Lauryn Hill Released From Prison, Debuts ‘Consumerism’
There's nothing like celebrating a release from prison than debuting a new track. To mark Lauryn Hill's departure from jail today, the singer and rapper gives fans 'Consumerism.'
Hill served three months in prison for not paying taxes on about $1.8 million that she earned between 2005 and 2007.
Although the song was written before she started her sentence, the mixing took place while she was in the pen. The song showcases Hill's spitting skills as she speeds through the lyrics over a woodwind melody and a frenetic beat. She taps into her views and feelings on society's current problems.
Hill further explains the message behind the track on Tumblr.
"Consumerism is part of some material I was trying to finish before I had to come in," she wrote. "We did our best to eek out a mix via verbal and emailed direction, thanks to the crew of surrogate ears on the other side. Letters From Exile is material written from a certain space, in a certain place. I felt the need to discuss the underlying socio-political, cultural paradigm as I saw it. I haven’t been able to watch the news too much recently, so I’m not hip on everything going on. But inspiration of this sort is a kind of news in and of itself, and often times contains an urgency that precedes what happens. I couldn’t imagine it not being relevant. Messages like these I imagine find their audience, or their audience finds them, like water seeking its level."
Listen to Lauryn Hill's 'Consumerism'