Lauryn Hill Speaks On her Tax Evasion Charge (long and deep read)

[delete]

[h2]Lauryn Hill On Tax Evasion Charge[/h2]Friday, June 08 2012 6:31 PM EST | Posted by: Amaya | Posted in: Blog, True Story



After being accused of failing to file income tax returns on more than $1.5 million, L Boogie took to her Tumblr today to address the tax evasion charge. Hope you’re ready to read.

“For the past several years, I have remained what others would consider underground. I did this in order to build a community of people, like-minded in their desire for freedom and the right to pursue their goals and lives without being manipulated and controlled by a media protected military industrial complex with a completely different agenda. Having put the lives and needs of other people before my own for multiple years, and having made hundreds of millions of dollars for certain institutions, under complex and sometimes severe circumstances, I began to require growth and more equitable treatment, but was met with resistance. I entered into my craft full of optimism (which I still possess), but immediately saw the suppressive force with which the system attempts to maintain it’s control over a given paradigm. I’ve seen people promote addiction, use sabotage, black listing, media bullying and any other coercion technique they could, to prevent artists from knowing their true value, or exercising their full power. These devices of control, no matter how well intentioned (or not), can have a devastating outcome on the lives of people, especially creative types who must grow and exist within a certain environment and according to a certain pace, in order to live and create optimally.

I kept my life relatively simple, even after huge successes, but it became increasingly obvious that certain indulgences and privileges were expected to come at the expense of my free soul, free mind, and therefore my health and integrity. So I left a more mainstream and public life, in order to wean both myself, and my family, away from a lifestyle that required distortion and compromise as a means for maintaining it. During this critical healing time, there were very few people accessible to me who had not already been seduced or affected by this machine, and therefore who could be trusted to not try and influence or coerce me back into a dynamic of compromise. Individual growth was expected to take place unnaturally, or stagnated outright, subject to marketing and politics. Addressing critical issues like pop culture cannibalism or its manipulation of the young at the expense of everything, was frowned upon and discouraged by limiting funding, or denying it outright. When one has a prolific creative output like I did/do, and is then forced to stop, the effects can be dangerous both emotionally and psychologically, both for the artist and those in need of that resource. It was critically important that I find a suitable pathway within which to exist, without being distorted or economically strong-armed.

During this period of crisis, much was said about me, both slanted and inaccurate, by those who had become dependent on my creative force, yet unwilling to fully acknowledge the importance of my contribution, nor compensate me equitably for it. This was done in an effort to smear my public image, in order to directly affect my ability to earn independently of this system. It took a long time to locate and nurture a community of people strong enough to resist the incredibly unhealthy tide, and more importantly see through it. If I had not been able to make contact with, and establish this community, my life, safety and freedom, would have been directly affected as well as the lives, safety and freedom of my family. Failure to create a non toxic, non exploitative environment was not an option.

As my potential to work, and therefore earn freely, was being threatened, I did whatever needed to be done in order to insulate my family from the climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism that I was surrounded by. This was absolutely critical while trying to find and establish a new and very necessary community of healthy people, and also heal and detoxify myself and my family while raising my young children.

There were no exotic trips, no fleet of cars, just an all out war for safety, integrity, wholeness and health, without mistreatment denial, and/or exploitation. In order to liberate myself from those who found it ok to oppose my wholeness, free speech and integral growth by inflicting different forms of punitive action against it, I used my resources to sustain our safety and survival until I was able to restore my ability to earn outside of it!

When artists experience danger and crisis under the effects of this kind of insidious manipulation, everyone easily accepts that there was something either dysfunctional or defective with the artist, rather than look at, and fully examine, the system and its means and policies of exploiting/’doing business’. Not only is this unrealistic, it is very dark in its motivation, conveniently targeting the object of their hero worship by removing any evidence that they ‘needed’ or celebrated this very same resource just years, months or moments before. Since those who believe they need a hero/celebrity outnumber the actual heroes/celebrities, people feel safe and comfortably justified in numbers, committing egregious crimes in the name of the greater social ego. Ironically diminishing their own true hero-celebrity nature in the process.

It was this schism and the hypocrisy, violence and social cannibalism it enabled, that I wanted and needed to be freed from, not from art or music, but the suppression/repression and reduction of that art and music to a bottom line alone, without regard for anything else. Over-commercialization and its resulting restrictions and limitations can be very damaging and distorting to the inherent nature of the individual. I Love making art, I Love making music, these are as natural and necessary for me almost as breathing or talking. To be denied the right to pursue it according to my ability, as well as be properly acknowledged and compensated for it, in an attempt to control, is manipulation directed at my most basic rights! These forms of expression, along with others, effectively comprise my free speech! Defending, preserving, and protecting these rights are critically important, especially in a paradigm where veiled racism, sexism, ageism, nepotism, and deliberate economic control are still blatant realities!!!

Learning from the past, insulating friends and family from the influence of external manipulation and corruption, is far more important to me than being misunderstood for a season! I did not deliberately abandon my fans, nor did I deliberately abandon any responsibilities, but I did however put my safety, health and freedom and the freedom, safety and health of my family first over all other material concerns! I also embraced my right to resist a system intentionally opposing my right to whole and integral survival.

I conveyed all of this when questioned as to why I did not file taxes during this time period. Obviously, the danger I faced was not accepted as reasonable grounds for deferring my tax payments, as authorities, who despite being told all of this, still chose to pursue action against me, as opposed to finding an alternative solution.

My intention has always been to get this situation rectified. When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes. This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family.

As this, and other areas of issue are resolved and set straight, I am able to get back to doing what I should be doing, the way it should be done. This is part of that process. To those supporters who were told that I abandoned them, that is untrue. I abandoned greed, corruption, and compromise, never you, and never the artistic gifts and abilities that sustained me.

 

[jumpman2314]

Was just about to post this...

Props to her for not giving in tho

 

[lukewarm skywalker]

I can respect this.


...

 

[superblytrife]

I always felt something was weird about Lauryn's sudden departure. Same with D'Angelo. Coincidence that their stories have a lot of similarities? I tend to believe not.

 

[airjordan jb23]

Much respect to her... Its totally understandable for someone to want to remove themselves from the industry & fame to want a personal life & have privacy for them & their family.

It was this schism and the hypocrisy, violence and social cannibalism it enabled, that I wanted and needed to be freed from, not from art or music

This is part of that process. To those supporters who were told that I abandoned them, that is untrue. I abandoned greed, corruption, and compromise, never you, and never the artistic gifts and abilities that sustained me.

 

[ps2child]

pfl

 

[goldenchild9]

Funny how everyone is saying the same thing but no one is listening.

Chappelle, Lauryn, MJ, Whitney, Nas, DMX, etc. etc.

Conspiracy theory or not, the entertainment industry seems to be an ugly place.

 

[patrick bateman]

Originally Posted by goldenchild9

Funny how everyone is saying the same thing but no one is listening.

Chappelle, Lauryn, MJ, Whitney, Nas, DMX, etc. etc.

Conspiracy theory or not, the entertainment industry seems to be an ugly place.

You could beat the "fans" to a pulp with the words from the mouths of the very same people they worship, and they still won't take heed. 

When artists experience danger and crisis under the effects of this kind of insidious manipulation, everyone easily accepts that there was something either dysfunctional or defective with the artist, rather than look at, and fully examine, the system and its means and policies of exploiting/’doing business’. Not only is this unrealistic, it is very dark in its motivation, conveniently targeting the object of their hero worship by removing any evidence that they ‘needed’ or celebrated this very same resource just years, months or moments before. Since those who believe they need a hero/celebrity outnumber the actual heroes/celebrities, people feel safe and comfortably justified in numbers, committing egregious crimes in the name of the greater social ego. Ironically diminishing their own true hero-celebrity nature in the process. 

So much truth right here.

 

[delete]

so does this explain what the music industry does to these artists? seems like they are all disposable, they would get somebody else to take their place and be in the spotlight

 

[patrick bateman]

Originally Posted by Tha Flashy One

so does this explain what the music industry does to these artists? seems like they are all disposable, they would get somebody else to take their place and be in the spotlight

This aired the night before Whitney Houston died was murdered.

 

[J A M E S]

I feel where all of this is coming from...

...but let's not discount people's own bad decisions. Money and fame can take you to a dark place, but no one makes you blow that stack, sniff that powder, or pose as a policeman and steal that car....looking at some of the celebs on that list (X, Whitney, etc.), as callous as it may sound, some of them just bought into their own hype and did it to themselves. It's odd that when people run out of money and the new album doesn't sell, all of a sudden they become some sort of sovereign revolutionary who was just a hapless victim against the predatory executives; they're manipulating us just as much as the system they decry, and it's corny.

I don't feel bad for Lauryn; we're from the same town, and there's a lot there that people don't know/see. Plus, I'm not sure what "the media protected military-industrial complex" has to do with keeping your fans waiting at shows for three hours and then giving bum performances.

These people need to get over themselves. Just my $0.02.

 

[b smooth 202]

J A M E S wrote:

---

I feel where all of this is coming from...

...but let's not discount people's own bad decisions. Money and fame can take you to a dark place, but no one makes you blow that stack, sniff that powder, or pose as a policeman and steal that car....looking at some of the celebs on that list (X, Whitney, etc.), as callous as it may sound, some of them just bought into their own hype and did it to themselves. It's odd that when people run out of money and the new album doesn't sell, all of a sudden they become some sort of sovereign revolutionary who was just a hapless victim against the predatory executives; they're manipulating us just as much as the system they decry, and it's corny.

I don't feel bad for Lauryn; we're from the same town, and there's a lot there that people don't know/see. Plus, I'm not sure what "the media protected military-industrial complex" has to do with keeping your fans waiting at shows for three hours and then giving bum performances.

These people need to get over themselves. Just my $0.02.





Your not a real person. Your opinion is null. Everything you just said is 100000% invalidated by who you are.

 

[dmv is rnb]

Maybe people will wake up now that it's more than 1 person saying it...
Cause I've been defending Lauryn for the last 10 years while everyone just calls her crazy for no reason

The industry is definitely an ugly place

 

[J A M E S]

You're not a real person who believes in personal responsibility.

*fixed*

Not trying to attack her personally at all, especially as someone who knows her family and shares mutual friends. Just giving my view, as a HUGE fan, of an artist who could/should be doing better.

After all the things she's pulled over the past few years, I'm not going to shed tears for her now that the IRS wants their hunnid racks. You do dirt, you get dirt.

via http://www.autostraddle.c...amsburg-music-hall-7158/ :

We arrived half an hour early, just to be safe. It was unnecessary, though - one hour passed, two hours passed, and Ms Hill was nowhere in sight. Into the third hour of waiting, the crowd had grown hostile, to say the least. The mood in the room only lifted momentarily when an 11-piece band took the stage and played along with the DJ, we thought this was surely a sign that Ms. Hill was about to appear. Not so.

Nothing speaks louder than an artist's relationship with their musicians, and clearly the one between Lauryn Hill and her 11-piece band is $+%#. Forced to stand in front of an increasingly restless crowd for 30 minutes, the band members exchanged awkward stares and even started texting each other on stage. After dealing the crowd's protests and beer can projectiles, Lauryn Hill's keyboard player created a paper sign that said: “We were on time.â€

 

[doublejs07]

Industry might be a crazy place, but that's still not a good enough reason (IMO) to not pay your taxes. You make money in the US, you pay Uncle Sam.

 

[dipsetgeneral]

It sounds like she's done.

 

[delete]

Originally Posted by Patrick Bateman

Originally Posted by Tha Flashy One

so does this explain what the music industry does to these artists? seems like they are all disposable, they would get somebody else to take their place and be in the spotlight

This aired the night before Whitney Houston�died was murdered.

damn Clive Davis is saying in a different tone that Jennifer Hudson is the replacement for Whitney. this is kind of disturbing.

 

[servechilled81]

good read.

 

[cj863]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Industry might be a crazy place, but that's still not a good enough reason (IMO) to not pay your taxes. You make money in the US, you pay Uncle Sam.

It's as simple as that. I'm not buying this.

 

[knowledgethefoundation]

Sounds like a bunch of excuses from a weak minded individual unable to find their niche

 

[joe cool23]

Originally Posted by CJ863

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Industry might be a crazy place, but that's still not a good enough reason (IMO) to not pay your taxes. You make money in the US, you pay Uncle Sam.

It's as simple as that. I'm not buying this.

Yep.
F U pay me.

 

[blackmagnus514]

Originally Posted by CJ863

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Industry might be a crazy place, but that's still not a good enough reason (IMO) to not pay your taxes. You make money in the US, you pay Uncle Sam.

It's as simple as that. I'm not buying this.