have time to be in the spotlight, but that doesn’t seem to tell the whole story. A recent post on her website expresses the value Ms. Hill places on privacy regarding her personal life and hints at some complexities in that personal life.
Under the Radar
Since leaving Chappelle’s Show, Dave Chappelle has made one film and appeared on Inside the Actors’ Studio but has largely remained quiet until performing in 2011 at a charity event.
Lauryn Hill has recently been on a small tour with Nas, Rock the Bells, performing the entire Miseducation album at each show. At least in the United States, Lauryn Hill has not released new music or toured or performed in a high profile way in a long, long time. Her current tour featured only three shows. But those three shows are enough to generate some hope.
Many would like to think that both Dave Chappelle and Lauryn Hill are preparing full-fledged “comebacks.” There is not enough to go on either way at this point. These stars may have outgrown the joy of the spotlight and in doing so lost the patience needed to deal with the challenges that come with fame.
It’s hard to blame them for that, but thousands of people would be happy to see both back in form and on stage again.
More from this Contributor:
“Dave Chappelle – the man who said no thank you to super-fame”
Sources:
Dave Chappelle’s Reaction to Audience Behavior
LaurynHill.com