Recording artist Lauryn Hill has made a lot headlines recently, primarily due a string of legal and financially difficulties. Music fans in southern Florida may be encouraged to hear that Hill, who has remained out of the limelight for several years, signed a new recording contract that will hopefully alleviate many of her struggles.
Hill has had no shortage of success as a musician. In fact, she has sold over 50 million units of music in her career. However, she reports that she saw very little of the profits from those sales because of a past contract that heavily favored her former record label.
Reports indicate that Hill owes the federal government more than $1.6 million in back taxes, which is something that could land her in jail. The musician notes that the only reason she is in this predicament is due to a long line of “inequitable business arrangements.” A fairer contract will help avoid such an imbalance in the future.
In addition to granting Hill adequate compensation, the recently formed record deal — on a new label — will also allow her to create new music. This is something her fans have been looking forward to for quite some time.
When making a public statement, Hill also noted that it took her “years” to get out of her earlier record deal, which is a reminder of how important it is to make sure all the terms of a contract are fair. Without sound guidance in the contract negotiation process, entertainers may not be adequately compensated for their contributions. This is something that may ring especially true for emerging artists who do not have years of experience working through recording deals.
Source: Toronto Sun, “Lauryn Hill addresses financial issues and confirms new record deal,” April 26, 2013