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