The heart of last night’s Grammy awards came courtesy of none other than Miss Lauryn Hill. Lainey put it to me best when we were texting last night: Ms Hill served as a kind of mistress of ceremony as she and many other artists she welcomed to the stage all honoured her friend D’Angelo, and her hero Roberta Flack. It was a once in a lifetime performance and one of the most incredible tributes I have seen on an awards show, ever, and I do not say this lightly.

Ms Hill opens the D’Angelo tribute with their classic duet “Nothing Even Matters”, a song that she points out they never got the chance to perform together. One of my favourites off her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, “Nothing Even Matters” is a staple for all neo-soul lovers, and the apex of what the genre is at heart. It’s also worth noting that this is Ms Hill’s first performance at the Grammys since 1999 when she won for that very album. When D’s vocals come in and the camera pans over the piano that is empty as a symbol for his absence, my heart just broke with chills. A hard realization of his passing at such a young age – he had so much more to give us, and she is making sure he is being given that chance.

Lauryn takes her role as MC seriously as she welcomes the likes of Lucky Daye, Raphael Saadiq, Leon Thomas, Anthony Hamilton, and Bilal to the stage for their respective performances of some of D’Angelo’s greatest hits. It’s Bilal’s soaring rendition of “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” that shakes the crowd. Not many people can attempt to replicate those iconic belts in the final choruses of the song, but leave it to Bilal to deliver just that. One of the most powerful parts of D’Angelo’s legacy is how he encouraged men to be in touch with their emotions, especially in a time when that wasn’t the message. All of the artists who stepped on that stage are products of his genius – and that includes the ones who were his peers at the time of his musical dominance.

The music only got richer as Lauryn then proceeded to perform “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to honour one of her heroes, Roberta Flack. This time she invites the likes of Leon Bridges, Lalah Hathaway, John Legend and Chaka Kahn onto the stage who perform their renditions of Roberta’s classics before Lauryn serenades the crowd with “Feel Like Makin’ Love” – a Roberta song that was covered by D’Angelo and is often associated with him. The perfect bridge between both legendary artists we lost this year. As if that wasn’t enough greatness for one medley, we get the true centrepiece and the moment we all were waiting for with the   arrival of Wyclef Jean and The Fugees rendition of “Killing Me Softly with His Song”.

To say that the crowd came alive when Lauryn performed those famous runs is an understatement. The joyous arrangement had the entire crowd bumping and felt like a celebration rather than just a tribute, just like D and Roberta would’ve wished for. Everyone out of their seats, people filming themselves singing along, or just completely taking in the greatness that was happening before their very eyes. I was having my own party in my living room in what could only be compared to the literal definition of being “taken to church”. And if you’ve seen Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit, you know that no one takes you to church like Miss Lauryn Hill.

Lauryn Hill performs with Wyclef Jean and Bilal at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards

Photo credits: John Salangsang/Shutterstock

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