Lauryn Hill has shared her support for a California bill to limit the power of record labels over artists.
Yesterday (April 14), Hill made a plea to members of the California State Assembly’s Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media to support the ‘FAIR Act’, which is also known as Assembly Bill 2926 (via Billboard).
The bill, which was introduced by Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) in February, would prevent record labels from suing artists who want to leave their record contracts prematurely.
“No institution should be allowed the opportunity to control the market by controlling the output of a creative being for some ridiculous, indefinite period of time,” Hill wrote on Instagram, tagging several members of the committee.
“This is not only unjust, it’s dangerous, and at its core a violation of the principles of free expression. Artists’ expressions ARE their voices, and an extension of their free speech and should not be contained, caught-up or controlled beyond a reasonable amount of time by an institution with the money and power to obstruct and deny someone’s output indefinitely.”
“Artists can easily fall prey to the internal politics of business, someone inside simply not liking them, or bullying and intimidation and the attacks that come when someone resists that coercion,” Hill added.
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“Music is a most powerful medium. Often people want to influence the influencers and will stop at nothing less than treachery to accomplish their goal. Greed often perverts the creative intentions of young dreamers who don’t realize they’re up against a system with a history of using and crushing people who don’t comply with their agenda.”
You can see the full post above.
The support from Hill comes ahead of a vote by the Arts Committee on the legislation, which is due to take place on April 19.
It has already passed through the Assembly’s Labor & Employment Committee vote. If the bill passes through the Arts Committee, the next step would be to hear the bill at an Appropriations Committee hearing.
Only once it passes through all three committees can it go to the assembly floor for a vote, and then eventually the Senate.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Fugees announced the cancellation of their long-awaited reunion tour.
The influential hip-hop group – composed of Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel – announced in September last year that they would reunite for a 2021 world tour celebrating 25 years of their classic 1996 album ‘The Score’.
However, this was later cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.