Fresh off the release of their debut single “Crash Your Party,” YouTube sensation Karmin shared which hip-hop artists have inspired them. “As far as rappers go, first is going to be Lauryn Hill,” Amy told MTV Buzzworthy. “Hearing her Miseducation album basically changed my life and got me into rapping. And then more recently I would have to say Missy Elliott, Eve, and Nicki Minaj.”

The hip-pop duo, whose debut album is due next year on Epic Records, also expressed their desire to work with another one of their inspirations. “I think the one I’m looking forward to the most would probably be Kanye West,” revealed Amy. “I think he kinda inspired us to even start doing this hip-hop thing more aggressively, his [My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy] album really inspired us.”

Nick chimed in with his list of favorite rappers. “Of course the Jay-Zs, the Drakes, the Lil Waynes,” he added, while eyeing a collaboration with Busta Rhymes and Nicki Minaj.

Karmin has racked up millions of views on YouTube with their covers of Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem, but don’t expect to see them take on a Whitney Houston song anytime soon. “Have you ever seen a really good Whitney Houston cover?” asked Amy. “I don’t know if I have.”

It was a family affair as the normally private Lauryn Hill brought five of her six kids onstage with her at the Rock the Bells Festival on Governors Island in New York on Saturday (Sept. 3). The children, ranging in age from three to 14, joined their mother as she closed the hip-hop fest, performing her classic album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in its entirety.

She also surprised the crowd by reuniting with her fellow Fugee Pras for the first time in years. “Just got off the stage with Miss Lauryn Hill we rock the stage on rock the bells, clef where you at?” tweeted Pras.

Ms. Hill wasn’t the only mom on the bill. Erykah Badu rocked the mic with material from her debut Baduizm and was photographed backstage with her young son. The day-long festivities also included sets from Nas, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The RZA, and others.

Lauryn Hill reminisces on her 1998 Grammy-winning solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in a rare interview for the film series “Classic Albums by Classic Artists” presented by Reebok Classics and Rock the Bells.

“I was excited about taking this music that I thought was beautiful—old school, doo-wop music, cats used to harmonize—just taking that and making something contemporary that my generation could get excited about,” explained the former Fugees member, who is headlining the Rock the Bells Festival.

“I acted as sort of a bridge between an older generation and younger generation and how to put those styles together,” she continued. “I think Miseducation was really what that was all about, being a bridge between generations that could very well have drifted off in separate directions. I made a piece of music from a sincere place. I think that sincerity has no choice but to resonate with people.”

Lauryn Hill was back in action at the 8th annual Rock the Bells Festival at San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, Calif., yesterday. The former Fugees member, who gave birth to her sixth child less than a month ago, closed out the day-long event by performing her Grammy-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in its entirety.

Nas brought out L.A. Laker Ron Artest during his Illmatic cut “Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park)” before performing “Ghetto Dreams” with Common for the first time live, and Erykah Badu delivered her debut Baduizm in a top hat.

Other performers included the dynamic duo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli and Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. But the highlight of the evening came when Ms. Hill and Nas reunited onstage to perform their classic hit “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That).”

Only a week after giving birth to her sixth child, a boy named Marley, Lauryn Hill returned to the stage looking better than ever. The former Fugees member traded in her oversized maternity clothes for something a little sexier. During her set at the L.A. Rising Festival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Ms. Hill showed some skin in a white bra and floral-print skirt with matching blue coat. She strutted to the stage in a pair of white cutout high-heeled boots baring her legs. That’s one hot mama!

Lauryn Hill gave birth to her sixth child, a son called “Baby Boy Marley,” over the weekend. There were various reports questioning the father’s identity. The former Fugees member took to Twitter to address the speculation and defend her right to privacy.

Rohan Marley, the father of Hill’s five previous children, was rumored to have left the singer during her pregnancy for Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana. While some believed he was the father of the sixth child, his tweet suggested otherwise. “I’m forwarding all well wishes to Ms. Hill on the birth of her new son,” he tweeted. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate the love being sent to her RASTAFARI R.M.”

Ms. Hill blasted back at the reports. “Contrary to the numerous reports, Mr. Marley did not abandon me while pregnant with his child,” she wrote. “We have had long periods of separation over the years, but our 5 children together remain a joy to both of us.”

Read her full letter below.

Lauryn Hill has added another member to her growing family. The former Fugee gave birth to a baby boy over the weekend.

Hill, 36, welcomed a son on Saturday (July 23). The father was not immediately identified. She has five previous children with Bob Marley’s son Rohan Marley.

According to Blackcelebkids.com, who first reported the news, the Grammy-winning singer “had a little scare because the baby came out the womb with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.” But mother and child are doing fine. “All is well now and everyone is happy,” adds the source.

Marley congratulated Hill on the birth of her son. “I’m forwarding all well wishes to Ms. Hill on the birth of her new son,” he tweeted. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate the love being sent to her RASTAFARI R.M.”

Hill first hinted at her pregnancy at one of her recent concerts. “I keep having these children. I don’t know if I’m the most fertile woman in America,” she joked during a Los Angeles gig.

She wrote an open letter to her fans last month where she addressed her pregnancy and apologized for being late to her shows. She is scheduled to perform at the Rock the Bells Festival next month.

When Ms. Lauryn Hill stopped by “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” to cover some Bob Marley tunes last month, she also performed her own single “Doo Wop (That Thing).” The remainder of her performance aired on last night’s show. The pregnant singer, who will play her entire Miseducation album on the Rock the Bells Festival later this summer, thrilled the crowd with a lively version of her Grammy-winning hit. Boogie down with L. Boogie.

[MWP]

Lauryn Hill has remained coy about her pregnancy, but the reclusive superstar took a moment to address her private life in a letter to her fans. The former Fugees frontwoman is expecting her sixth child later this year. Rumors of her pregnancy spread after she wore baggy clothes to cover her baby bump at many of her concerts, hinting at her growing family during a recent L.A. show.

In a message posted via Twitter, Ms. Hill apologized for being tardy to her gigs, attributing it to the pregnancy. “The majority of these dates were planned in advance of me knowing about the continued growth of my family (wink, wink),” she wrote.

She went on to thank fans for their support and expressed her eagerness to return to the stage. “Let’s do it real soon,” she added. Read her full letter below.

Lauryn Hill’s “Moving Target” concert series rolled through the Motor City for a stop at Detroit’s Chene Park on Saturday (June 4). Ms. Hill, who previously hinted that she was pregnant with her sixth child, took the stage in baggy clothing, high-heeled boots, and a Yankees cap, smiling for photos backstage.

Her intimate shows have been inspiring her to create new music. “If I have something to say and I really mean something, that’s when it’s time to put something out. And it’s getting close to that time, don’t you think? As my Jamaican brethren say, soon come,” she told her L.A. fans in April.

In addition to the Fugees frontwoman, Mos Def rocked the red mic in anticipation of the Rock the Bells Festival, kicking off in August.