Grammy-winning and adored songstress Lauryn Hill took to the ONE Musicfest stage to perform the most beloved tracks from her 1998 groundbreaking album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
During her performance of “To Zion” on Saturday night (Oct. 8), her eldest son—the muse to Hill’s 1998 musical letter—surprised her on stage. In a video captured by an attendee, fans can be heard expressing their emotions as Zion Marley, 25, joined his mother on stage, greeting her with the biggest hug.
“You surprised me,” Hill said with laughter before asking Zion to bring out her two grandchildren.
“This is my grandson Zephaniah. This is my granddaughter Azaria. This is my son, Zion,” she said as she introduced her family before fans roared in applause.
She then highlighted Zion’s shirt that read, “The Most High over everything.” In approval of his t-shirt choice, she said, “Yes, Zion.” The 47-year-old then made a lite joke about her children making her a “very young grandma.” The touching moment can be seen at the 9 minutes and 12 seconds mark of the Instagram video below.
At the time of recording “To Zion,” Hill was pregnant. As she topped the charts with her thought-provoking singles, having a new baby was a topic of discussion for many.
The monumental track was about her deciding to have her son with Rohan Marley, while many discouraged her from doing so at that time in her career. The song became a standout on the album and was deemed a personal testimony relatable to many women.
Later in Ms. Hill’s ONE Musicfest performance, her other three children, John Nesta, Micah, and Sarah, joined her on stage as well. Selah and Joshua did not make an appearance.
Check out Lauryn Hill’s ONE Music Festival performance above and revisit “To Zion” below.