Lauryn Hill

Singer Lauryn Hill is upset about her once unique style being copied by young black women - because she never signed up to become a fashion icon.

The Ready Or Not singer hates seeing clones of herself because she feels fans are stealing her spirit.

She says, "Fashion is something I breathe... It's something I did very naturally, but I've seen my style, my look, everywhere. I wasn't really trying to share my style.

"I've seen my concepts, my ideas, my creative birthright be exploited, appropriated, copied and reproduced. And that was painful."

She said she was so dissatisfied with her success that decided to turn her back on fame for two years and banned TV and radio from her home.

"For two or three years I was away from all social interaction. There was no music. There was no television. It was a very introspective and complicated time because I really had to confront my fears and master every demonic thought about inferiority, about insecurity or the fear of being black. It took a considerable amount of courage, faith and risk to gain the confidence to be myself. I had to deal with a lot of folks who weren't happy about that.

"I was a young black woman with an evolved mind who was not afraid of her beauty or her sexuality. For some people that's uncomfortable."