Lauryn Hill was honored Sunday evening (June 28) on the 2026 BET Awards because the inaugural recipient of the Residing Legend Icon Award.
In line with BET, the Residing Legend Icon Award celebrates “the pioneers who mastered their craft and by no means let go of the tradition.” Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Technique, known as Hill the very definition of a residing legend, whereas additional explaining why she’ll be the award’s first honoree. “Throughout each period, she has by no means chased the second; she has formed it,” Orlando stated. “Her artistry redefined what was doable in our music and gave a technology permission to be fearless, religious and free. Her affect is woven into the material of the tradition, and it’s a profound honor to have fun her legacy on Tradition’s Greatest Night time.”
The New Jersey singer, rapper and actress first made a reputation for herself on the silver display enjoying the cussed however proficient scholar Rita Louise Watson in 1993’s Sister Act 2: Again within the Behavior. She then bolstered herself as one-third of the legendary Fugees alongside Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel in 1994 when the group dropped their debut album Blunted on Actuality. Nonetheless, it wasn’t till 1996’s The Rating and Ms. Hill’s rendition of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Track” that she actually catapulted to superstardom. She then upped the ante two years later along with her seminal debut solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill that without end modified what a hip-hop album may sound like.
Her tribute began off with Ice Dice setting the desk as he broke down her profession, which was then adopted by her bandmate Wyclef narrating their time with the Fugees. As for the medley, The Conflict and Treaty began issues off with a callback to Sister Act 2 as they carried out “Joyful, Joyful,” initially carried out by the fictional St. Francis Choir within the film; Doechii and SZA lined “Prepared or Not”; Tems and Tierra Whack did “Fu-Gee-La”; Lauryn’s daughter Selah Marley carried out the title monitor from her mom’s solo challenge; Doja Cat got here out for “Famous person”; Nas did their traditional collab “If I Dominated the World” with Doja; Hill’s son YG Marley carried out “Flip Your Lights Down Low”; Lizzo introduced Tierra out once more to assist her carry out “Doo Wap (That Factor)”; her different music Zion Marley did a rendition of a music that’s named after him; Alexia Jayy blew the gang away along with her cowl of “Killing Me Softly”; and Queen Latifah and Frequent ended the tribute with “Misplaced Ones.”
Hill then shocked the gang and viewers by performing “Ex-Issue” earlier than accepting her award.
Throughout her speech, she defined why she’s so outspoken and inspired artists to do the identical earlier than she congratulated her youngsters on their many accomplishments.
“I do that as a result of I really like y’all,” the singer started. “I do that as a result of I need you to have all the things that I skilled, proper? I had fantastic dad and mom who beloved on me, poured into me, and guarded me. And as soon as I noticed that not everyone acquired to have that have, I felt prefer it was my responsibility, my accountability to share as a lot love, and to pour into as a lot individuals as I probably may. And music was a approach for me to try this. But additionally, I had at all times cared in regards to the expression and the illustration of the dignity of our individuals. So, you already know, we put ourselves at instances as artists, we put ourselves in locations and in conditions the place we have now to say issues that aren’t at all times snug. However we perceive that folks will perceive later.”
She added: “I combat for y’all. All people might not find out about it, however I combat for y’all. And combating for y’all is me combating for myself, it’s me combating for my youngsters, it’s me combating for my dad and mom, it’s me combating for my grandparents, it’s me combating for my group. I’ve a want to make music in addition to I can, or to speak with individuals in addition to I can as a result of I wan’t individuals to know that’s what we do. I need individuals to know what we will do.”
Lastly, Lauryn ended the present with an emotional efficiency of “Every thing Is Every thing” because the credit started to roll.
You possibly can watch her acceptance speech beneath.
