Fugees Hopeline: Lauryn Hill’s Collages & Global Art Call

Pick Up the Phone: Ms Lauryn Hill Wants to Hear Your Hope

Some icons give you a song. Ms Lauryn Hill is giving us a phone line. And darling, I’ve already dialled.

This month, Ms Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean launched Fugees Hopeline with London public art platform CIRCA. It’s a global sound artwork, a living archive of hope, and a collector’s moment all in one. Three original collages by Ms Hill are also on sale as signed limited-edition prints.

It all lands as the Fugees celebrate 30 years of The Score. I lived through the Bill Cunningham era of street style. Few things have felt this personal, or this collectable.

What Is Fugees Hopeline?

Fugees Hopeline is an interactive sonic artwork. You call a number, listen, then leave your own message about hope.

• The number: +1 (424) 7-FUGEES (7-384337)
• In the US: dial it directly.
• Everywhere else: call the same number free on WhatsApp.
• Your guide: Selah Marley, Ms Hill’s daughter, narrates the experience.
• The treat: personal messages from Ms Hill and Wyclef, plus a first listen to a new Fugees medley.

Every call adds to a growing global audio archive. Together, the voices form a sound portrait of life in 2026.

The idea nods to John Giorno’s 1968 Dial-A-Poem. It’s an art-world reference, reimagined for the WhatsApp generation.

In their joint statement, Ms Hill and Wyclef say hope means something different to everyone. Their dream is a space where people share wisdom and stories. I can’t think of anything we need more right now.

Look Up, London: Hopeline on Piccadilly Lights

If you’re in the West End this November, look up. The Hopeline number is glowing on London’s Piccadilly Lights. It’s also showing on StandardVision’s Marriott L.A. Live screen in downtown Los Angeles, and in other cities worldwide.

CIRCA has done this before with Ms Hill. In August, she curated Lauren Halsey’s Diaspora Calling! commission on the same screens. Ms Hill and Wyclef surprised fans with an a cappella “Ready or Not” at the unveiling.

Killing Me Softly, Collecting Me Seriously: The Collages

Now for the part my collector’s heart has been waiting for. Ms Hill has created three original collage artworksexclusively for CIRCA.

They layer photography, typography and archival imagery from three decades of the Fugees. The photographs come from B+, Angela Thomas, Ricardo de Rozario, Hideo and Jonathan Mannion. Think music, fashion and contemporary art, stitched together by the woman who lived it.

Edition	Size	Signed by
Hand-signed	A2	Ms Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean (by hand)
Stamp-signed	A4	Stamp signature

Originals are sold only at circa.art/fugees.

My editor’s tip: the A2 hand-signed set is the collector’s piece. Only 500 of each design exist, signed by both artists. The A4 set is a beautiful gift, but its edition size isn’t fixed until orders close.

From Phone Line to Art Basel Miami Beach

Selected Hopeline recordings are planned for Faena Forum, Miami Beach, on 4–5 December 2026, during Art Basel Miami Beach. Ms Hill is curating the exhibition with Saint Citizen.

So your voice could travel from a WhatsApp call to one of art’s biggest weeks. That’s public art with real reach.

The Score at 30: The Tour

The Hopeline launched alongside the Fugees’ US shows celebrating 30 years of The Score. They opened at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre on 4 November. Then came Las Vegas (6 Nov), the Hollywood Bowl (8 Nov) and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena (10 Nov). More dates are still to be announced at fugees.com.

The Score sold more than 22 million copies and won two Grammys. “Killing Me Softly”, “Ready or Not” and “Fu-Gee-La” still sound like now.

 

Why Is Ms Lauryn Hill an Icon?

Ms Hill is that rare artist who shaped music, fashion and culture at once.

• The music: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) won five Grammys, including Album of the Year. It was the first hip-hop album to take that prize.
• 2026 alone: she led a Grammys tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. She was a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee. In June, she became the first recipient of BET’s Living Legend Icon Award.
• The fashion: she reunited with Wyclef for CR Fashion Book Issue 28, shot by Gabriel Moses. She appeared with Erykah Badu on Citizen Issue 005 and in LOVE Issue 27, shot by Ryan McGinley.
• The culture: her Diaspora Calling! festival brought more than 35,000 people to Milton Keynes this summer.

She never chased trends. She set them, then stepped back on her own terms. To me, that’s the definition of an icon. Why Black Women Artists Matter at Art Basel

Art Basel Miami Beach sets the tone for the collecting year. Who gets shown there shapes whose work gains value and visibility.

For too long, Black women have shaped culture without owning the gallery wall. A curated show by Ms Hill puts a Black woman in charge of the story. She chooses the voices, the images and the framing.

That matters for collectors too. Work by Black women artists deserves a place in serious collections, not a footnote. Fugees Hopeline lets everyone take part, from the first-time buyer to the seasoned collector.

Style Cartel Verdict

THE WOW FACTOR: a phone number on Piccadilly Lights, a new Fugees medley and Ms Hill’s own art. Iconic.

THE ENGAGEMENT FACTOR: you don’t just watch this art. You call it, speak to it and become part of it.

THE VIBE: nineties nostalgia meets 2026 hope. Soulful, warm and quietly radical.

THE EXPERIENCE READINESS: easy and global. Free on WhatsApp outside the US, with no app to download.

THE ON-BRAND FACTOR: pure Ms Hill. Music, faith in people, fashion and family, with Selah’s voice leading you in.

THE BRAND EVOLUTION: the Fugees move from the stage to the gallery. The 30th anniversary becomes a cultural archive, not just a tour.

THE PRESENTATION: museum-grade. CIRCA, Piccadilly Lights, signed editions and Art Basel. Every touchpoint feels considered.

 

The Last Word

Fugees Hopeline proves legacy can be living. Ms Hill and Wyclef aren’t just looking back on The Score. They’re asking the world what hope sounds like today.

So pick up the phone. Leave your message. And if you can, frame a piece of history.

I’ll be calling in. I’d love to hear what hope means to you.

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