Fugees released The Score

First posted 3/16/2008; updated 10/12/2020.

The Score The Fugees

Released: February 12, 1996 Peak: 14 US, 18, 2 UK, 12 CN, 5 AU Sales (in millions): 6.0 US, 1.5 UK, 20.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: hip-hop

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Red Intro How Many Mics Ready or Not (3/30/96, 69a US, 1 UK, 22a RB, 1 UK, 24 AU) Zealots The Beast Fu-Gee-La (12/30/95, 29 US, 13 RB, 21 UK, 43 AU, gold single) Family Business Killing Me Softly with His Song (3/2/96, 2a US, 1a RB, 30 AC, 1 UK, 1 AU) The Score The Mask Cowboys No Woman No Cry (6/15/96, 38a US, 58a RB, 2 UK, 20 AU) Manifest/Outro Total Running Time: 60:52 The Players: Wyclef Jean Lauryn Hill Pras Michel

Rating: 4.379 out of 5.00 (average of 16 ratings) Quotable: “One of the most distinctive hip-hop albums of its era” – Steve Huey, All Music Guide Awards:

About the Album: “A breath of fresh air in the gangsta-dominated mid-‘90s, the Fugees’ breakthrough album, The Score, marked the beginning of a resurgence in alternative hip-hop. Its left-field, multi-platinum success proved there was a substantial untapped audience with an appreciation for rap music but little interest in thug life. The Score’s eclecticism, social consciousness, and pop smarts drew millions of latent hip-hop listeners back into the fold, showing just how much the music had grown up. It not only catapulted the Fugees into stardom, but also launched the productive solo careers of Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill, the latter of whom already ranks as one of the top female MCs of all time based on her work here.” AMG “Not just a collection of individual talents, the Fugees’ three MCs all share a crackling chemistry and a wide-ranging taste in music. Their strong fondness for smooth soul and reggae is underscored by the two hit covers given slight hip-hop makeovers (Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly With His Song and Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry).” AMG “Even when they’re not relying on easily recognizable tunes, their original material is powered by a raft of indelible hooks, especially the great Fu-Gee-La; there are also touches of blues and gospel, and the recognizable samples range from doo wop to Enya.” AMG “Their protest tracks are often biting, yet tempered with pathos and humanity, whether they’re attacking racial profiling among police (The Beast), the insecurity behind violent posturing (Cowboys), or the inability of many black people in the Western Hemisphere to trace their familial roots (Family Business).” AMG “Yeah, the Chinese restaurant skit is a little dicey, but on the whole, The Score balances intelligence and accessibility with an easy assurance, and ranks as one of the most distinctive hip-hop albums of its era.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: Fugees’ DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG Steve Huey, All Music Guide