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The Score
Fugees
1996
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!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
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.
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
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 Platonic Form of Hip Hop. Lauryn Hill is hands down what elevates this album to a firm 5.
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.
“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
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.
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.
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.
The skits aren't de trop, but the raps can be hard work, and the aesthetic is B-team Wu-Tang.
Amazing samples, super unique rap album. Giving it a 4 for now, but this might go up. And it did!
The singles are the keepers, but also top quality for How Many Mics, Zealots, Score, Mask and No Woman. Not much filler. Remixes are forgettable.
Tätä tuli siskon kanssa kuunneltua moneen otteeseen aikoinaan ja edelleen toimii kuin häkä.
This album rules. I did not know there were so many hits on this one and I was surprised by how many songs I recognized but didn’t know were them. I think I listened to this album 3 times over the weekend! So good
Love this, excellent songs and kept my interest throughout. The three of them have a nice dynamic that keeps the songs moving. Lots of great samples. My only complaint is the bonus tracks, not needed.
Haha 10/10 easily. This is arguably one of the best hip hop albums of all time for me. This will be required listening for kids if I had them. It's a complete album - front to back - this is a weird comparison, but like Dark Side, it's an experience with perfect songs that radio can pull out. It is hard to start but ideas that come to mind are : Lauren Hill Band that is loving playing music together Awesome samples and uses of them 90s poetry infused verses (makes references stand up to time and interesting) Amazing Interludes (you want beef?!) Arguments for Praz being crucial to the Fugees Wyclef Genius Maybe my favorite singing part in a hip hop song to belt out of all time? (more later) Boom Bap LAUREN at her best? Best Songs : 1) Killing me Softly Talk to me about 3:12+! Probably my favorite rap singing part ever to sing out loud doing Lauren's part? Even the later parts are good where they just talk and riff. Then! (below) 2) The Score I just like the way this one sounds mostly - New Yorkish - bassline - also, they sample themselves in it (amongst lots of other cool stuff) 3) The Mask - I honestly had this at 2 earlier, but I got caught up in the post Killing Softly hype and rolled with it. I am a sucker for songs that spell things for one - for 2 - I walk the streets and camouflage my identity. Also I am wearing the mask a lot. Also what happened to Steve, really? Mixing, creativity, band vibe : all on point. 10/10 all around.
The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees. Upon its release, The Score was a commercial success, peaking at the number one spot on both the Billboard 200, and the Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums chart (it was a number one album on the latter in 1996 on the year-end chart), becoming the third best selling album of 1996. With an estimated 22 million copies sold worldwide,[3] the album has become one of the best-selling albums of all time, at the time of its release it became the best selling hip hop album of all time,[4] while it remains the best selling album by a hip hop group.[5] The Score 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
I didn't finish it yet, but this a great hip-hop/soul album. Unbelievable that I didn't know it until today. Thank you 1001albumsgenerator!
This album has aged really well. Some tracks wouldn't be out of place on the airwaves if commercial radio.
The best album this list has churned up so far by a very long way. Its so good I forgive the length and the interludes.
Didn’t get all the way through it but it’s an album I’m familiar enough with. Stone cold classic
Makes me want to wander the streets of a large city, drinking in all the sights, sounds, smells, and feels. The reggae tones are vibrant. I'm now reminiscing about my early days when I first discovered Marley.
From the get-go one of the greatest hip hop albums I've ever heard. Absolutely blown away.
Love the vocals from Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean in this album. Very unique and loved the samples that were used. Very iconic songs and very comforting. This album had an almost edgy-like feel to it. Highly recommend listening to it.
Brilliant. Full of great songs. Worth powering through some of the weirder skits but just par for the course at the time I guess.
Masterpiece. Some of the best songs of the decade are on here. Lauryn Hill is a GENIUS!!!
Incredible. Sad that it would be impossible to stay up late enough to see Lauren hill now.
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
I don't know the last time I had listened to this album start to finish and it was so much more than I remember it being. This definitely belongs on the list.
Really great album. Slightly long but the beats, lyrics, vocals, and hooks are all so good. 9/10
the production and the vibe of this is stellar. great rapping and vocals, and all the performers work really well together. My biggest criticism is that the skits slow down the momentum, and the album didn’t feel super cohesive. 9/10
I've listened to album a bunch over my life. Personally, I wasn't quite sure how to rate it. I was thinking it was maybe a 4, but I've had so much fun and enjoyment out of this album that it is a true classic to me.
Yo-da-lay-heeeee… Impressive production by the Fugees. Plenty of engaging tracks which more than make up for the less gripping ones. I’m not gonna pretend I’ve yet caught or processed even a quarter of the lyrics, but there are some great beats and sweet reggae fusion. Five bags of popcorn.
After 150+ albums there have been many that I've been familiar with and a handful or so that I've owned but this is the first that I knew every second of, back and forth. I love this album. I really enjoyed and had sentimental ties to the first Fugees album and remember the anticipation for The Score. It exceeded all expectations by miles and for me it is a top ten hip-hop album of the 90s if not all-time. Dynamic production in a variety of styles, intelligent and purposeful lyrics, and great interaction and balance between group members. Everything that Lauryn does on this album is remarkable - vocals and lyrics. While Killing Me Softly does stick out a bit from the rest of the album it is also beautiful in it's simplicity and still adds value to the whole album that already has a classic hit on almost every other track. The in-between songs are also strong without exception and there's no filler. My only criticism would be with the skits but they tie together and preview the upcoming songs along with keeping with the style of groups like ATCQ, De La Soul, etc. The album is a great transition and contrast from the more violent and vulgar hip-hop that was popular in the mid-90s. The sound still holds up today, 25 years later. I've listened through this dozens of times and would every time, any time without hesitation. It's unfortunate that this would be their last album as a group but they nailed it and secured an absolute all-timer.
Was tempted to give this a 1 star review purely to spite them for their tardiness in turning up for gigs. But then it's so, so good. It's in the top 10, maybe top 5, hip hop albums of all time in my very humble opinion. Ms. Hill is criminally underrated as a rapper too. Maybe that's because she's a woman, or maybe it's because she never turns up to her fucking shows on time.
this was my go to album in secondary school when it was the in thing for everyone to listen to rap music. i got the reverend to put it on once on a long car journey and it was at that point that i realised the levels of choice language in it. the outro did not go down well. this is a hell of a lot better than i remember it being.
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.
I listened to Blunted on Reality first in preparation and I thought that was such a cool album - 10/10 favorite song was Vocab, what cool instrumentals for an old school hip hop song and now I just finished The Score and I think it’s crazy how they managed to make an even better album than before this is also a banger 10/10 over the tragically short discography of Fugees has some of the best production, verses, and overall execution of any old school rap I’ve ever heard would highly recommend you hear these two great albums i’m gonna try to look for any other stuff they’ve made also a huge plus is that you can hear a woman that can actually rap, and she raps damn good
Aight this thing doesnt need to tell me to listen to The Score. Absolute classic that has never left my rotation.
Pure nostalgia. I'm pretty sure The Score was my intro to Hip-Hop (or at least Wyclef, Lauryn and Pras). // I play my enemies like a game of chess //
Adore Lauryn Hill and the nonstop bops of this album. I’m not a skit girl and some of them activated my fight or flight but didn’t take away from how much this album slaps
Holy cow - first time hearing this record. I’m so lucky to get to experience it brand new, but also so sad I haven’t had this in my life for so long.
One of the all time great hip hop albums. Lauryn Hill is the stand out in this masterpiece.
This is the type of album that for better or worse hugely influenced everything that came after it, still soulful and great, love it
I had heard a song or two, some samples and a bunch of references but never listened to a whole album. This is right up my alley, though. The social commentary here is almost 30 years old and still holds up. Lauryn Hill is a poet warrior goddess. The Newt Gingrich dunk made me laugh out loud alone in my apartment. That Chinese restaurant skit is an instant classic. Phenomenal album, will be returning.
Maan... banger album och det funkr så bra som helhet.... jag älskar så gott som allt med det!
Lauryn Hill’s insane vocals and production skills make The Score one of the all-time great hip hop albums. 5 stars
This is an incredibly produced album. Most of that was done by the group itself. I never understood why they were called Fugees until you listen to the theme of the album.
One listen to The Score by Fugees and you would immediately understand why. Why, for the past twenty-five plus years, fans of hip-hop and all genres of music essentially clamor for any crumb of material from the trio that turned everything upside down with their sophomore masterstroke. In a time where alienation, coastal divide and violence reined supreme, three MCs took it upon themselves to not only step up to the best of them but obliterate any doubt in the process. The Score is, perhaps, the prime example of lightning in a bottle; a moment in time that can neither be duplicated nor repeated. And, with that, you will understand why.
8/10, fantastic production, aged ridiculously well, with inspired turns from all the performers, doesn't feel especially 90's, and is well worth a spin
Eccentric mid 90s rap album that propelled Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean into rap and reggae stardom
has some iconic songs, its a shame most rap albums basically call for violence against white people
I'm not a huge fan of this genre of hip hop, but I have to admit that some of these songs are absolute fire. The vocal varieties in the group help to keep the tracks engaging, and the incorporation of more melodic, pop-based choruses and beats, not to mention the creative sampling techniques, help to make the stand-outs really stand out. We've all heard 'Killing Me Softly With His Song', but there's a lot to enjoy here - Ready or Not, Zealots, Fu-Gee-La, How Many Mics are all terrific tracks. Closer to 3.5, but I'll give 4.
There's a lot of emotion in this record. I feel like Childish Gambino has a some inspiration from this one. It's a great record, I can't imagine how it was received in the 90's when it came out, I don't think there was anything like this. Definitely an outstanding album. It's typically not my style, But I can still appreciate it.
Very close to a 5. Amazing mix of genres and so much personality from the Fugees. This album was as good as the hype made it out to be. A classic of mid 90’s hip hop. Listen to Ready or Not and Fugee La
Entertaining R&B / reggae album. Ms. Lauryn Hill has a wonderful voice so the singing shines past the great rap.
Despite the cringey moments with kung-fu skit interstitials, this album crushes. Solid rhymes, unafraid to be patient and laid back in the delivery. This is a regular rotation album.
Idk why hip hop albums have comedy skits. They're not funny. But it's a great album if you ignore them
Sin ser un fan del genero HipHop creo que es un buen disco. El talento se deja ver en los arreglos y las voces.
i really liked this album. i'd heard some of the singles but never the full album. im very happy about this one. 4 stars, but a high 4
Good album. I have never listened to Fugees or the individual artists before (aside from Killing Me Softly, but that doesn’t count). Off to a great start.
The individual members of the Fugees may have all gone on to get mired down in financial irregularities, but here they're all working cohesively together to create a great album! It all sounds so effortlessly confident. Fave track - "The Mask" - takes on a different meaning in 2021, heh.
We actually put this on the other week, to share with the kids. It will always hold up.
Woah, this one caught me off guard. I didn't realize ready or not came from this album, nor the cover of killing me softly. Really enjoyed this.
Yea this is good. Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly, lots of good tracks. Cowboys is a good track. NO WOMAN NO CRY!
Strong album, would've been a 5* had it been cut down slightly to exclude some of the weaker tracks. 4*
First rap album I ever bought. Great album - as relevant today as it was then, maybe even more so. Best tracks: Fu-Gee-La & Ready or Not.
Sick album. No jokey or throwaway lyrics just serious rap delivered by three distinct but unified voices (apart from the Chinese skit) . There are some bona-fide hit records on this but my favourite is probably the closing 'manifest/outro', 6 minutes of raw and frustrated expression.
Already have this album in my library. I love it! Great R&B Album. Too many favorite tracks to name. Unfortunately not a 5 because of a track or two that doesn’t hit as hard, but definitely a 4.5!
Love all the samples, and Lauryn's vocals. Gets a little repetitive in the second half.
Best tracks: Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Family Business, Killing Me Softly with His Song The Mask, No Woman No Cry, Manifest/Outro
Mid 90s classic hip-hop album. Couple of classic tracks on this album warrant multiple relistens: Ready or Not, killing me softly etc. Album itself has some filler tracks that can be skipped (intro, putto).
Great album reminds me of old Wu Tang 36 chambers. Great classic hip hop they don't make them like this anymore.
I enjoyed this. Great beats on some tracks, like Ready or Not. I also like their covers of Killing Me Softly and No Woman. Fu-Gee-La was another stand out.
I thought the quality singing by the rappers was noteworthy. Love the Chinese restaurant skit.
Some absolute bangers on here. Would be a 5 if it wasn't for all the skits and random outros on the end of otherwise great tracks. If they were separated out properly so you could skip them or something, could easily be a 5*
not a fan of hip hop but this stuff is classic. The lyrics are hard-hitting, the beats and hook lines infectious.
Real good 90's hip hop r&b. No woman no cry is a fun cover, ready or not and killing me softly the other standouts. Rest of the album holds it up well!
Good stuff. Hip hop/reggae/pop this band put a mew spin together and influenced a lot of others. Love the covers - esp “No Woman No Cry”. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Killing Me Softly in almost enough to get a 4 on its own here. I like the weird little version of it at the end of Family Business that lead straight into the normal version. Some good, some fine across the rest of the album
Very good album. I loved it in high school. Now I don’t really listen to rap but this was still enjoyable.
4.1 + Been a few years and this one still holds up. Lauren Hill sounds incredible, both as a rapper and a singer. Supreme talent. Wish they left out the skits, especially the one in the Chinese restaurant.
Incredible listening experience. Felt balanced and want forcing every person to be involved in every moment of every track. Killing Me Softly feels like an otherworldly redo. Wow!
Favs: Killing Me Softly, Fu Gee La, Ready or Not Mehs: Chinese Restaurant Skit. Why does this time period think these dumb skits are so great? Ffs I got very sick of this album the year it came out, but I can't deny that their voices are all fantastic. And there are some incredible hooks here.
Solid hip-hop album that clearly serves as the foundation for much of today’s rap and hip hop.
Very solid album from start to finish. Enjoyed it but there wasn't one track for me that REALLY stood out. 4/5 stars.
Actually very nice, intelligent lyrics and I appreciate the mix of genders. I preferred their own songs to their covers
Brilliant album with classic songs on it. I will be listening to this again. First impressions are that it's let down by the fact it's a little on the long side at an 1 hour and 20 mins and I'm not sure the No Woman cover version adds much. Nothing else to fault.
3.5. This one was a bit tough for me to decide which side of the fence to fall on. The music is so so good. The skits are distracting though and had me reaching for the next track button each time. I recognize those probably mean more to other people so I don't begrudge their inclusion but it does knock it down from a true 4 to a 3.5 for me personally. It breaks up the flow of great music.
Really enjoyed the album. It is packed with timeless tunes like: Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly with His Song.
I've heard a couple songs on this album before, but I wasn't too familiar with Fugees in general. Hell, to be honest, I only knew of these artists as individuals. I had no idea this was even a group. Regardless, I found it mostly enjoyable. Aside from the hit singles, there are some really nice hip-hop tracks on here. It flows well as an album, too. I find skits enjoyable on a first listen, but after that it's just something to skip.
More albums need intro tracks, I love a good intro track to hit the context. Family Business was a stand out for me, generally a good album, would happily listen to it again, but don't think its a 5/5.
I'd never really listened to Fugees before and I now see the error of my ways. I had a great time with this album. Not enough for it to be a 5/5 but it's a solid 4/5.
J'ai beaucoup aimé cet album. Groovy, avec d'excellents lyrics qui continuent d'être d'actualité en 2021.
Ein Konzept Album, das klingt, als sei man sich noch vorm drop der Wirkung dieser Bombe sicher. Blasting 4.4
Lyrically, this was clever as hell and I loved all the cultural references. Hill's delivery was dope and stood out tons. The beats were neat to listen to, and the samples held up throughout the years. A very solid record that I would gladly re-visit. Nearly 5 for me.
Great album. Favorite track is The Beast. Really nice mix of hip hop and chill beats. Singing from Lauryn Hill is great on the hooks. No snoozers anywhere.
Rakt igenom bra album, bra producerat, bra framfört, bra balans, bra sketcher, bra covers, bra individuella framföranden. Bra allt? Hur fan har jag missat denna banger till platta? PS Chinese Resturant Skit var fan klockren
Hab mich gefreut als das kam. Schlanke und minimalistische beats, Lauryn Hill Hammer Stimme (grappt und gesungen), poetisch, die Message steht im Vordergrund. Gelegentlich auch ironisch - aber nie so klamaukig wie die 80er Hip Hop Bands manchmal rüberkommen - 90er waren kälter.
Super album. ‚ready or not‘ wird nie alt. sehr eingängige lieder, abwechslungsreich und trotzdem stimmig
some top 90's Hip-hop/Rap here the Fugees really got how to crossover to mainstream with some great sampling and some original tunes, creativity at it's best. Would have loved to be a "fly On The Wall" on the development of some of these songs. Good use of the Flamingo's "Only Have Eyes For You" on "Zealots" But of course the standouts here are "Ready Or Not" "Killing Me Softly" and "No Woman No Cry" good album rightfully listed.
Undeniably great and groundbreaking at the time. Even so, it does feel a bit dated and weak at points. The skits? So '90s hiphop and cringey. They're super cheesy but not enough to tank the album. Amazing performances all around. Haters gonna hate but Lauryn Hill is a singularly amazing talent and she absolutely shines on this album.
Solid interplay between the emcees, Ms. Lauryn Hill absolutely killing it. Timeless classics in songs like Ready or Not and the cover of Killing Me Softly. Always glad to see a good hip hop album on here. Very enjoyable listen. ONE TIME
I just found out that Ms Lauryn Hill was only 20 years old when this album came out... absolutely fuck that I've enjoyed this album even more every time I've listened to it, and it feels vital and significant to this day. I'm not a fan of a few of the skits, but there's not a bad song on here and it's a great listen
Prefs: How Many Mics, Zealots, The Beast, Family Business, Killing Me Softly, Cowboys Moins pref: Manifest/Outro
I knew the singles from high school, but I actually like the rest of the album much better. Hill has an awesome voice, but the hip hop tracks are great.
Crazy in a good way. Some great songs like "Ready or Not", "Fu-Gee-La" and "No Woman, No Cry" which I've heard more times on the radio than I've heard my father's voice. Would be a contender for the best hip hop album of all time, but it's a tad bit too long and dragged down by meaningless skits (what the hell is that Chinese restaurant skit?). Still a big fan, Lauryn Hill is unmatched.
Siis aivan todella fresh hipidihop-levy! Tunnelma on todella hieno tasapainottelu tuskan, kriittisyyden ja huumorin välillä. Jotkut skitit ei kauheesti iskeny, mut kokonaisuus on kyllä ehdottomasti ainakin 4/5.
It's easy to forget that Fugees only released two albums. I've always loved The Score. Clever lyrics and beats that still sound fresh. Ready or Not is a moody mutha. Killing Me Softly is far superior to Roberta Flack's original. This was EVERYWHERE back in the day. At a push it would make my top 10 songs of all time. The comeback vocal from Lauryn Hill towards the end is a real moment. Zealots samples Armagideon Time - there's your Clash connection. Plus any album that name checks Chaka Demus and Pliers is a bit special.
Awesome - sounds like it was recorded yesterday - consistently great tracks and Caribbean sounds - in hindsight there has been nothing like it since - a classic
This album is pure vibes. Some of the smoothest riding songs to come out of the era. Unfortunately, it also came out of the skit era, which is the only reason it drops a star. I'm typically not a fan. Just such a jarring thing that pulls me out of the album. Eh, maybe I'm just getting old, I suppose...
I would have given this a 3 bc I hate skits and not every song was good but it moves up to a 4 because of lauryn hill’s rapping alone. She’s so great especially on “Ready or Not”. None of the others are bad but she clearly outshines the other two.
Qué recuerdos de la MTV, la radio de los 90, nunca me compré este disco pero es como si lo tuviera. Canciones como: Ready or not, The beast, las versiones de "Killing Me Softly" y "No woman, no cry". Este disco si es imprescindible.
3/28/2022 Today's Album: "The Score" by Fugees - It took me a few tracks to really get into this album, but wow this album really turned around and showed me a really nice sonic experience. There is a ton of character in the rap verses on this really consistently great-sounding and well-produced record. They take breaks to explore other sonic routes other than just rapping, but I would say the hip hop tracks are a majority of the track list. I appreciate a lot of the samples they use in this album, 2 of which I think I can pin on Moody Blues Days of Future Passed, but anyways, I like a lot of the production choices on these tracks, having a really groovy bass and African percussion scattered throughout the album and always mixed very highly, which sounds great for this kind of music. The cover of No Woman No Cry was really great, and it just goes to show their versatility between their hip hop tracks and their more stripped back melody-focused songs. There are some mediocre tracks and performances, especially near the beginning, but this album really picks up with a lot of great soul, R&B, African, Hip - Hop, and Reggae music influences and just a ton of great tunes and performances. Overall, this has been the best so far of the 90s hip hop album the generator has been spewing at me over the past week and you should give it a listen if you enjoy this kind of stuff and want a great example of it done well and with tons of character. Score: 8.5/10 Amazingly colorful and charismatic Highlights: Zealots, The Beast, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, The Mask, No Woman No Cry, Manifest / Outro
Never gave this album a full listen before. I knew the hits that were on the radio often. I really enjoy 80/90s rap and this is quite a throwback. I am loving it.
Great album. Not typically what I would listen to but most songs are great. Lasted a little too long but still good.
when i started the album, i couldn't go on. it's very hip-hop. gave it a 2nd chance by starting with killing me softly. now that wasn't so bad. and im surprised when one of em's like this is wyclef. true enough, it's wyclef jean lol that's a weird ending tho but i guess that's hiphop. i like fu-gee-la too especially the female parts
Lauryn Hill kills it. Impressed by her on all tracks. Fav is How Many Mics. Overall, good songs, just not in love with it.
Solid mid-90s hip hop, great vocals, great rhymes, not really something I listen to often
Oh shit, this is actually pretty good. I know the name but my hip-hop knowledge is quite lacking. I know "Killing Me Softly With His Song" which is great, but I enjoyed "How Many Mics". There is a chill jazzy-ness that is the backing feel for the vocals. Some of the other tracks fall a bit flat for me. Also, "The Beast" is a weird track with the "Chinese Restaurant" bit, like... is this offensive, IDK. It's dumb regardless. If this album was half as long it'd be better IMO, so 3*.
The highs are really high on this album, and the effort is special, particularly for the time and where rap and hip-hop were. The talent is there, but there's just too much throw away that's not actually that enjoyable.
This old school hip hop is certainly more accessible than the stuff we hear today, album has a few nice tunes such as Ready or Not but most of it sounds meh now.
I cyk, pierwsze murzyny na liscie, albumik oczywiscie znany, jakos specjalnie hajpowany przeze mnie on nie jest i nigdy nie byl, oczywiscie murzynski albumik na liscie 1001 albumikow cieszy, materialem tym fugees otworzyli sobie drogie do mainstreamu i karier solowych, bo kto przeciez nie slyszal o laurynie hill i jej dorobku muzycznym utrzymanym w kilmatach r&b oraz dorobku dzieciowym w klimacie mieszanym, albumik mocno w kilmatach wyspiarskich, nie tylko przez cover no woman no cry, ktory byl mocnym hitem w 90s, ale stylistycznie calosc jest utrzymana w rodzinnych klimatach wyclefa, na plejliste leci fu gee la oraz ready or not
Probably more like a 3.5ish, but I enjoyed it overall. Songs like "Killing Me Softly With His Song" definitely stand out, though I don't think there is anything I disliked. It does drag on for a bit long, though I think I'd listen to it again eventually (but now I will probably just listen to "Killing Me Softly" more!).
I didn't realize I knew Killing Me Softly until it came on! What a hit, huh. Anyway, as far as East-Coast Hip Hop goes this is good but definitely not the best. This feels more like a tea-up for Lauryn Hill who would go on to release an incredible solo album. For what it's worth though, it's still a real good hip hop album. More of a 3.5 than a 3.
Really good. Hypnotic. Groundbreaking (it sounds well ahead of its time). Do you remember when Tom Facebook stalked Ishbel’s music taste and then spent a whole date gushing to her about how much he loves Lauren Hill and it freaked her out? Food for thought.
Deluxe editions are virtually always awful. At least this time I didn't have to research the album since they titled something /Outro. Anyway, I've tried before, and never really understood the appeal of Fugees. Yeah, Lauryn Hill has a nice voice, but only a couple of the highlight singles (obviously Killing Me Softly With His Song and Ready or Not) stand out at all, and it usually is because of her. Cowboys strikes me as a thrown away Wu Tang Clan track, but I respect the line about shooting John Wayne. No Woman, No Cry is just as annoying as the original. And what the fuck is the skit at the end of The Beast? The best thing Wyclef Jean ever did was feature in Young Thug's "Kanye West." Damn it, I could have been listening to Young Thug and smokin penises this whole time. This is a 2.5 I'm going to be generous rounding on because the aforementioned singles are worth it, but once they're over it's a slog.
The Score is very powerful particularly given Ray Floyd et al. and the heightened profile of BLM. “Killing me softly . . .” makes me chuckle. As a kid I couldn’t stand the brutally overplayed original but when this was released I kinda liked it.
Nice, even for a long album it doesn't feel overlength except on a couple of tracks. Sadly, still my favorite tracks were the covers. Liked: Lauryn Hill's voice.
Some memorable tracks, pretty alright hiphop overall. I always assumed they would be a little more soul-influenced based on Ready or Not.
Nice sounds but I felt like the beats/tempo got a little samey after a while. I like the dynamic between the 3 though, especially when Lauryn Hill utilises her singing voice. Best track: Fu-Gee-La
Cracking tracks interspersed with some nothingness and an awful comedy skit (why?). I liked that they were very open to music that influenced them with many nods throughout.
I know it's a classic of the genre, but it never made much impression on me, and that hasn't changed. The production is good with nice old-school sampling, but there's something lacking from some tracks. The flow is amazing, especially from Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. But on some tracks, the lyrics are mediocre and throwaway. This is one genre where I definitely want the lyrics to have an impact on me. I like Wyclef's ragga style and the Caribbean influence you don't hear so often in American hip-hop. I also like the soulful elements, esp. on the two big hits. But I've got no love for the questionable Bob Marley cover shoehorned in at the end. The album doesn't justify its hour-long running time (and rubbish intros/skits are another thing that ruins many hip-hop albums for me).
Damn, so much better than I expected. Knew a few tracks but lyrics and beats across the whole album are great.
they had no idea that what they were making would go on to be a classic. so much soul. killing me softly, and no woman no cry covers still sound fresh. ready or not and the score all always be classics
That was much more rap-heavy that I expected. Not sure where I got my perception of Fugees from but it was totally wrong. Anyway some cool stuff in there!
Força revolucionari quan va sortir, mai li vaig trobar la gràcia que hom semblava trobar-ne. Vaig preferir els discos posteriors de Lauryn Hill i Wyclef Jean, tot i que les versions de 'Killing Me Softly' i 'No Woman No Cry' i sobretot el single 'Ready or Not' valen el seu pes en or
I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. Not my usual type of music, but pretty enjoyable with a good bit of variety in the songs.
6/10. At the start of the album I was thinking this would be closer to a 4, because I didn't love the sound. I still don't think it's fantastic, but either it grew on me as I was listening, or it got better as it went. Furthermore, it felt really well tied together as an album, with good transitions and callbacks. Still, every track just felt too long, and the album dragged too much for me to rate it higher.
Better than I remembered. Maybe because I hadn't listened to much hip hop beyond Public Enemy at the time - some amazing tracks but could do without the racist skits
nhe i dont really see what everyone is talking about im probably missing something will give an extra star because i feel good today and it has been two weeks since a nice album was generated for me
Buon ritmo, beat coinvolgente, un giusto mix di voci. Inoltre è un mix di generi su una base hip hop, rappata. Ottime Zealots e Killing me softly, le restanti si perdono un po'. Anche Fu-gee-la e Manifest/Outro però...
An excellent collaboration between three stellar hip-hop titans. A solid blend of beats, bars, and social commentary thrown in with some not-too-cringy skits make for an enjoyable LP, though I wish Hill had more airtime on this one.
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.
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.
Five absolutely classic tracks in a 90s time capsule. But also, maybe just take those tracks and drop the rest. N bombs still constantly distracting; I wish they weren’t necessary to make the point.
Pretty cool sound but not as good as I remember it. Still pretty fun to listen to. Well-produced and cool samples.
Album je predug i neki skitovi poput onog o kineskom restoranu su grozno ostarili. Mimo toga još i danas zvuči jebeno s tom fuzijom boom bapa i reggeea
A Tibetan refugee from communist China. Someone who identifies as transgender. An ex-con. My temptation is to say that my best friend in middle school was black, as well as my girlfriend in college whom I almost married, that I grew up groovin’ to Motown and later what is now considered old school rap/hip hop, that I voted for Barack Obama as president, etc- all that shit that so-called progressive baby boomer whites always say in defense. But what I’m going to say is that Fugees are coming from a life experience so significantly different from mine, I almost have nothing to offer as far as a review is concerned. The few things I could authentically recognize and resonate with was the sample on ‘Zealots’ of ‘I Only Have Eyes For You,’ and ‘Knights In White Satan’ at the end of ‘The Mask,’ and, obviously Lauryn Hill’s tender cover of Roberta Flack’s beautifully mournful song, ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ along with Wyclef Jean’s take on my favorite Bob Marely song, ‘No Woman, No Cry.’ I was living in a rural town in north east Texas when this album was released, where segregation was very much alive and well. Not explicitly, of course. But it was there nonetheless. It’s always been. Still is. Probably will be tomorrow. So while I can’t honestly say I enjoyed this recording; Fugees, I’m sincerely making an attempt to listen, to understand. That won’t, and can’t, possibly settle the score. But maybe it’s a step towards reconciliation?
I don't understand this, but it's different. I would have to listen to more to get the hang of it.
This is the second and last album from the trio Fugees. Unlike their first album, this album was critically and commercially successful. It was the third best selling album of 1996 and won a Grammy award for Best Rap Album. This album is certified 7 times platinum in the US, and is the best selling hip-hop album in France overall, with 22 million copies sold and being certified diamond. To add another accolade to an already long list, this album is also the best selling album in the world by a hip-hop group. The hip-hop music on this album is primarily created by samples of various beats and other songs, but there are some recorded instruments or drums sprinkled here and there. It was a well-produced album, with perfect rhythm and singing over top solid beats. It's no wonder this album was popular with how much care the trio put into production. I thoroughly enjoyed this hip-hop masterpiece that was released when I was just a babe.
Tää on aina ollu vähän kaksjakoinen tapaus. Ready or Not on mieletön ja pari muutakin hienoa biisiä. Sit kuitenkin aika moni biisi tuntuu tosi bulkilta. Kai se on sit 3/5.
This passed me by at the time. Quite enjoyed it hearing it now, but the ‘take a hook from a classic song, loop it and rap / sing over it’ thing is very much of its time. I tried to take note of the lyrics, but must admit my attention kept wandering. And I didn’t feel that the voices were that different to what I had heard elsewhere, Lauren Hill notwithstanding. It’s also quite long - too long for me.
Some really great songs on here surrounded by alright songs. As usual, could do without the skits.
Couple of solid songs. Killing me softly is a banger! Otherwise just OK. 3.5 rounded down
A lot of good stuff on this album. Not a 5-star by any means, but like 3.5/5. I think I need to round down because I didn't like the one music video I watched.
What was it with rap albums and probably even albums in general in the 90s being 60 minutes long? So many of these albums are just full of filler to pad out the length to reach an hour length when they should have been 40 minutes. This one was too long and but it did feel chills. Definitely better than some of the other rap albums from the same era I've gotten.
A really good record that was easy to listen to and digest. I especially enjoy Hill's contributions and it's always nice to hear a female voice in hip-hop. Though they only released two albums, their influence is undeniable. I'm still not much of a hip-hop, R & B fan, but this was enjoyable.
Een paar gekende nummers, die ik min of meer wel kon meezingen. Ik vond dit album wel oké
Talking about refugiados, people that are welcome? to us. Lauryn Hill and Pras first met at Columbia High School, in Maplewood, New Jersey. Pras, Lauryn, and a mutual friend Marcy Harriell formed a musical trio called Tyme; Pras' cousin, Wyclef Jean, joined the line-up and Marcy left soon afterward, in 1990. The moniker Tranzlator Crew refers to the name of their band at the time, which included Johnny Wise on drums, Ti Bass (Jerry) on bass guitar, and Leon (DJ). In 1993, after some gigs and recorded demos, the trio signed to Ruffhouse, distributed through Columbia Records. The members then changed the group's name to Fugees, which was purposely taken from a word often used despectivamente to refer to Haitian-Americans (refugee). Refugee Camp, while a name sometimes credited to the trio, also refers to a number of artists affiliated with the members, and particularly Jean.
Honestly didn't really do it for me. Some great vocals from Lauryn Hill but most of the tracks were just not engaging.
Rather dull. Enjoyed killing me softly. Lots of random chat over dull beats. Some of it sounds like GTA radio. 2 stars is generous
Album hip hop con Lauryn Hill. Non essendo appassionato di hip hop è difficile giudicare
I hate albums like this one. Cause most of it is very not my style but there is 1 mega hit on it and everything changes. Killing Me Softly With His Song is a banger, Mista, Mista is also quite alright, rest I don't like.
How many people would have heard of the Fugees if not for the Roberta Flack & Bob Marley covers? Lauryn Hill, on the other hand…
I did not get on well with this album. Some good songs, but outside of the hits it didn't resonate.
There are some great lyrics on this record, and Lauryn Hill is an exceptional talent, but when this record came out 25 years ago, it left me bored.
For hip-hop, this is ok, but overall I found this one fairly bland. I did like the reggae feel to it more than most, but not enough to say I'd ever listen to it again. Was going to give it a 3 for the two cover songs which were really good, Killing me Softly and No Woman, but maybe just a 2
The Fugees, daar verwacht ik veel van. Het begint met rap en dat is een grote teleurstelling. Gelukkig brengt het bekende "Ready or Not" daar nog wat verandering in, maar - al met al - vind ik het album toch maar niks. Dat is puur persoonlijk want er muzikaal niks af te keuren op dit album. Het is heel toegankelijk en zelfs te luisteren, maar gewoon niet leuk genoeg.
Take out the two covers and it’s a hot mess, like the three of them wandered into the studio and the just left the tape running
First Listen. Heard a couple of the songs before. This is a very talented group of singers. Lauren Hill and Wyclef are masters. Killing Me Softly is a great version of a great song. Roberta Flack's will always be the best version for me though. Overall, there are some good songs, I need more time to get to know it. 2/5 for now.
I appreciate it for what it is, but not my favorite album. Can see where it was a pioneering album in the hip hop genera.
Tempo gets very repetitive throughout the album. Some nice, throughtful lyrics - with equal amounts of nonsense Lauryn Hill has a great range in styles. Best songs were the covers
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 have really specific taste when it comes to hip hop/RnB and unfortunately bar a few tracks this album doesn't match up. I can see why it's included but from a personal listening point I skipped through most of the tracks.
This has a high production value and King Me Softly with His Song is a classic. The rest is alright for what it is, but Hip Hop just isn't my thing. The between-song skits about ordering take-away food etc. are annoying. 2/5.
Not sure that this album has aged all that well, not in terms of the music but the language used. This album is fine but I’m not sure it’s amongst the best hip hop albums from this era. Several of the singles are covers and the original content is a step down
Hip-hop is a genre that requires very minimal musical talent; all it takes to "write" a typical song is to make a 2-second beat and loop it for 3 to 5 minutes. And more often than not, the beat isn't even made by a person; it's just made by a drum machine or a computer. Like wow nice job guys, you have invented the most repetitive genre in history. Lyrically the album is cool; there are many talented poets of hiphop. But musically, it's uninteresting and unimpressive. I think that if hip-hop weren't a predominantly black genre, nobody would care about it. But the sad thing is that hiphop is sooo boring compared to other cooler genres of music black people pioneered, such as jazz or soul or reggae or disco or funk or blues. The list goes on. I liked some of the bits where they were singing instead of rapping, like "Killing Me Softly." "No Woman, No Cry" was pretty good.
Yes Lauryn Hill can still rap. I'm not much for the vibe, it is pretty funny though I like that. Didn't love any of it. (Though "No Woman, No Cry" was obviously good) 2
Odotin tältä vähän enemmän. Ajan hammas on nähdäkseni purassut aikalailla. Isoi hittejä mut jotenki jättää vaisuksi. Lauren hill:in eka soolo taas on muistaakseni aika härkänen tähän verrattuna. 2/5
Ehh. It was okay. Had some okay music and some songs I didn't mind, others I found actively unpleasant. Again, really not the kind of music I'm generally into.
Lauryn Hill is clearly the standout here but is grossly underutilized throughout, save for a couple of tracks.
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
Meh, fugee-la is cool but the rest of this album is just boring. Feels like the beats werent entirely finished, seem to be missing.. something? Wyclef has an annoying voice and all the covers and semi covers just feel lazy.
The only saving grace is killing me softly and as the day went on having listened to the album early in the day, the whole thing just made me more and more upset and I downgraded it from a 2 to a 1.
have on vinyl