Fugees’ Pras accuses bandmate Lauryn Hill of fraud in 2024 tour cancelation

MANHATTAN (CN) ­— Rapper Pras sued his Fugees bandmate Lauryn Hill in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday afternoon, accusing the "Ready or Not" singer of fraud and breach of contract over a recently canceled U.S. tour for the reunited 1990s hip-hop group.

Pras, whose real name is Prakazrel Michél, claims Hill mismanaged Fugees’ 2023 reunion tour and that a 2024 celebrating her award-winning solo album was a “devious attempt to make a big score for herself.”

Represented by New York City attorney Robert Meloni, Pras said in the complaint that Hill demonstrated “narcissistic tendencies” and unilaterally decided to take a total of 60% of tour advances and tour net profits for herself (40% plus her 20% share), leaving Michél and third Fugee Wyclef Jean with only 20% each.

Pras further accused Hill of attempting to “usurp control” over the Fugees by taking over the group’s business and trademark, and unilaterally rejecting a $5 million offer for the Fugees to perform at the 2024 Coachella festival.

“Upon information and belief, the reason was her ego was bruised since the group No Doubt would be receiving top billing over The Fugees. Hill never told Michél about the offer or that she had rejected it,” Pras said in the complaint. “Michél only learned about it when it was too late, after Hill, in an astonishing display of hubris, asked Michél if he would agree to perform a few Fugees songs for free as the opening act for her son, ‘YG’ Marley, who was slated to perform at the same Coachella festival.”

The civil lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York federal court, includes claims of fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and refusing to permit an audit. Pras seeks unspecified damages.

Ms. Lauryn Hill issued a statement Tuesday afternoon responding to the suit, refuting the lawsuit as “baseless” and “full of false claims and unwarranted attacks.”

“It notably omits that he was advanced overpayment for the last tour and has failed to repay substantial loans extended by myself as an act of goodwill,” she wrote.

“I’ve been silent and pushing through because I understood that Pras was under duress because of his legal battles and that this was perhaps affecting his judgment, state of mind, and character,” she wrote, referring to Pras' recent legal woes, including his conviction on ten counts in April 2023 after standing trial for funneling money from a fugitive Malaysian financer through straw donors to Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.

The Department of Justice accused Pras of conspiring with Low Taek Jho, usually known as Jho Low. The fugitive financier is accused of masterminding a money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered billions from the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB.

Hill added that she covered “most of the tour expenses” along with the advance sent to Pras.

“Pras has not paid back the money he was advanced, and is currently in breach of this agreement,” Hill wrote. “Because my tour, band, production, and set up were already happening, the Fugees set utilized this same production. I absorbed most of the expenses myself, produced the show, put together the entire set (with Wyclef’s participation for the Fugees and Wyclef’s set).”

"Despite his attacks, I am still compassionate and hope things work out for him," Hill added in her statement.

The tour was set to begin on Friday in Tampa, with a show at Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 17 followed by dates in New York and the group's native New Jersey. Other cities that scheduled for now-canceled shows include Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston and Milwaukee — eighteen U.S. dates in all.

$2 from each ticket sold were to go to the Hill’s foundation to benefit a list of local and worldwide organizations' initiatives for mental health, women’s wellness, community small business development and education.

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