Lauryn Hill Delivers Emotionally Charged Tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack at 2026 Grammys
On the opening night of Black History Month, Lauryn Hill made a triumphant return to the Grammy Awards stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, leading the In Memoriam tribute with a soul-stirring celebration of two legendary artists who passed away in 2025 neo-soul pioneer D'Angelo and R&B icon Roberta Flack.
A Deeply Personal Homecoming
Hill's appearance carried profound significance beyond the tribute itself. The eight-time Grammy winner last performed at the ceremony in 1999, when The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill swept five awards including Album of the Year, making her the first hip-hop artist to claim that honor. Nearly three decades later, her return to honor two artists who fundamentally shaped her artistry felt like a full-circle moment.
Dressed in a midnight-hued, voluminous Carolina Herrera gown from the brand's Spring Summer 2026 collection, Hill curated a masterclass in reverence, assembling an all-star roster including Jon Batiste, John Legend, Chaka Khan, Lucky Daye, Leon Thomas, Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Bilal, Leon Bridges, Lalah Hathaway, October London, and her Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean.
The D'Angelo Segment
Hill opened the tribute by singing alongside D'Angelo's vocals over their song "Nothing Even Matters," addressing the audience about the collaborative track from her landmark 1998 album, noting they never had the chance to perform it together onstage. From there, the segment flowed through D'Angelo's essential catalog: Lucky Daye delivered a sultry rendition of "Brown Sugar," followed by Raphael Saadiq and Anthony Hamilton on "Lady," Leon Thomas tackling "Devil's Pie," Transition with Vanguard BGVS performing "Another Life," Bilal's breathtaking take on "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," and Jon Batiste closing with "Africa."
D'Angelo died in October 2025 at the age of 51 following a private battle with pancreatic cancer, shocking the music world given his reclusive nature. His influence on neo-soul and contemporary R&B remains immeasurable despite releasing just three albums across three decades.
The Roberta Flack Celebration
The Flack portion began with Hill and Batiste on "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," transitioning to Leon Bridges and Batiste (with Alexia Jayy) performing "Compared to What." Lalah Hathaway and October London delivered "The Closer I Get to You," followed by John Legend and Chaka Khan's stirring rendition of "Where Is the Love." Hill then covered "Feel Like Makin' Love" before the moment everyone was waiting for: Hill reuniting with her Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean for Flack's "Killing Me Softly with His Song," which transitioned into the Fugees version. The crowd erupted.
Flack passed away at age 88 in February 2025 after living with ALS . The classically trained vocalist's string of early '70s hits, particularly those with Donnie Hathaway, defined an era of sophisticated soul music.
The Emotional Weight
Hill's connection to both artists ran deep. Following their deaths, she posted heartfelt tributes on social media that spoke to their profound influence on her artistry and understanding of what soul music could be. After Flack's death, Hill wrote on Instagram that Flack "was an artist, a singer-songwriter, a pianist and composer who moved me and showed me through her own creative choices and standards what else was possible within the idiom of Soul" , crediting "Killing Me Softly" as the song that catapulted the Fugees into household phenomena.
The nearly 20-minute tribute had the entire Crypto.com Arena on its feet, with social media erupting in real-time praise for Hill's curation and the performances' emotional authenticity. It served as a powerful reminder of Hill's continued cultural significance and her unmatched ability to honor her musical lineage while demonstrating exactly why she remains one of the most important artists of her generation.