The Score

Intelligent, a little angry, and with effortless cool. Perfection. “So while you fuming, I’m consuming mango juice under Polaris You’re just embarrassed 'cause it's your last tango in Paris And even after all my logic and my theory I add a ‘motherfucker’ so you ignant niggas hear me” Mic drop

This album is an absolute phenomenon, a supernova for the group. While I do like some of their solo material that came afterwards, I feel they were stronger together. In fact, when I think about it, I personally tend to prefer hip hop groups like this for the dynamics it provides. I feel like this album is largely a result of their creating a home studio and being given complete artistic control. A case where label trust paid off in dividends. I love the atmosphere they captured and cinematic flow throughout. Always been more of a fan of the east coast sound in general. The Fugees are particularly skilled at layering (often brief) overdubs in just the right places to build a very complex sound that isn't overly dense so as to weigh it down. Lauryn Hill is definitely my favorite female rapper and a big part of what makes this album stand out. Another thing that sets this album apart are the covers/adaptations they incorporated and while some may think that may detract from it as a pure hip hop album in some way, I think it's stronger for it musically. In fact, I think this album's greatest strength may be it's depth and range of emotions.

The only disappointment it shame here is that the Fugees didn’t stay together. Wow, what could have been. Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was great, Carnival was very good… but the Score is next level. Unmatchable. Six stars if I could. The rhymes, the references, I could go on and on.

This was the first album that was a real struggle for me. Thankfully, there are a few well known tracks on here such as Fu-Gee La and Killing me Softly, but without those I think I'd have turned it off halfway through. I feel like I'd appreciate this more if I could be arsed to listen more closely to lyrics, or maybe if I was in more urban surroundings, but this definitely does not suit autumnal small middle class English town vibes. When I put in the effort to listen to lyrics, I did appreciate them, but I never do pay too much mind to lyrics in general. This is hard to rate as I did enjoy the songs I knew but everything outside of those few songs were a proper struggle.

I should say i liked this for cred but i didn't, it bored the tits off me

Hip-hop is a lot easier to listen to now that each rap album doesn't come with 15 minutes of bizarre skits interspersed throughout the songs. The Chinese restaurant skit brings this album to a full stop. Setting that aside, this is a great album. Filled with classics. The music is diverse and interesting throughout, and each member of the group brings a lot of lyrical strength to the album, though Lauren Hill is the clear leader of the group. This album is dense. Killing Me Softly doesn't come until halfway through the album, as if it was an afterthought among all the other great songs on the album. It's good straight through to the last song 5/5

The Platonic Form of Hip Hop. Lauryn Hill is hands down what elevates this album to a firm 5.

The music on this album is present, but not really a feature. The music takes a back seat which allows our focus to be on the main thing. And the main thing are the words, the verses, the social exposition. Mista Mista is a stark commentary on a person in need of help who is denigrated when asking for assistance. The Beast is another strong account of a system rigged against black Americans. I enjoy Ready Or Not and Zealots, where the sample is spot on. The famous covers on the album, Killing Me Softly With His Song and No Woman No Cry, are well done. I like hearing this album, and I feel like I should like it more. But when it comes down to it, I’m not putting it in my library, and that’s the line I draw between 3 and 4 stars. I’m not quite sure why. I don’t have a very good explanation, which bothers me. My only thought is that there isn’t much variety to the sound amongst the songs. They all kind of blend together aesthetically from a high level. That’s all I got.

I didn't listen. But a 1 for being a racist moron.

This is the exact definition of the style of hip hop that I love. Laid back, sonically interesting, writing that's both intelligent and funny, expertly crafted.

Hip hop is not my thing, and maybe this was different for its time, but I absolutely hated this. Not only was the start weird, confusing, couldn't understand what people were saying with just a bunch of talking over each other, but each track felt identical. Not just to every other track, but they all felt like a very bland, boring, "generic" hip hop sounds hundreds of other artists do this exact same way. Maybe they kicked it off, but it just sounds like a shitty SoundCloud rapper's recording from their parents basement

I've heard about this album for a while, but this is my virgin listen. Nice grooves but a lot of the tempo and vibe felt the same, except for the covers. Not bad, but didn't do a lot for me.

I apologize, Fugees, I was unfamiliar with your game. Bangers front to back. Absolute flames.

A diverse and engaging record with great lyrics and delivery. I surprisingly knew some songs, and they go hard.

Incredible album. Like a great piece of classical music, this album was thematic, self-referential, and incorporated previous melodies and lyrics to create a sense that this album is meant to be listed to as a whole, as a piece of music rather than a collection of songs. The flows on this album are some of the best I've ever heard. Lauryn Hill is the clear standout, though Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel are also incredible. It's no wonder why this group is one of the most influential in hip hop.

Chill stuff, classic hip hop, listened while making cat art

Solid, enjoyed more than I thought I would. Bit samey in places.

The Fugees are absolutely the best!

Pound for pound, the greatest hip-hop record ever made.

Pretty unique record this. Manages to be soulful and still have that nineties street feel. I'm a fan of the melodic flows the group use, definitely adds extra colour to tracks. Ms Hill is probably the stand out member. She brings a confident feminine swagger and perspective that I don't think you see often in any album, let alone a hip hop one. There's a world music feel to it too, which definitely add to the NY/big city vibe. Don't think that this makes it into five territory, but it's a top drawer album.

Jeez, what an album. And the timing is perfect. The Fugees are on everyone's radar once again after announcing their return, touring 'The Score' to mark its 25th anniversary. I just watched some clips of them playing Global Citizen Live. They tore the place up! What a performance. Lauryn Hill remains a force of nature. I get goosebumps every time I hear her rap on 'Ready or Not'. Check out her live version of the song at Atlantic City Limits if you want goosebumps of your own. A five star review, right? The only thing that brings 'The Score' down is the skits. Do any hip hop skits really stand the test of time? Maybe a few of Eminem's; Wu-Tang Clan had some funny stuff on their albums. Busta Rhymes' 'Only One Year Left' was prescient and remains as disturbing as when it was released via 'Extinction Level Event' in '98. But across a whole album? Lauryn Hill's 'Mis-education...' is probably the only record where all the skits remain timeless; but that's due to the unwavering sentiment and the connection to the narrative as a whole. You can't say the same for 'The Score' and the skits definitely knock it down a tad from being one of the all-time great albums. Still, what an album. Maybe it's the nostalgia of seeming them playing it together again after 2 and a half decades, but each track has just improved and aged like well-rhymed moonshine. The hits remain classic: 'Fu-gee-La' to 'Ready or Not' and 'Killing Me Softly', of course. ONE TIME. But even the fringe songs bring new life to them. 'The Beast' has manifested from feeling like a slightly sinister and unnerving skit to something hugely topical and ahead of its time. I now appreciate the mastery of using 'Dove' by Cymande for the sample in the song 'The Score' whereas I wouldn't have known the reference back in the day. Even the cover of 'No Woman, No Cry' I can now appreciate, despite all the slightly hammy interjections and lyric changes from Wyclef Jean. Above all, I just love Lauryn Hill. So much talent. I hope 'Mis-education...' made it onto the 1001 list, but if not I can at least get my fix and settle for her brilliance on 'The Score'. TWO TIME. Hey. You can't listen to 'The Score' too many times, let's be honest.

The skits aren't de trop, but the raps can be hard work, and the aesthetic is B-team Wu-Tang.

Oh for fuck's sake, there's yodelling cRap. When I thought my day couldn't get worse...

It’s fair to say Rap is not my genre. But even by the limited parameters of my encounters with it I feel confident in saying that this was pure shit. There is virtually no musical interest here at all - half the tracks are 1 bar on a loop ( how many mics, zealots, the beast, cowboys). Even when all three of them talk over the top at the same time - they can’t summon the dramatic or intellectual interest to compensate for the utter banality of the backing tracks. There was also the classy karaoke (Killing Me Softly…), the absolutely excruciating karaoke (No Woman, No Cry) and the annoying, barely comprehensible skits. Just rubbish.

Another album I thought that maybe I would enjoy. And yet, I really, really, didn’t. Seems like the beats were all similar except the covers and Killing Me Softly. The later ALMOST makes me raise this to a 2, but the number of times I wanted to switch to anything else was just too much for me.

Wow, I absolutely hated this one. There are some hip-hop albums on this list that make me think "hm, maybe I don't necessarily dislike hip-hop after all". And then there are ones like this one that just suck so much.

I struggled through

Nooooo

Absolute claptrap

I really dislike this album and have nothing positive to say. sorry

Garbo

Hate everything about it.

Smart as hell and full of a quiet rage. This is some of the absolute best of hip hop. Incredible album.

Another formative album for me. I first heard Lauryn Hill on "Killing Me Softly" and like a lot of others of my generation, I was hooked. So many standouts on this one. "Ready Or Not", "Fu-Gee-La", "Family Business", "Killing Me Softly", the title track.

Top top top. Deservedly known as one of the best in hip-hop. Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and (especially) Lauryn Hill created quite the art here. I would argue it's the latter's best work too. Manifest/Outro is my favourite here. Incredible. Bought on CD recently too! P.s., did you know Fugees is a shortening of Refugees? I certainly didn't.

You've already heard it before, you already love it.

I love this. Lauryn Hill is the GOAT

I actually loved this, didn't think I would. I never would have listened to hip hop on my own! I think I'll be a lot more open to it now. The mask and their cover of no woman no cry are added to my rotation now.

Absolutely incredible. I wouldn't even say there's a single average song on here, let alone a bad one. Has the same characteristic as most hip hop albums where the samples pretty much remain static throughout each song which is a mixed bag for me (I can find it really repetitive), but here I don't mind it. Swapping between vocals, as well as just playing with a bunch of different genres from song to song keeps everything dynamic, but it never loses cohesiveness. The whole thing is over an hour and I didn't even realize it. Can't really think of a negative thing to say about it. It's easily one of the best albums I've ever heard. Fav Songs Ready or Not Fu-Gee-La Family Business Killing Me Softly With His Song The Score Cowboys No Woman, No Cry Not part of the original album but Mista Mista is also really great

Ooo la la la! Classic hip hop album. What's not to love in it? Plus, someone like me, who loves to keep the *score*, is bound give this one a five, isn't he? Inventive rap flows, Lauryn Hill's mellifluous voice, an all-around pristine production, interesting covers, great originals... This record is killing me softly with its songs every time I play it. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 848 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 83 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 38 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 32

Honest and raw, this album oozes truth.

How have I never listened to this album all the way through. Beats, production, samples, singing, rap, features were truly perfect. They perfected their sound

The Score I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. When it came out, in the middle of Britpop and with the ubiquity of Killing Me Softly I really didn’t like the Fugees, and by the time I started to get into Hip Hop it ended up passing me by. I love the sparseness and minimalism of much of the production, and although it seems to be a machine there’s a live sound to the drums and percussion which I really like. There isn’t an overload of samples, it just loops some great moments and motifs, creating some great grooves and they obviously have a great pop sensibility, finding some great hooks in that relative sparseness. Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La and Killing Me Softly are of course great bits of pop music. Ready or Not has a great ominous undercurrent and Fu-Gee-La is brilliantly catchy. Aside from those are some other great tracks on here. The little flute loop on How Many Mics is great and the reggae delivery and doo wop samples on Zealots is fantastic, a great track. The Beast is also excellent, the hypnotic bass sample is superb, but it could probably do without the Chinese restaurant bit at the end. The Mask and Cowboys are great too, another excellent bass sample on The Mask, and Cowboys with its sitar sample is an interesting look at violence and insecurity. And Outro/Manifest covers similar themes with another great sample/hook. Lyrically I like that they seem to be a progression of the Daisy Age scene, with a little more social grit, but never descending into basic gangsta rap tropes. It is a bit long, a victim of CD bloat and the always baffling inclusion of skits, but it’s a great album, much better than I was expecting. I wouldn’t quite put it on the same level as say Three Feet High and Rising, or Illmatic, or Kendrick, or Public Enemy, or Wu Tang but it’s a great mid 90s hip hop album. Solid to high 4. 🎼🎼🎼🎼 Playlist submission: The Beast (minus the Chinese Restaurant)

The. Sheer. Talent. In these artists on this album. Not typically music that I'd reach for but hotttddamn that cover of Killing Me Softly is magestic.

Not a big hip-hop fan but I do enjoy the 90s stuff, some great songs, Hill in particular is a remarkable talented

yeah this was pretty great. i'm not a big rap guy but there were several songs on here i already knew before this. the quality of the rapping and the beats/production were great. the skits were kind of corny - we don't have to talk about the restaurant one... but otherwise OK. overall, I really enjoyed my time with this album!

“The Score” by Fugees (1996) First time listen. Nice grooves, interesting reggae feel, well recorded and mixed. Sampling is not overdone (but really, Enya’s “Boadicea” on “Ready or Not”?). It’s hip hop I could listen to on a long drive. Tasteful reverb. Very good sound. But what stands out on this album is Lauryn Hill’s voice—powerful, throaty, and resonant. I could listen to a lot more of that. Hill’s “Killing Me Softly” is better than Roberta Flack’s. It’s that good. I bought it. Lyrics are full of references that require the listener to pay attention and maybe do some research, which is appealing, but they often lack significance. Or sometimes I wonder if the artists are even aware of the fact that, for instance, the skillfully rapid “la-las” on the chorus of “Fu-Gee-La” came straight off the intro to Billy Stewart’s cover of “Summertime”(1966). But again, to what end? It’s cool, but why? It’s rather like Mozart to a guy who is more into Mahler. I could do with less of the standard 1990s rap lyric boastfulness, but maybe it (or I) will develop. This is very good album. In the history of American recorded music, Fugees are here to stay. I love this country. 4/5

This was EVERYWHERE in 1996, so much that it sounds like wallpaper to me today. One Time. Essentially, Lauryn Hill and a pair of clowns, with variation in quality accordingly. Scrapes 3* from a fond memory of a bus ride along Ladbroke Grove with a gang of local schoolchildren singing "Killing Me Softly" perfectly, harmonies and all. Two Times.

J'avais bien évidemment des a priori au sujet de Lauryn Hill avant de lancer cet album. La presse s'en donne généralement à cœur joie pour critiquer son comportement capricieux. Je lançai toutefois la lecture du projet en question. Mais alors que les pistes défilaient, toujours pas la moindre trace de Lauryn. "Patientez encore un instant, Lauryn Hill devrait arriver d'une minute à l'autre." annonçait régulièrement une voix. Je patientai donc encore un peu. Alors que je vis sur mon écran que l'avant-dernière piste venait de commencer et que la star n'avait toujours pas prononcé le moindre mot, je décidai d'abandonner l'écoute, très énervé et remonté.

Attention Robert, après une période d'eldorado du générateur, voila que tu te remets a nous proposer une longue serie d'albums de qualité insuffisante pour obtenir un 4/5. Nous ne céderons pas à la panique, mais restons néammoins sur nos gardes.

Yeah, not a fan. I do not understand the appeal of this band or album. Killing Me Softly is the only listenable track, and it can’t touch Roberta Flack’s masterpiece.

Beside a few known simple melodies - help! Relief after 15min stop listening.

HipHop, Rap, 1996 -> 1

Dont like 90s rap. This album sucks

Not a fan

An absolute hip hop/R&B masterpiece

This album really forced me to stretch my ears -- I don't usually listen to lyrics too intently. If an album is musically strong, chances are I'll like it. Here, to be perfectly honest, the music itself is really good -- but kind of just good. Nothing too extraordinary there. But when you do listen to the lyrics, mother of god. These cats were cooking man. The flow, the references, the material...solid, solid album. Fave songs: Whole album, but I gotta say: "No Woman, No Cry" is for sure my least favorite song here. Not what I was expecting.

thoughts: the “i only have eyes for you” sample in “zealots” is SO GOOD (i had no idea this was a thing until now!). this is a tour de force for sure. all three members of the group get their own distinctive style and their own spotlight. the “killing me softly” cover stands on its own two feet almost 30 years later, sounding as fresh as it did when it was released. there are a couple of tracks that are just kinda there but otherwise, this is incredible stuff songs: “zealots”, “the beast”, “killing me softly with his song” rating: 9.5/10

Sit. Listen. Enjoy. No notes

Phenomenal rhymes here—at times hilarious, but always powerful and ready to spread a deeper message. The mixing is lovely all around and really helps to elevate the rhythm and flow. I particularly liked the shout-outs to and samples of other songs! Enya on “Ready or Not” was a pleasant surprise, but hearing the opening to “Nights in White Satin” at the end of “The Mask” floored me. There’s a reason the Fugees are regarded as a legendary group in hip-hop, and that reason is clear as day with this album.

it's the fucking fugees u numbskulls this shit slaps

This album is very very good. Instant classic. I love the dark atmosphere and slower bpm. Intonation amazing . Fu-Gee-La a favorite Recognizable songs in this album Cool sampling. I can see where this has influenced modern phone

Although i had heard of this album and have heard the big singles plenty of times, I was surprised how pure of a hiphop experience a lot of it is. There is a solid mix of different styles, with generally very Minimal production. Though I dont love all of it evenly, its stil a classic with the big hits. It would get a 4.5 from me, but since that isn't an option I'm rounding up.

SO good. They were great weren’t they.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!!!!!!! Always have, always will. The cover of no woman no cry, mask off, and of course ready or not. Just such an excellent hip hop album

What an album - Lauryn, Wyclef, and Forte were creative supergeniuses!

A top 5 hip hop album of all time? Top 3 probably. Just lush immense production and vibes here, everyone is at the peak of their game, Wyclef behind the desk, Pras with his smooth flow, and Lauryn Hill straight defecating on your microphone. This was untouchable until OutKast's Stankonia came around so I'll revert my original hypothesis to top 2 hip hop album of all time.

Love the album, I don’t love the interludes and skits (generally, in any album)

This album always stands as an example of what east coast rap/hip-hop could have been. They were so different and talented. They could rhyme and flow just like tradition hip hop artists, but throw in Lauryn Hill's vocals, the remixing of classic R&B songs, and the smooth sound of Pras' and (especially) Wyclef's Caribbean roots and multicultural background and it was amazing. They kind of came together on Wyclef's The Carnival, but this album has always stood as one of those big "what if's". If they hadn't broken up they could have completely redefined rap, hip hop, and R&B. That said, I think it opened the door for more creative acts to flourish and some of the other big acts of the time to branch out into different sounds.

Whooooaa. An OG album that I honestly had no idea was a part of a larger group.

Somehow they're all the stars, each unique. And the concept... it's great.

Try not to head bop challenge level impossible

🫶🏾🕺🏿❤️‍🔥

One of my favorites of all time and a great prequel to the Miseducation of Lauren Hill which is up there with Songs In The Key of Life. Playful and powerful raps that touch the soul. As I listened to this wonderful record again, it dawned on me that this album set the tone and was replicated in one fashion or another many times. Not going to convince me that Lin Manual Miranda did not have the Fugees in mind when he created Hamilton.

Certified hood classic

meu deus do céu que DELÍCIA esse hein só PEDRADA atras de PEDRADA. a lauryn hill manda demais e os outros dois mano não ficam atras não. tudo nesse aqui é bão pra caralho, como pode. um absurdo.

An absolute masterpiece. No weak spots* whatsoever. This album was lightning in a bottle, as none of them (even Lauryn) would reach these heights after. All three of them play off each other in an elegant, incredible way. The contrasting voices, styles, and modes of wordplay give it an unimpeachable base to build on. When you add to that Lauryn's incredible versatility as an MC and a singer, it's near-perfect. * - Near perfect because it's so badly marred by the skits, especially the Chinese restaurant one. Skits in rap music are often tedious and almost inevitably date an album. This isn't always the worst, but the racist, stupid, un-funny Chinese restaurant skit is almost enough to knock off a star, IMO. It's a testament to the greatness of the album that it overcomes this real weakness.

- Ready or Not - Fu-Gee-La - Killing Him Softly - No Woman, No Cry

“You want to impress me, shoot somebody who making my bills high all of the time See, it's easy for cats to kill other cats, it's just the dogs they got trouble with You know what I'm sayin'?”

Mestres

Beats and beats and beats and beats and beats and beats and beats and beats... Takes me back to high school. I don't listen to rap much anymore, but when I do it's the stuff that I listened to in high school and this was one of the major albums that came out at that time. A classic, it's got it all. Clever lyrics, wordplay, Lauryn Hill's voice...the whole thing is great. The skits are a bit much but they're still fun. Can still listen to it the whole way through even though I haven't listened to it in years and probably won't listen to it again for awhile. Maybe it's because it transports me back to happy times, I'm not sure.

I got this in the Columbia House cd club not too long after it came out. My only knock on this album would be Mista Mista which I’ve never loved, but I guess that was an addition to later versions of the album. 5/5, favorites: Zealots, Ready or Not

Snelle inhaal review #8: Luister je gewoon naar de 13 originele nummers en je hebt een prachtig verhalend uur aan muziek, zelfs de skits op dit album zijn gewoon grappig en don't overstay their welcome. Ik vergeet elke keer hoe hard Ready or Not gaat trouwens, gruwelijk sinistere beat. Tweede perfect album van Lauryn Hill op dit lijstje wmb

Amazing ❤️😍❤️

Relistened to some I haven’t heard in a while and heard some new ones

This album surprised me on how it still captivates. It's a time capsule of the mid-90s references, but musically and a really great production still last. This is an album that must be heard for anyone remotely interested in 90s hip-hop.

I havent even finished this but omg, its peak

This was a great album!

Hell yeah, reminds me of getting stoned in Dan's dorm room in college

Beautiful

Great album!

masterpiece

This album lands in the top 10 albums of all time for me. It’s better than a five complete from start to finish.

The Score is a blast from the past. I needed a well known and beloved album to cleanse my brain from always putting too much thought into something new to me. First off, Lauryn Hill is fire. That voice is as smooth as silk and it flows to kill. The beats here are hot. Mostly though, these tracks are simply really really really good and catchy. I still quote this album (“NO STRESSSSS!!”, “Captured your bounty like Elliot Ness, YES!!!”, “and after all my logic and theory, I add a motherfucker so you ignorant nigga’s hear me”, “hey chang wang”). This is without doubt one of the best rap records from the 1990’s because it has a more universal appeal compared to straight gangsta rap. It incorporates elements of soul, reggae and R&B, and it’s hard, but not glock you hard. It’s also the first record that I heard straight up references to 80’s music and culture. Yes, this album put me in a great mood today.

This is one of the greatest hip-hop albums I've heard. It's also very nostalgic, as it was part of the fabric of my sophomore year of college. The production quality is impeccable, and I love the synchronicity with their vocals. The lyrics are so good too, plus they crush the covers. Hard to pick a favorite track. The title track might take that title for me, but I'm a big fan of Ready or Not and Family Business and Fu-Gee-La too. Huge fan of Marley's No Woman No Cry, so that one holds a special place as well. But every song is great in its own right. I love how complete of an album is too...from the intro and outro to the ends of songs flowing into the beginnings of the next ones. It's all just so COOL. I love it. Easy 5.

One of my fav albums.

Really fun album. The Score is probably not as commonly played anymore as it should it. Great beats, solid lyrics, and great vocals. A really fun listen that definitely belongs on this list.

Hadn't listened in a long time. Really no bad songs on the album at all, extremely solid. I even listened an entire second time yesterday because I enjoyed it so much.

10/10 no notes

One of the best albums ever recorded.