New York City — July 2025 — In a rare and deeply personal revelation, legendary singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill has shared a startling secret: she claims that the late musical genius Prince was “running from” surveillance and pressure tied to powerful industry figures, explaining why she had remained silent for years after his death.

In a candid two-hour video call with independent journalist Marcus Bennett for the YouTube channel Deep Sound Archives, Hill recounted moments she witnessed firsthand during her early-2000s collaboration with Prince — years before his untimely passing in 2016.

🎤 “He was terrified of being watched”

Hill, 49, spoke with emotional intensity about the times she spent in Paisley Park, Prince’s legendary studio compound outside Minneapolis. According to Hill:

“He told me once, ‘Lauryn, I feel someone in the hallway, even when it’s just the wind.’”

She described Prince as increasingly on edge during the last decade of his life, exhibiting behavior she interpreted as hypervigilance — fear of surveillance, secret recordings, and potential exploitation of his work.

Although Hill didn’t name specific people, she hinted that Prince was avoiding pressure from “major label execs and shadowy business consultants” who wanted control over his unreleased music, his publishing rights, and even his personal life.

🕵️ Rumors of shadowy suitors

Hill shared an anecdote from a 2003 jam session at Paisley Park:

“Halfway through the night, Prince looked at the door, stopped the band, and whispered, ‘They’re here.’ The look in his eye said everything.”

That very night, she says, two suited men arrived unannounced in a black SUV. Hill doesn’t know who they were, but:

“He hushed the room, escorted me out, and told me simply: ‘Let’s go.’ We left through a back exit. I never asked. I just followed.”

She admits that after his death, she chose to remain silent out of respect for Prince’s legacy and fear for her own privacy.

💔 Why she finally speaks up now

So why now, in 2025?

Hill explains that she’s been grappling with guilt over never having spoken up — and recent revelations about music industry exploitation convinced her that the time is right.

“Prince taught me about power — for Black artists, for artistry. He stood against anyone who tried to own him. I stayed silent because I feared betraying him. But silence, I see now, protects only those with power.”

She also cited growing awareness around predatory executive deals, such as artist-imposed blacklists and undervaluation of publishing rights. “Prince faced that all his life,” she notes.

🧩 Piecing the puzzle of Prince’s final years

Hill’s account adds nuance to long-running fan speculation about Prince’s later life: his retreat from the public eye, erratic social media statements, and refusal to tour after 2014’s Art Official Age album.

“He once told me, ‘I can’t trust my own phone.’ The panic was real,” Hill told Bennett. “He recorded some of his final albums off-grid — no internet, no cell, nothing.”

Hill shared that Prince trusted only a small inner circle of musicians and engineers, and left handwritten notes demanding “no leaks or snitching.”

💬 Public reaction

Hill’s revelations quickly captured attention on social media and music media outlets.

Hashtag #PrinceProtector began trending, praising Hill’s loyalty and decision to speak.

Music journalist Elliot Rivers tweeted: “Lauryn Hill may reshape how we understand Prince’s final years. This is a rare insider’s view.”

Others expressed caution, noting the lack of specifics: “No names, no proof. But still compelling.”

Meanwhile, streaming analytics firm TuneScope reported a 15% increase in plays of Prince’s deep-catalog discography following news of the interview.

🏛️ Industry context: Artists vs. Execs

Hill’s story enters a backdrop of wider industry tension:

High-profile disputes over rights by Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and Frank Ocean have spotlighted artist sovereignty.

In 2024, a New York court ordered refunds to fans after an exec destroyed multi-million-dollar master recordings without artist consent.

Bloomberg estimates $2 billion in withheld or contested royalties currently sit in legal limbo — much tied to behavior reminiscent of what Hill described from Prince’s cohort.

🧭 What next for Hill’s revelation?

So far, Lauryn Hill hasn’t indicated whether she’ll identify the “suited figures” or pursue legal/public action — though she did hint at preparing her memoirs for 2026. Bennett says he’s verified Hill’s presence at Paisley Park during the period in question, though he acknowledges there’s no concrete evidence beyond her testimony.

Still, many expect more artists to speak up in the wake of Hill’s courage. Among them is Solange Knowles, who hasn’t publicly commented but is believed to be in discussion with her legal team about possible lawsuits. A spokesperson for Nas said the rapper supports Hill’s decision to shed light on hidden abuses.

🧩 A story of trust, fear, and preserving legacy

Lauryn Hill’s disclosure is more than a celebrity anecdote — it speaks to a pattern of receipt, silence, fear, and legacy-keeping that Black artists have navigated for decades. It reveals the high cost of refusing to be owned, and the lengths to which artists may go to protect their work — and themselves.

“Prince didn’t want a coffin for his art,” Hill said. “He wanted it alive. He fought for that. I’m fighting for that too.”

🔚 Final thoughts

As the story unfolds, Hill’s revelations place the spotlight back on artist autonomy, industry gatekeepers, and unseen pressures that have shaped iconic creative minds. Though specifics remain unclear, her voice—a bridge between two legends—invites renewed reflection on who we allow to own art, and what artists must risk to keep their freedom.