Lauryn Hill Confirms Sony Deal in Open Letter

   

It's not often that Lauryn Hill speaks out, but between tax troubles and squatting allegations, she's got a lot on her mind this week. In her latest Tumblr post, L-Boogie announced that her deal with Sony is a label deal, and denounced rumors that she signed the contract to cover her tax debt.

"It has been reported that I signed a new record deal, and that I did this to pay taxes," she wrote. "Yes, I have recently entered into an agreement with Sony Worldwide Entertainment, to launch a new label, on which my new music will be released. And yes, I am working on new music."

Hill said the new deal is ideal, compared to situations that helped force her off the grid in the past, and it's not about the money.

"It took years for me to get out of the ‘parasitic' dynamic of my youth, and into a deal that better reflects my true contribution as an artist, and (purportedly) gives me the control necessary to create a paradigm suitable for my needs," she explained. "I have been working towards this for a long time, not just because of my current legal situation, but because I am an artist, I love to create, and I need the proper platform to do so."

Fans haven't heard a studio album from the mother of six since 1998's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. That release alone sold over 19 million copies worldwide, earned her five Grammy awards, and sealed her place in music's history as one of the most dynamic lyricist/vocalists alive. When she somewhat mysteriously left the public eye, many felt a needed voice was missing in the game. Talib Kweli even penned a whole song about it, "Ms. Hill."

Now, she says, with this "new business venture" (reportedly worth more than $1 million), she's ready and willing to talk about it all.

"Only a completely complicated set of traps, manipulations, and inequitable business arrangements could put someone who has accomplished the things that I have, financially in need of anything. I am one artist who finds value in openly discussing the dynamics within this industry that force artists to compromise or distort themselves and what they do, rather than allowing them to make the music that people need. There are volumes that could (and will) be said."