Drake brought Lauryn Hill on stage at Wireless Festival in London for a rare live duet just days after her delayed Essence Fest performance.
Drake stunned the Wireless Festival crowd in London on Friday (July 11) by bringing out Lauryn Hill for a rare joint performance that sent the audience into a frenzy.
Hill took the stage to deliver her iconic 1998 track, “Ex-Factor,” which seamlessly transitioned into a live version of Drake’s chart-topping hit, “Nice For What”—a song that samples her original.
Lauryn Hill’s transition Ex-Factor into Nice For What is one of the most incredible things i’ve ever seen live this was an absolutely INSANE moment to see live in the flesh pic.twitter.com/B7pVyGvDUQ
— PenguinRisk (@PenguinRiskYt) July 11, 2025
The surprise appearance came just days after Hill’s controversial late-night set at the Essence Festival, where she didn’t begin performing until after 2:30 A.M. due to event-wide delays.
That performance reignited long-standing conversations about her history of tardiness, but at Wireless, she arrived on time and delivered.
Online reactions were swift and sharp, with many pointing to Drake’s influence.
Not Lauryn Hill showing up on time for Drake pic.twitter.com/qqvz0lTj2i
— K_TheBeauty (@k_thebeauty) July 11, 2025
One user wrote, “Drake the only person to get Lauryn Hill on time to a stage. I’m not arguing with ya’ll no more.”
Another added, “Drake got Lauryn Hill to perform on time. I’m glad he’s finally flexing his star power YOU DUSTY B#### N##### BEEN PLAYING WITH HIS NAME FOR TOO LONG!!!”
Drake the only person to get Lauryn Hill on time to a stage. I’m not arguing with ya’ll no more.
— TT (@IFakeKnow) July 11, 2025
Drake got Lauryn Hill to perform on time. I’m glad he’s finally flexing his star power YOU DUSTY B#### N##### BEEN PLAYING WITH HIS NAME FOR TOO LONG!!!
— 🇺🇸 619 SANTA 🎅🏿 (@FlageyGod) July 11, 2025
Lauryn Hill went to London to preform … with .. *checks notes* someone that isn’t hip hop, a cracker, and a culture vulture… did I get that right? pic.twitter.com/XzrGAX0WE1
— dmcb (@dmcb__) July 11, 2025
Other artists who joined Drake during his headlining set included Giveon, Bryson Tiller, Mario and Bobby Valentino, but Hill’s appearance stole the show.
Hill’s Essence Festival set on Saturday (July 6) had drawn criticism after she hit the stage nearly two hours late at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Organizers later clarified that the delay wasn’t her fault, writing on social media that they “take full responsibility for the delay.”
Hill later addressed the backlash directly, saying, “There seems to be a misconception that I’m lounging somewhere on the Riviera with a drink in hand, showing up to concerts at my leisure because I’m too important to care… nonsense… and anyone involved in these productions knows that the opposite is actually true.”
She added that her performances are a “labor of love and immense passion” and emphasized her commitment as a mother, grandmother and community leader.
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