Lauryn Hill led a special tribute honoring the late Roberta Flack and D’Angelo at the 2026 Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
The tribute was met with widespread praise, with many saying Hill is in a unique position to honor two artists who helped shape soul, R&B and hip-hop.
After Flack’s death last February, Hill reflected on the singer’s impact in an Instagram post, writing that Flack “moved me and, through her own creative choices and standards, showed me what else was possible within the idiom of Soul.”
Hill also credited Flack’s version of Killing me gently with his song as a direct influence on her own career.
The Fugees’ 1996 reinterpretation of the song became a world hit and introduced Flack’s work to a new generation of listeners.
Flack’s icatalog has been widely sampled and referenced by hip-hop artists including Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, Lil’ Kim, Scarface and Jadakiss.
Hill’s role in the GRAMMYs tribute highlights the lasting influence of Flack and D’Angelo.
