The Score

Fugees

1996

3.69

Rating

23425

Votes

10%

25%

36%

25%

Distribution

Hip Hop

Album Summary

The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees. The Score was released worldwide on February 13, 1996, on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip-hop music scene in the mid-late 1990s. Primarily, The Score's production was handled by the Fugees themselves, Jerry Duplessis and Warren Riker, with additional production from Salaam Remi, John Forté, Diamond D, and Shawn King. The album's guest verses are from Outsidaz members Rah Digga, Young Zee, and Pacewon, as well as Omega, John Forté, and Diamond D. Most versions of the album feature four bonus tracks, including three remixes of "Fu-Gee-La", and a short acoustic Wyclef Jean solo track entitled "Mista Mista". Upon its release, The Score was a commercial success, peaking at the number one spot on the Billboard 200, and becoming the third best selling album of 1996. It also topped the Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums chart for eight weeks, becoming the longest running number one for a hip hop group, and topped the 1996 year-end chart. The singles "Killing Me Softly", "Fu-Gee-La", and "Ready or Not" also achieved notable chart success, and helped the group achieve worldwide recognition. The album received mostly favorable reviews. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, becoming the second rap album to receive a nomination and the first for a hip hop group, while winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, along with Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Killing Me Softly" at the 39th Grammy Awards. In retrospect, The Score has garnered a considerable amount of acclaim over the years, with many music critics and publications noting it as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 1998, The Score was included in The Source's 100 best rap albums list, and in 2020, the album was ranked number 134 on Rolling Stone magazine's revised list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.As of February 2021, The Score has been certified seven times platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is the best-selling album by an American hip hop act in France, where the album has been certified Diamond. With an estimated 22 million copies sold worldwide, the album has become one of the best-selling albums of all time, at the time of its release it briefly became the best-selling hip hop album of all time, and remains the best-selling album by a hip hop group. As of June 2021, the album is the fifth most streamed rap album released in the 1990s on Spotify.

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Jun 19 2021 Author

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

Jun 02 2021 Author

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

Jun 19 2021 Author

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.

Apr 29 2021 Author

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.

Nov 22 2021 Author

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.

Aug 25 2021 Author

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

Jun 19 2021 Author

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.

Feb 26 2021 Author

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

Mar 31 2025 Author

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

Nov 16 2021 Author

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.

Sep 11 2021 Author

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

May 06 2021 Author

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

Mar 28 2021 Author

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.

Dec 03 2024 Author

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

Jan 15 2025 Author

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.

Oct 09 2022 Author

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.

Jul 22 2021 Author

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.

Oct 05 2021 Author

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.

Dec 17 2025 Author

This is one of the best hip hop albums of the 90s; hood but not gangsta, laid back and spacious, smart and cool. But the real reason we are all here is Lauryn Hill. She is the best rapper, the best singer and the coolest person in the Fugees. Her charismatic and confident presence this lifts this record from the merely good into the extraordinary. It's hard to think of any other rapper who has such a great flow and can sing like that. To my mind, the covers are the weakest material on the album, and I never enjoy skits. But this gets five stars for the chance to hear Ms Hill. I'm waiting for her to release more records. One day, we hope, one day....

Sep 08 2025 Author

The Chinese restaurant skit is an odd choice to have included in this otherwise perfect album that captures the politics of the mid-90s (even if I do hate any and all references to Newt). The amount of iconic songs that get packed into a one hour album is truly incredible. This is an easy five star album for me.

Aug 29 2025 Author

How ya gonna say this sounds the same but the hundreds of brit-pop albums don't?????

Feb 24 2025 Author

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

Dec 27 2024 Author

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

Apr 02 2025 Author

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)

Nov 29 2024 Author

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

Mar 23 2023 Author

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.

Mar 20 2021 Author

“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

Jan 03 2023 Author

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.

Aug 29 2025 Author

if you rated this album lower than a 2 I think you should be stoned to death. I’ve been waiting for the score to show up on this list, this was so revolutionary to me when I first heard it. timeless and as relevant as ever. and just so well done. Lauryn Hill I would die for you

Jul 30 2025 Author

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.

Jun 05 2025 Author

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

Mar 10 2025 Author

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.

Mar 05 2025 Author

The Fugees are absolutely the best!

Feb 18 2025 Author

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.

Feb 11 2025 Author

I love this. Lauryn Hill is the GOAT

Oct 13 2023 Author

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.

Oct 09 2023 Author

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

Jul 26 2022 Author

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

Feb 07 2021 Author

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

Mar 23 2025 Author

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

Oct 10 2023 Author

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!

Mar 25 2024 Author

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.

Mar 28 2022 Author

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

Jul 25 2025 Author

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

Sep 29 2022 Author

I struggled through

Jul 08 2022 Author

Nooooo

Dec 14 2021 Author

Absolute claptrap

Sep 13 2021 Author

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

Aug 27 2021 Author

Garbo

May 06 2021 Author

Hate everything about it.

Dec 20 2025 Author

Timeless. Lauryn Hill in her rapping prime blended into songs with some of the smoothest melodies in the history of hip hop.

Dec 19 2025 Author

This came out when I was in High School, it was the soundtrack to every party and dance, and played constantly while driving around with friends. Listening again, I hear the deeper messages woven throughout by the lyricists who sing about being Haitian refugees. Still timely, still outstanding

Dec 17 2025 Author

This hip hop makes sense to me, the astute use of samples, fantastic lyrics which have something to say and people playing instruments. The whole thing is a groove, and the covers are superb. Wyclef knew what he wanted and it all came together. Then there is the fabulous Ms Hill, what a voice and what a performer. This is a smashingly good record, that they were all this good.

Dec 16 2025 Author

Love this record. In the running for best hop record of all time. Hit after hit, the only issue I have is the skits between the songs. They were a staple of 90s hip hop, but not one I loved.

Dec 16 2025 Author

I remember buying this album in high school and being completely blown away. This might have been the first “mainstream” hip hop album I fell in love with back then. There’s also a memory hiding back there of listening to this album while driving over Raton Pass and moving to New Mexico for the very first time when I was 18. “Cowboys” might be my favorite track off of the album because of that. So much talent on one record, and the songs flow perfectly. Probably in my top 10 Hip Hop albums of all time.

Dec 01 2025 Author

This one has banger after banger! I loved every second of it. Old school hip hop at its best. Nothing was as good as this one during those times, and mainly because it had some amazing singing by Lauryn Hill. Also, the beats are just smashing. Great great record.

Dec 06 2025 Author

This album cover is one I’ve seen countless times since the ‘90s and early 2000s. Surprisingly, I never listened to it back then. During the early to mid 2000s, I was deeply immersed in hip hop, but this album somehow slipped through the cracks. It’s a shame because this is exactly the style and sound I would have gone crazy for. Their lyrics are incredibly smooth and catchy, and their vocal delivery is top-notch. The production is stellar, featuring darker atmospheric synths that add depth and dimension, coupled with excellent sampling. This album is a gem that I’m glad I finally discovered.

Feb 16 2025 Author

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

Feb 01 2022 Author

Honest and raw, this album oozes truth.

Jan 08 2026 Author

Seems like rap groups have really died out which is a shame because this one has such a nice groove

Jan 06 2026 Author

I can't remember if I've listened to this one before (I've definitely listened to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill), but not recognizing anything from it other than the big hit, Killing Me Softly. But yeah, totally understand why this is a landmark in hip hop music. It just vibes and goes. Particularly the songs Ready or Not, The Score, and The Manifest, at least for me. The rest of the tracklist is no slouch either. I will say, this would have been an easy five star all day every day if it weren't for the skits peppered throughout, particularly that Chinese Restaurant one. And it doesn't help that some of the skits are included in the same tracks as actual songs. Just really broke up the flow for me.

Jan 05 2026 Author

This was a huge album when I was in high school, but I’m just now listening to it. I probably appreciate it more now because this, obviously, was not on my radar years ago. I liked it.

Jan 05 2026 Author

It’s touch tooong but when it’s good it’s very very good. I probably didn’t realise that killing me softly was a cover when this was released, but I’m decideldly in the camp of preferring the Roberta Flack original these days. I did like the NWNC cover more now than upon release, and thoroughly enjoyed Cowboys amongst other high points.

Jan 02 2026 Author

Lauryn Hill is a freak of nature. She is unbelievably talented and so smooth on this album whether she’s rapping or singing. She blows the others away and raises this album to even higher heights. I love the smooth and laid back beats. The lyrics are incredible. A true standout in the rap genre in the 90s. The skits are corny and haven’t aged well at all. The one miss on an otherwise outstanding album.

Jan 02 2026 Author

I liked this far more than I expected to. Everything about this sounded natural, as if these songs just fell into place on their own. The beats are super smooth, bit jazzy, which I dig. The vocals are nicely written and expertly delivered, everything felt just so effortless and cool on this album. I even liked the Chinese food sketch, kinda funny. I almost wish there was another song or two, I was enjoying everything about it and would have been happy to stay in the moment a few songs longer. I've known of this album since it was released, I remember the singles, but I never sat and listened until today, I've missed out. Great album.

Dec 31 2025 Author

17 songs • 1hr 17min There is no sophomore slump with this album. It’s a concept album in that it tells a story. Similar to radio dramas of the 40s. 4.5/5

Dec 30 2025 Author

This is one of those albums I had heard a lot about, and I had even listened to the big singles from it, but I'd never listened to the whole thing. After listening to it, I can see why it’s still talked about to this day. The songs' themes are reflective without feeling preachy, and much of it still applies to the present, so it doesn’t feel dated. Lauryn Hill was the clear standout, whether she’s rapping or singing, she elevates every track. The skits were a hit or miss for me, sometimes I felt they added to the song, but sometimes they felt like they dragged on and interrupted the flow of the album. I think the production brought soul, r&b, and hip-hop so well together. Not perfect, but very close.

Dec 29 2025 Author

Irrepressibly cool. One star deducted for the skits that didn't age well or contribute much to the experience.

Dec 29 2025 Author

The Fugees' heyday happened when I wasn't listening to a lot of hip-hop. I missed out on a lot of good stuff, including this. It's bonkers they never released another album, though I understand how things changed once they were thrust into massive success. Anyway, this is great and hits more than it misses. While the 1,001 book highlights Wyclef's reinterpretation of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," I found it a bit cringe, especially coming a few tracks after Lauryn Hill's take on Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song." (And two remixes of "Fu-Gee-La" are the definition of unnecessary.)

Dec 23 2025 Author

i luv the vibe. always been familiar with ready or not and kmswhs so finally listening to the album in full was nice. going into my hiphoppy-triphoppy playlist.

Mar 25 2025 Author

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.

Jan 02 2026 Author

The Fugees can harmonize with the best of them. This album is filled with slow beats that get you moving coupled with rhymes of opposing speeds that keep you interested in what the lyrics will bring next. Each song is filled with life and emotion and Lauryn Hill is a singer in every sense of the word. On the downside, the skits were a distraction for me on the album but overall this was a very good listen.

Dec 30 2025 Author

I’m not much of a hip hop or R&B fan, but listened to this with an open mind. I enjoyed a lot of the subdued, lo-fi beats that were present through many of the tracks. Lauryn Hill’s vocals were the highlight for me. Overall I thought it was good with a handful of great tracks. My biggest complaint was the transition/outro for many of the tracks.

Dec 25 2025 Author

Leans a bit too "lyrical spritual miracle" for me. Some great grooves while also managing to never be catchy. A great album thats not for me

Dec 01 2025 Author

Editing. It just needs editing.

Sep 01 2025 Author

Overrated with songs that are too long. Not a bad listen though

Aug 28 2025 Author

Does this album hold up? Maybe? Maybe not? It's a little concerning that the best tracks are cover songs. But the beats and samples are still good. And Miss Lauryn Hill is there, so, 3 stars.

Aug 28 2025 Author

Decent enough album, younger me would have probably rated it higher. 3.5 stars

Dec 16 2021 Author

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.

Dec 16 2021 Author

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.

Dec 24 2025 Author

I've heard a lot of parts of these songs used in songs that came after them. I can see where it was an inspiration for things to come, but I didn't like it. Not a fan of rap from this time period, I wouldn't listen to any of these songs in my spare time.

May 13 2025 Author

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.

Jul 25 2025 Author

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

Feb 26 2025 Author

HipHop, Rap, 1996 -> 1

Dec 07 2020 Author

Dont like 90s rap. This album sucks

Jan 11 2021 Author

Not a fan

Jan 13 2026 Author

Amazing album, pity there was never any more

Jan 12 2026 Author

A true classic

Jan 11 2026 Author

The Fugees – The Score The Score is a masterpiece that truly lives up to its name, operating as an immaculate "body of work" from start to finish. The production is top-tier, specifically the "immaculate" sample flips like the gold-standard use of ATCQ’s "Bonita Applebum." Lauryn Hill’s performance is a triumph; her vocal work on "Killing Me Softly" is peak musicianship, while her "rapping chemistry" with Wyclef on "Zealots" is world-class. From the "magnificent" energy of "No Woman, No Cry" to the underrated brilliance of the title track and the "funny" skits (especially the ending of "The Beast"), the album never misses. It all comes together on "Manifest," capping off a 5/5 experience that is both technically deep and incredibly high-energy.

Jan 11 2026 Author

Love this album. Even though I'm from "Gen-Z" I already know a good chunk of this album by having heard it throughout the years. Great stuff!

Jan 10 2026 Author

09/01/2025 1. red intro - like the choir in the back :) lyrics are reaaallly nice. like how the song titles are incorporated in them. 2. how many mics - love how the tracks fade into each other. love lauryn hill.... the lyrics are phenomenal! instrumentals/backing track didn't stand out, but the focus on the lyrics more than made up for it! 3. ready or not - not massive on the start, probably because the singing section has been used in sooo many adverts it's just become an advert song for me. her singing is reallly fantastic though!!! really loving the verses. *4. zealots - loving the sample at the start..... these lyrics are peak..... beat just dropped!! how can lauryn hill both rap and sing soooo wellll!!!!! *5. the beast - oooh the scratching at the start!!! immediately alllll the vocals are fantastic! the wordplay is insane in all these tracks............ what is this skit.... *6. fu-gee-la - bass at the beginning is nice.... loving this beat. lauryn hill's singing is incredible.... 7. family business - the guitar in this is reallly nice. reaally nice :) *8. killing me softly with his song - if you don't like this, kill yourself!!!! lauryn hill!!!! loving the organ and the sitar.... bass is great! 9. the score - liking the scratching again! lyrics are insane still :) *10. the mask - immediately liking the beat! the bass is aedwjfkm so goood!!!! loving the female touch hill adds to this album, especially with the more masculine 90s hip-hop scene..... loving the trumpet sampling. *11. cowboys - the sitar is back! yodelling? ralph bakshi reference!!!?? really great!!! 12. no woman, no cry - the guitar is a nice change up :) beat is a bit stomp-and-clap-esque for me... not the biggest fan of reggae, so didn't enjoy this one as much, but still really nice :) *13. manifest/outro - liking the intro... guitar is reallllly nice! scratching as well!! crazy lyrics <3 reaaaallllly loved this one :) lots of the reviews were complaining about the skits, but i think they're alright!!! the lyrics are absolutely insane, feel like i need to read a dictionary or something now.....

Jan 08 2026 Author

The Fugees album was on repeat when it came out... A major soundtrack of my teenage years!

Jan 07 2026 Author

PEPIIIIITEEEEEEEE

Jan 05 2026 Author

Compare and contrast with Moby's Play - fantastic, innovative use of samples, superior production throughout.

Jan 02 2026 Author

I really ended up liking this one.

Jan 02 2026 Author

Lauryn Hill is one of the best rappers ever. Period Full stop. Not one of the best female rappers, one of the best rappers ever. Not a single wasted bar here, where her brilliance is commonplace and taken for granted throughout this album. Her verse on How Many Mics is deadly … dropping ColecoVision and Deuteronomy in back to back lines, rhyming licorice with syphylis and callous with Dallas - intricacies and knowledge that make other rappers look foolish. Wyclef’s creative and layered approach is a perfect complement to Pras’s clean technical edginess in the production elements. While there are great songs throughout, the skits and interludes don’t really hold up 30 years later. Between that and the legendary douches that Wyclef and ‘Ms. Hill’ have developed into, I’m tempted to ‘score’ this album a 4. But it is too good to let those things pull it down. I can’t deny how amazing and unique these tracks are amongst the sea of sameness that was 90s rap.

Jan 01 2026 Author

It's a vibe.

Dec 31 2025 Author

Really liked it. A nice contrast to the last hip-hop album I listened to and gave a 1. Would definitely like to listen to more.

Dec 28 2025 Author

How Many Mics // Ready or Not // Zealots // The Beast // Fu-Gee La // Killing Me Softly With His Song // No Woman, No Cry //

Dec 27 2025 Author

Amazing listen. Entertaining. Groovy. Lyrics were top notch. Lauryn Hill and Wycleaf Jean had great performances. Skit is funny. Perfect length for an album. 9/10