{blackbabes} Lauryn Hill blasts booing fans

Hip-hop diva Lauryn Hill showed no remorse after keeping devotees waiting for almost four hours at a recent comeback concert in New York, telling disgruntled fans she was "worth the wait".

The reclusive singer was due to return to the stage to kick off her first U.S. tour in years on 27 December, but the show at Manhattan's Highline Ballroom had to be postponed after a heavy snow storm brought transport in the Big Apple to a standstill.

She went ahead with her second scheduled gig, at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg, on 28 December, and drew a crowd including soul superstar Prince and rising singer Janelle Monae.

But Hill's tardiness left concertgoers fuming after she failed to appear for the show start time of 8.30pm - instead emerging on stage after midnight.

Members of the audience booed as she stepped into the spotlight to voice their irritation but their frosty reception only annoyed Hill and she immediately chastised the critics for moaning.

In video footage of the incident, which only recently surfaced online, Hill can be seen saying, "Don't do that. That's disrespectful. I spent my entire 20s sacrificing my life to give you love. So when I hear people complain, I don't know what to tell you...

"I personally know I'm worth the wait."

The former Fugees star went on to perform a set packed with hits, including Ex-Factor, Doo Wop (That Thing) and Everything Is Everything.

Hill is currently touring a string of small venues across the U.S. as part of her musical comeback. She has not released a studio album since 1998's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, although she recently revealed she was ready to head back into the studio and start work on a new project.