Lauryn Hill surprised fans at John Legend’s Brooklyn tour stop, reuniting with him on stage 27 years after first collaborating.
Lauryn Hill reignited a decades-old musical connection when she surprised the crowd at John Legend’s Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour stop at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with a rare live appearance.
The Grammy-winning vocalist stepped onto the stage to perform her timeless tracks “Everything Is Everything” and “Doo Wop (That Thing)” while Legend accompanied her on piano, recreating the same magic that first brought them together 27 years ago.
Lauryn Hill surprises fans and joins John Legend on stage in Brooklyn, NY 🫶
[Via: TT/nas.archives] pic.twitter.com/CsLOvcYF7Y
— MuchMusic (@Much) November 5, 2025
Ms. Lauryn Hill & John Legend
Everything is Everything
Get Lifted 20th Anniversary Tour#BarclaysCenter pic.twitter.com/Op0LB0CRNS
— Turn on the radio (@Trissy003) November 5, 2025
Videos of the moment quickly spread across social media. The performance marked a rare public collaboration between the two artists, whose creative roots trace back to the late 1990s.
Hill later posted on Instagram, revealing the backstory behind their musical history.
“Twenty-seven years ago I was introduced to a young man named John, or as Tara Michel, my former schoolmate and then background vocalist referred to him, ‘Johnny,’” she recalled. “We were looking for someone to add ‘sauce’ to a then stripped down version of ‘Everything Is Everything.’ He played piano with soul, beauty, reverence and intention for the soul legacy that preceded us. John laid down the near ‘perfectly imperfect’ piano takes we needed, the rest is history.”
Hill continued, ” Not long after, John ‘Johnny’ Legend would become multi-platinum, multi-award winning recording artist, soulfully penning and crooning his own world-stirring classics.”
She added, “He invited me to join him on stage last night at the Barclay Center. This was an appearance Twenty-seven years in the making.”
Legend responded in the comments with gratitude, writing, “THANK YOU! I’ll cherish this moment forever. Much love and gratitude for your soul and your artistry and for giving Johnny Stephens a chance on Track 13!!”
The Barclays Center show was part of Legend’s tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Get Lifted, which was released in December 2004.
