It was a family affair for Ms. Lauryn Hill on last night’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She was on hand to help Jimbo celebrate 10 years of hosting The Tonight Show with a rare late-night TV musical performance. What made this particular performance the sweetest thing was her onstage collaboration with her son YG Marley to sing a medley of their songs.
YG (whose birthname is Joshua Nesta Marley) is Hill’s third child with her former long-time partner Rohan Marley. The grandson of the legendary reggae superstar Bob Marley, YG is the latest to join the family business. He has a breakout hit with his first single “Praise Jah In The Moonlight,” which secured him a spot on the lineup at Coachella 2024. After joining his iconic mother on her The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour last year, she returned the favor and accompanied him during his rousing Coachella set.
Their appearance on The Tonight Show was just as exhilarating. Ms. Hill kicked the performance off with her classic “Ex-Factor,” and she looked rested and sounded great singing one of her signature songs. She only sang the first verse and chorus, but that was enough to trigger all the nostalgic feels. Lauryn soon made way for her son, and YG bopped onto the stage to perform his new single “Survival.” The song borrows its name from his grandfather’s 1979 album and samples from Survival cuts “Babylon System” and “Ambush In The Night.”
While YG sang, Hill hyped the audience up, but what really got everyone excited was when she jumped back on the mic to spit hot fire. She namechecked Fred Hampton, Sam Cooke, Medgar Evers, Robert Kennedy and other public figures who have been assassinated in her explosive bars that hit like bullets. She also referenced the attempted assassination of Bob Marley, which was a central plot point in the recently released biopic Bob Marley: One Love.
Ms. Hill stepped aside to give YG room to perform “Praise Jah In The Moonlight” to close out their performance. The young Marley showed out as he sang the catchy reggae track while Lauryn added some ad-libs and their backing band threw down.
A joyous Lauryn ended with a shout-out to Jimmy Fallon, congratulating him for 10 years as the host of The Tonight Show. Fallon then shared the news that The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour would return this summer before fading to black.
In case this aired past your bedtime last night, watch Ms. Lauryn Hill and YG Marley’s feel-good performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon right here.
