Reviews (page 10 of 14)
has some iconic songs, its a shame most rap albums basically call for violence against white people
Nice one!
4* some good songs but definitely some filler
Eccentric mid 90s rap album that propelled Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean into rap and reggae stardom
awesome
1996. Key Songs: How Many Mics, Killing Me Softly With His Song
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
Ahhh, this album is fabulous fun
Darker than the hits suggest... great all round album.
Alright with a couple of obvious stand outs
I remember Fugees from the 90s. Not entirely my genre, but very good. I guess I was more Black Eyed Peas than Fugees, as BEP weren't quite as heavy. The hits off this album (Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly spring to mind) as well as Fu-Gee-La were great, but some of the others were a bit too much for me. A solid 3 stars for me.
Fine album, but the Chinese restaurant skit is unfortunate to say the least.
Helt ok. Noen bangers
1st time listening to this LP. Love this. US Trip hop with a male & female duet. The haunting sample / music melody through Ready or Not is something else. Perfect for Summer day playing. Influence for Little Simz for sure. Clean chilled fresh beats. Called the Fugees cos Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel are from Haiti. The beat remains mellow. Gets a bit monotonous after a while though, started off as a 5 downgrading to a 3. Lauryn Hill clearly the standout on here.
Enjoyed mostly
Yeah it's alright
legendary
Boring kind of country but I like his voice
Sonically interesting and varied while still being cohesive. This album is a chilled out, smooth listen, aside from the skits. Don’t think it’s something I’ll listen to again, but I’m glad I’ve heard it. Standout Track: the Killing Me Softly cover Rating: 3
These guys really had a different sound. It’s sad that Pras is in prison or they could probably tour pretty successfully. Maybe a 3.5/5.0
Some killer songs here. Would be three times as good without the skits
Some killer tunes but the skits, my god. They just drag it down, lemme get on with the album!
Pretty fun and old school hip hop with a splash of reggae thrown in. Lauryn is the highlight of the vocals but they all fit well enough. The backing music is pretty straight forward to the point where it can stand out which isn't the best. The rhymes are fine, sometimes the songs get a little ad libby which alongside the skits creates a light silly atmosphere which is fine but feels like it gives some tonal whiplash. Glad to have heard it but think this style has been refined and expanded upon since then and this shows it's age a bit.
Wonderful hip-hop album. The use of unusual sources for drone loops in the songs is an interesting move, like the Enya loop in "Ready Or Not". The constant skits ruin the experience, though. If I wanted to listen to a one-act play in between songs, I'd go to Broadway. And three remixes of "Fu-Gee-La" is excessive. It's not THAT good of a song. My Rating: 3/5
Even though I am not a hip hop fan. This was ok. Cut down on the swearing
Musta tuntuu että useammalla kuuntelulla tää vois nousta korkeemmallekin. Also: oli huvittavaa että tää levy tuli tänään koska Ready or Not soi eilen mun päässä vaikka kuin pitkään.
Kokonaisuutena toimi kivasti ja rullas eteenpäin. Kuitenkaan ei oikein mikään biisi jääny ihmeemmin mieleen, eikä sit kuitenkaan ollu sellasia kohokohtia hirveesti.
Hyvää ja laadukasta hip hoppia, mutta pitkänpuoleinen. Ready or Not on klassikko, muut biisit uusia. Alkupuoli meni sujuvasti, loppua kohden meinasi meikäläinen hyytyä. Mut hyvä, uusi tuttavuus. Vähän tähän liittyen: skitit. En ymmärrä niitä. Tuntuu aina et vähän tunkeilen jonkun inside-läpässä. Että pitäis olla tosi syvällä jossain skenessä että tajuais mitä tapahtuu. Ja sit yhtäkkiä huomaat et oot kuunnellu kolme minsaa outoa riidanhaluista yappaamista, kun haluaisit vaan kuunnella musiikkia. Idk. En kai vaan tajua.
This is a good album but I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I'm not a fan of hip-hop but I thought I would like this more than I did. I liked the lyrics, and also some of the tracks: "How Many Mics", "Zealots" or "Family Business" However, I'm not a,big fan of "Ready or Not" (which I think is ok), or "Killing Me Softly". And I was not very excited with the cover of "No Woman, No Cry". So, overall, it is in the range of 3,5 stars for me. However, I think this is generally a bit overrated, so I'm going with 3 stars.
Rap Classic (Lauren Hill's first album noticed by the public)
Nope
Production was awesome and loved the beats. Never heard most of it. Nothing stuck out. Good album.
I know yall heard that Mazel tov. This was good for future musicians to sample.
Well this is the exception that proves the rule. A rap album that I can respect and at times even enjoy. Lauren Hill a generational talent…a shame we’ve heard so little from her over the years. 3 for me.
MOR hip hop karaoke for people who don't really like hip hop Some great elements but ultimately all feels a bit watered down Also wyclef scammed a bunch of poor Haitians so fuck him
Cubs-7, Diamondbacks-0.
the quality of these tracks were inconsistent to me. I know this had a giant impact on culture, but other than a few gems, I couldn't get into it
Love Lauren’s voice. But not much of a rap fan. Respect the work here but not my style of music.
I've always had a soft spot for this version of 'Killing Me Softly', the rest of the album never quite reaches that height, but it's a decent enough album overall.
I like the two covers quite a lot. More singing, less talking would be great.
Pretty good, but not as good as the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Probably wouldn't get this on vinyl, but might listen to a few select tracks on occasion.
I listened to it when it first came out and liked it okay. It had some catchy hooks that are still stuck in my head even though I hadn’t listed to it since it was released (many money say, me say many, many, many). Listening to it again now, I still found it pretty chill. An easy listen.
Wyclef Jean is SO ANNOYING!!!! Some of these songs are very good though. It's just not one I like that much even though I begrudgingly admit it's good. But sometimes it's boring and not that good!
Killing Me Softly is and will always be an elite level song but can’t say that this album offered too much more to my taste.
This is only for those hits…
songs rely a lot on sampoles. songs have skits after almost every one. good flow, lots of bible references.
I could do without a couple of these tracks, but the good ones are great and make up for the rest. I loved the closing track (fu gee la global remix), which was new to me.
I’m pretty much a hip-hop hater, but…there is actual music in here and Lauren Hill can sing, so it’s not bad to listen..
Love it!
So, this is a very important album. It’s got some all time classics and essentially kickstarted Lauryn Hill’s career. All 3 rappers here come off as intellectual, conscientious and very good on the mic. Individually they’re great, but together they’re amazing. This was the second and last album they came out with. It’s no wonder why. After how well this sold, they all launched successful solo careers, Lauryn most notably, releasing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill literally only 2 years after this one came out. That album, unsurprisingly, is also featured on the site. While most others were hardcore gangster rapping, this album is very different in a sense and just comes off as a unique form of Hip-Hop that no one else was really doing at the time. My opinions of it as a whole are that it’s pretty good. It’s interesting how they’ll go from topic to topic in an almost nerdy way, rapping about how much Newt Gingrich sucked, and immediately following it up with a verse about Chewbacca. A lot of the songs are like that. After about 30 minutes though, I rather get the point. It’s catchy but it doesn’t blow me away like some of these other albums have. I still really like it, and it is very important, but I think I’m going to give this one a 3. It’s got a lot of prominent and notable covers featured throughout, but my favorite song has to be “Ready or Not”. That song in particular I’ve heard covered so many times, and it’s always good. I had completely forgotten that this was the original. Of course, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” gets a shoutout as well. Masterful performance. The original version was probably shorter, but at an hour and 17 minutes, the album really does start to drag a little bit at the midpoint. Also, can we just talk about the Chinese Restaurant Skit please?? A common trend for Hip-Hop albums is to fill them to the brim with skits, and Lauryn uses a ton of them on Miseducation. This album doesn’t actually have a lot, which I’m thankful for, I don’t usually like them and find that they ruin the flow of a lot of the albums they’re featured in. That being said, again, can we talk about the Chinese Restaurant Skit please???? What the hell is this, lmao. Like, it’s really funny, but why is it here. I don’t really see the point to have it placed where it is, but I will say that it’s very funny, so I’m not complaining about it. Overall, this is a landmark album that everyone should listen to, full of pop culture references, smart rap, and a lot more fun stuff added to the mix as well. Personal enjoyment was just ok, but it’s a very high 3 nearing a 4 for me, and that’s still really good in my book.
monotony
Very overrated but good
I never heard of Fugees before, but something rang a bell with a couple of their songs. Really good and chill music, worth diving into more.
I can hear the influences on future hip-hop with 30 years of perspective. Killing me Softly still isn't my favorite, but Ready or Not and Zealots are great songs.
I love Lauryn Hill The lyrics are kind of funny It all kind of sounds the same
Better than expectations. Familiar with the hits, and the album itself is solid enough, but the skits are a tiresome and I find myself not being able to really recall the deepcuts. Can't see myself reaching for this again. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 397 Already owned : 89 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 284
Como he dicho ya tantas veces por aquí, no soy fan del hip hop, pero el disco de los Fugees me gustó. Tiene muchas referencias a la cultura pop que fue divertido estar escuchando, y sobre todo tiene muy buenos sampleos de canciones clásicas que le van muy bien a la banda. Además, el equilibro entre Jean y Hill le da bastantes puntos al disco. Le pondría 3.5, pero esta cosa no deja calificar con decimales, así que ni modo. Baja a 3.
5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background
I can’t lie, I’m not the target audience here. That doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge that for its time it was groundbreaking, and I can really appreciate the sampling and the flows are nice at points. Really like “The Beast” as it just hit hard and had a solid consistent theme despite the several artists featured. Lauryn Hill is a genius and elevates most of the songs here simply by her presence. Killing Me Softly is beautiful and I wish Lauryn Hill would sing more, this song has aged best from the rest of the album. With that being said, some of the bars here don’t land like I wish they could. Slang is a revolving door and lyrics like “my crew is so fly” and using the term MC feels prehistoric. I don’t know which one Wyclef is, but the Jamaican guy can be obnoxious and the more plain rapper can get stale. The overall thematic is “cops bad” which I find low hanging fruit. Maybe I just don’t understand what’s going on here but it’s also hard to sympathize with people who are massively successful singers singing about struggle. Not for me but I fully understand the skill and wordplay here is next level.
The covers are great. The beats and music are great. The lyrics feel confrontational and harsh, not pleasure to listen to. 3 out of 5
Pretty nice
Killing me slowly goes so crazy
This album is an Oreo and killing me softly serves as the stuffing.
I kind of dig it
Good album. Lauryn Hill's voice is so good. A little dragged out, though.
Above average rap/hip hop. Made better by a sprinkling of Lauren Hill.
7/10 fv song: Fu-Gee-La - Sly & Robbie Mixp
A : 4, Zealot JL: 3, Manifest
ehh
sounds good i like it.
it's good, but nothing i'll relisten to much
hiphop wiec gowno ale dobre gowno jak na gowno wiec tszy
Very poetic, just not my style
If there was a 3.5 I'd give it that. Some great tracks and harmonies but some tracks just pass me by
Probably the smoothest hip hop album I've ever listened to, but it just didn't click for me for some reason. (2.5)
Interesting. I've never listened to rap music before. I usually found rap songs to harsh but the couple songs I've heard so far in this album were quite nice.
2-3 chansons que je connais forcément, du rap classique américain des années 90-2000. De bon flow des prod classiques.
Good
Cool, juste pas mon style
I liked it, not sure how I never heard it before. Nothing I could really sink my teeth in to but a fun listen.
This is a super fun album I was expecting to like it more because of how much I like miseducation but it was a little bit worse than that album I love the intro and outro You can tell this album was made with love and I love the vibe of it Favorites: killing me softly with his song, ready or not, the mask 3 or 3.5
Pretty fun listen
Album jest ciekawy. Kocham połączenie rapujących meżczyzn i śpiewających kobiet. Album zawiera ciekawe wstawki i jest dość hip-hopowy.
some great individual songs, and you can really hear the influence this album on so many other artists
Fun rhymes, rhythms, and samples. A lot of variety, humor, and themes in this album combine to make an album of great character.
too many skits
5/10 was fun but not my genre Highlight: Killing Me Softly
You know it wasn’t bad, not usually my style but actually kind of enjoyed it
I listened
A pretty good album, I liked Killing Me Softly With His Song and Mista Mista the most.
Ik vond het wel oke, maar gevoelsmatig was het een erg lang album, weinig verrassend. Waar ik me het meest aan stoorde was de eentonigheid van de drumbeats. Dat viel me eerder al op bij hun grootste hit killing me softly waar ze een drumloopje hebben gepakt wat vrij eentonig doorgaat. Dit hoor je ook terug in andere nummers. 2,5 afgerond 3 want ze rappen wel aardig.
Light 3,5
BEFORE: Had this CD as a teenager but haven't listened in years, although I still have Ready or Not on a few playlists. Let's see how it holds up... AFTER: First version of this I found was censored. No thanks. The beats and hooks mostly hold up well and Lauryn Hill was clearly an outstanding talent. Wyclef holds his own. The rhymes are hit and miss and it is hard to work out what Pras actually brought to the table, if anything. Falls off hard in the second half. Highlights: Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Zealots, Family Business, Lauryn Hill when they let her sing without interrupting. Lowlights: Pras trying to rap, the racist nonsense after The Beast, The Mask, No Woman No Cry (I like Wyclef but he has no business covering Bob Marley and needs to stop trying). VERDICT: 3.5/5. Some hidden gems on there beyond the singles, but too uneven to be a classic.
the basic hiphop (which i discovered im not into as much?!) but it still had major hits i liked but most of it was very monotonous to me and i didnt like the chinese restraunt skit (im sorry?!)
OK but nothing special. I knew the singles and they are probably the best tracks. Why do so many of these albums have skits because the ones on this are embarrassing at best.
Alhoewel dit album echt niet mijn genre is, kan ik niet ontkenen dat sommige nummers wel een beetje catchy zijn. De Chinese Restaurant Skit is wel echt een massieve sfeersspons. 3 sterren maar eigenlijk maar 2
It's cool....radio hits still hold up. But enough with the fucking skits!
Doesn’t quite click with me, but still some highlights
I wanted to like this more than I did. The vocals are excellent and it is lyrically interesting, but the music just didn’t do it for me
I think I've said this elsewhere in my 1001 reviews, but Lauryn Hill was a once-in-a-generation genius rapper/singer; her straight up skill is in evidence here on "Killing Me Softly." Nothing will change that--not even her later descent into strains of Christianity that most of us could hang with. That said, the Fugees took second place after Ms. Hill's 1994 hit. In my heart anyhow. Wyclef Jean and Haitian politics fascinated me then and now--his story is powerful. The album has a couple hard-hitting hits, eg "Killing Me...", but otherwise doesn't have the era-changing magic of Ms. Hill's solo debut.
I'm sensing a pattern here. Another 90s hip hop record, another album with some great songs and a ton of filler including absolutely wretched "skits" or whatever they are. A lot to like and a lot to cringe at. When those skits start all I can hear is Amy Tan on the Simpsons saying "I'm embarrassed for both of us." Yes, i am.
- love the sampling on zealots -intriguing sample work - i wonder what the purpose of skits are in rap albums, interesting sonic texture and bit of drama--pushes what sound can be -lost me at times.
Mmm yeah I like I like
Rap tiene un temon y la mina también ya me había tocado y telón pero muy rap200s
Classic 90’s hip hop. Soulful. Great rhymes. It’s a little dated… just a little. The best thing this record did was introduce the Lady Ms. Lauryn Hill to the world. I would rather listen to The Miseducation. 3.7
This wasn't bad. There were some strong moments and great harmonies. I still don't love interludes / intros, but this album flows well. I can only listen to so many remixes of "Fu-Gee-La" but this was fun. Great beats Liked Songs: "Ready or Not" , "Zealots" , "Fu-Gee-La" , "Killing Me Softly With His Song" , "Manifest/Outro" , "Fu-Gee-La - Sly & Robbie Mix"
My rating 2.8
Lauryn Hill is the standout talent in this trio for me. Her bars are sick, her flow is smooth, and she can sing like a bird. She’s the total package. This is intellectual hip hop written incredibly well with some insanely good cultural references. I found the beats to suffer from sameness. Also, the album feels really long. I struggled to rate it because I appreciate the ingenuity in the lyrical content and feel the beats are smooth and enjoyable, but I just don’t love the album. I’d much rather take the hits on their own and leave the rest.
I like the Fugees well enough but maybe just the well known tracks. Their version of Killing Me Softly is the best. Maybe just because the album is too long, couldn't nudge this up to a four.
I like Lauryn Hill, and there certainly are some great tracks here. I struggled slightly with the vocal styles of the male MCs here, though. Frankly, I didn’t think they were particularly good. As well as that, the overly smooth production style paired with reggae-style backing tracks wasn’t something that I enjoyed so much. All that said, there are still some amazing tracks here, and anything less than a 3 would be an injustice.
Not something I'd normally listen to, but I did enjoy it well enough
This was a hard one to rate because there are some classics in there but there’s also some very mediocre rhymes too.
I really do enjoy the sonic world the fugees build. It's rich and intricate. I enjoy all their voices and the knack they have for grabbing sounds from so many different places and bringing them together. I'm not sure how deeply I can connect with it on a personal level. These people are lucidly describing the world they live in, but I tire sometimes. They are very clever lyricists, have excellent poetic meter and rhythm. Lauryn has such a rich voice. And yet...
Good
Some really good stuff in there. I've yet to find a rap album skit I enjoy
Ouvi algumas e gostei, mas não faz meu estilo.
Good inspirational beats and flows. Crazy racism
gostei
An interesting listen - the sound was very complete
Similar vibe to Soul II Soul. There's something profoundly sad that their "yay for refugees" lyrics feels so unlikely to be as well received today.
A really great and experimental album, that I hadn’t heard of before! Loved how the they had a few gags in some of the song e.g. James Taylor. I’d recommend the score, fu-gee-la, family business and killing me softly Very good but could be a bit bland and needed getting used to!
Okay hvad fuck, det er for sindssygt Men det er også lidt mange skits Det holder ikke helt niveauet hele vejen igennem, og jeg har nok ikke givet det den helt rette opmærksomhed 3.6
Not my cup of tea but I love Lauren Hills voice
It was okay
Its a pretty neat album, it just isn‘t what I would usually listen to tbh. It transitions from one song into the next smoothly and without interuption (at least it doesn‘t have large breaks between songs). It was a bit boring to me. My favourite was prob Killing me softly, although I was already familar with the original by Roberta Flack.
Killing me Softly is awesome, couple of other songs are pretty good
I’m not a fan of hip-hop, particularly of this kind of hip-hop.
Lyrically, I have no idea what I listened to. Musically this actually seemed pretty solid.
It's a solid and sometimes slightly annoying hip hop album. Nothing special to me.
5/10
Not my thing, but gud
It’s a pretty good one, if a bit long. No album should be over an hour really. I do like that this band spun off two very colourful characters. That’s cool.
Strong vocals from Ms Lauryn Hill and powerful lyrics from the group. Definitely a different vibe from Miseducation. Had some alright songs but it hits hard when it does Fav Tracks: Ready Or Not Fu-Gee-La Family Business Killing Me Softly With His Song No Woman No Cry Manifest/Outro
It was alright
*This had some cool hip hop moments but I have never loved their singles *This is another example of 90s albums that had extra songs that could fit on a CD, but aren't neccessary
Pas vraiment mon style de music, mais ils savent raconter une histoire et en particulier la leur de manière street, leurs problèmes, leurs envies, leurs peurs... Je re-écouterai pas mais j'ai quand même aimer le moments que j'ai passer avec eux.
I think that Wyclef is talented, but Lauryn Hill HARD carries this album
6/10
Pretty good
Red Intro - --/5 How Many Mics - 3/5 Ready or Not - 4/5 Zealots - 5/5 The Beast - includes Chinese restaurant skit - 3/5 Fu-Gee-La - 5/5 Family Business - 2/5 Killing Me Softly with His Song - 4/5 The Score - 3/5 The Mask - 3/5 Cowboys - 3/5 No Woman, No Cry - 4/5 Manifest/Outro - 4/5
3/5 Liked all the songs but not a genre that I would listen to often, good to play in background songs. Favorite song: No Woman, No Cry I always love a Batman reference in a song as well!
Album intéressant. Pas tellement ma came, j'ai beaucoup de mal avec le rap (et surtout le vieux rap). J'ai eu du mal à accrocher mais je comprend la hype.
Very solid. Awesome reverse sound effect that was unfortunately way too overused
Sólido 3 cuasi 4 para los tribalistas del hood, tiene buenos temas, burguer king mentioned lo cual le da puntos y tienen ready or not que luego fue el sample para (y me pongo de pie) shake de Ishowspeed. Sape
The Score is an album that i have pretty mixed feelings on. My mixed feelings go towards pretty much every aspect of this album. In terms of the production and instrumentals, there were points where it was cool and gave the songs a really neat vibe but at other points, it could just be quite boring. The vocals were good in some places, especially Lauryn Hill's vocals but sometimes, the rappers did sound like they were really bored. The lyrics are also pretty mixed here to with them being smart in some areas but dumb in others. This album pretty much just flip-flops between scores so often that i feel like the only score i can give it is a 3. Best Song: Manifest/Outro Worst Song: How Many Mics
I like how cinematic they made this record feel with each track interconnecting and being referenced to throughout the album. It creates a unique experience that I really dig. Fav Tracks: Ready or not, killing me softly, Fu-gee-la, cowboys, and no woman, no cry
I know and own Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly With His Song. I really liked their version of Killing Me Softly when it came out. They had good pop culture references in their songs. They also used some good samples. The album was a little long though. It kept my interest though.
RATING: 7/10 HIGHLIGHT: The Mask LOWLIGHT: Cowboys
============================================== ============================================== ============================================== FUGEES - THE SCORE (1996 - Expanded Edition) ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN ★★★☆☆ ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== Fugees - The Score (1996 - Expanded Edition) 1. Red Intro (★⯨☆☆☆) -Innecesaria. Lo bueno es que introduce y continúa en la siguiente dando continuidad. 2. How many Mics (★★★☆☆) -Suena bien, alegra no ser nativo inglés y no entender nada. -Samples: "Dreams" - Ramsey Lewis (Irreconocible para mí) 3. Ready or Not (★★★★⯨) -Quizás la mejor o una de las mejores del álbum. -Samples: "Boadicea" - Enya. 4. Zealots (★★★★☆) -El sonido y la mezcla en general le valen las 4 estrellas por sí solo. -Samples: "I Only Have Eyes For You" - The Flamingos 5. The Beast - includes Chinese restaurant skit (★★★☆☆) 6. Fu-Gee-La (★★★★★) -Mi favorita de todo el álbum. -Samples: "If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right" de Ramsey Lewis. -Estilo: "Ooh La La La" - Teena Marie 7. Family Business (★★★☆☆) -Samples: "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" - John Williams 8. Killing Me Softly With His Song (★★★★☆) -Lauryn Hill tiene muy buena voz... 9. The Score (★★★★☆) -Samples: "Dove" - Cymande 10. The Mask (★★★☆☆) 11. Cowboys (★★⯨☆☆) 12. No Woman, No Cry (★★★⯨☆) 13. Manifest/Outro (★★⯨☆☆) 14. Fu-Gee-La - Refugee Camp Remix (★★⯨☆☆) 15. Fu-Gee-Laa - Sly & Robbie Mix (★★⯨☆☆) 16. Mista Mista (★★⯨☆☆) 17. Fu-Gee-La - Refugee Camp Global Mix (★★⯨☆☆) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 53,5 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 53,5 / 17 = 3,147 ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★★★☆☆ ============================================== ============================================== ==============================================
They're fantastic here. Happy to listen to this one all the way through
While hip-hop has never been my genre of choice except for a few artists, I can recognize and respect the craft of it when it's done well, and The Fugees do it very well here. Lauryn Hill's voice remains the highlight, both when singing the hook of their cover of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song," (the undoubted highlight of the album, or getting into her flow on "The Beast" as she excoriates racist law enforcement. Between Pras, Wyclef, and the guest contributors I'm not sure who produced which beats for which tracks, but they're all pretty propulsive, most noticeably on "Fu-Gee-La" and "Zealots." This would be a four-star album, but I'm docking it a point because of the scourge of 1990s and 2009s rap/hip-hop albums - pointless skits. "The Beast" isn't improved by closing out with a borderline racist joke set in a Chinese restaurant.
Of all the classics ruined by skits, this is the most damage theyve done. You could easily cut this down to less than 50 mins if you got rid of the unfunny shit that ruins the flow
A few solid hits, and great beats overall, but some of the songs were a little aggressive or just meh
This is cool 90’s hip hop but if u gotta compare this with Nas and a Tribe Called Quest it’s like two whole different worlds
Like, it's a classic hip-hop album with artists who deserve their reputations, but other than the singles, nothing really stood out as special. The production and samples are fine throughout, pairing with alright rapping. I hope Lauryn Hill's solo album is better,
Wandering into this one intimidated by the reputation that precedes it. Even more so as it did NOT land with me. Hey... LISTEN... the atmosphere created is great. Has this smokey and hypnotic ease to it that makes for a chill hang, just little that stuck to my ribs. Maybe I’m too removed from the context, maybe I’m ill-equipped to properly weigh its importance, maybe I showed up to a formal party in my Mountain Dew Crocs and pajama bottoms on my head. Either way, smooth and respectable work.
First Impression: Reminds me of Kendrick Lamar ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ in the storytelling and flow of the tracks and interludes. Unlike Mr. Lamar, Ms. Lauryn Hill’s sweet vocals and Fugees laid back rap flow serenades me to the land of the chill. I would spin this album again. In an act of vulnerability, I will say I found myself questioning “is this album for me?” (I’m a middle-aged white American woman), but more importantly, it had me thinking “does that matter?” – and maybe that’s the point. I appreciate the songs acting as an invitation to dig more into the artists meaning, and for exploring what the songs mean to you personally too, of course. Another Thought: This is begging to be a visual album a la Beyonce ‘Lemonade’ Stand-out tracks: Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Family Business, Killing Me Softly With His Song, No Woman No Cry
Cool record but disappointingly loose. There are some really excellent verses, tracks and even runs of several tracks. At those moments a part of me wants to say "absolute classic". Some of Lauren's great flows, some of the hooky stylised raps from others.. Unfortunately I do find it a bit flabby overall. Feels long by the end. As is the common for a rap record from this era - I find some of the skits a bit painful. Then there are some tracks that don't hit for me. I understand why people love them but the two big covers are actually a bit luke warm for me when I'm listening through the record.
Good, but not great.
Not my cup of tea
Didn’t manage to listen to the full album due to being in holiday but for the most part I liked it. Ready or not was the clear stand out great song. 7/10
ok
Enjoyed it more than I thought. Not really my genre but thought that the songs were catchy and plenty going on in the background
Killing Me Softly is 6/5, the rest isn't so good
Not really my cup of tea, but not bad
3.25
Som en mesigare version av wu-tang. Lauren Hill räddar skivan, varken Pras eller Wyclef är särskilt bra här. Bästa spår: Redy or not. Fu-Gee-La. Det är ingen dålig bedrift att sampla Enya och få det att låta bra. Trista val av covers; Killing me softly och No woman no cry. Och som vanligt är sketcherna mellan låtarna usla.
B Red Intro 3 How Many Mics 3 Ready or Not 4 Zealots 4 The Beast 3 Fu-Gee-La 5 Family Business 3 Killing Me Softly with His Song 4 The Score 3 The Mask 3 Cowboys 3 No Woman, No Cry 3 Manifest/Outro 3 It’s good, but not as good as it used to be.
A little slow and skit-heavy for my tastes but there's some good stuff here Fav track: The Score
Good songs but I do hate the skits
smooth album some good tracks
3.5
3.5
It’s good. Don’t have much else to say. Some fun, creative moments alongside some duller moments.
Decent beats are good, lyrics are good, the extended version could be shorter and cut down a few songs. Overall tho pretty good, maybe a few playlist-worthy songs.
Not bad
Cool beats. Lots of samples that make for nostalgic sounding tracks.
It bad but I had trouble getting into it
One of the better rap albums suggested so far but too long to listen to the whole thing.
Le doy un 6,50 porque tiene buenos temas, pero hay muchos que no estan a la altura
Je voulais vraiment l'aimer cet album ! Finalement, il ne sort vraiment de l'ordinaire que sur Killing Me Softly, le reste étant généralement agréable mais généralement oubliable.
I really wish every song wasn't over 5 minutes. I'll come back to this one.
3/17
bra röst hon har
Enjoyable from start to finish
Good beats, good production. Don't really care for the annoying-ass singing on 'Ready or Not', but this version of 'No Woman No Cry' is a guilty pleasure. 'Zealots' is good too.
I've never really cared for their take on Killing Me Softly, but overall I did enjoy this album. I think I enjoyed the whole better than its parts. Some good vibes, chill but with enough interest and humor sprinkled in.
Lauryn Hill's voice brings this album up.
It took me some time to warm to this. I really didn't like it off the bat and thought it was really boring. However... there's a decent amount of good tracks in here. The tracks where they're straight-up rapping together work well. Some of the tracks are pretty chill and have some good rhymes.
Didn’t finish but what I heard I enjoyed. This listen was refreshing!
What a great album that I haven’t previously had the pleasure of listening to straight through before. Admittedly, I didn’t like the intro, and it immediately made me feel like I would hate the rest. For me, the production is (almost) amazing; the coalescence between the live instruments and the drum machine work incredibly well, samples are felicitous, and the way the tracks flow smoothly into each other is so satisfying. However, I found it incredibly annoying when there was a bunch of yapping at the end of tracks; I hate this and I don’t know why it’s such a common thing on HH albums. layering wise there is so much going on, but it’s perfect and far from cluttered; the entire album has such a sense of confidence and self assuredness. Vocals from ms lauryn hill are soulful and poised, impeccable as always <3; harmonies and interplay between the three work well. Lyrics carry a lot of emotional depth. The extra four tracks at the end after the outro literally added nothing and felt a bit taped on; without them, the run time seems more reasonable. More of a personal grievance though; I just generally dislike double songs in albums.
Not too bad for a rap album
Fun
kinda kills me to score this low because there are some 5 star songs… but yeah idk
rap. soul. groove. vocals. harmony.
The album contains the three hits "Ready Or Not", "Fu-Gee-La" and "Killing Me Softly". The rest of the album don't convinces me fully.
3.5, odd but I get it
Wasn’t really my thing but I can see why it’s influential
old school rap not mumble trash
Bueno, no está mal incluso sin gustarme el estilo
7/10
The good: Lauryn hill has a blessed voice. The production is clean and pleasant. A few nice bangers and some good musical concepts (I like that the album starts with a conversational tone and then the beat starts and puts it in the rhythm). The less good: the main album draw are covers (like killing me softly), the rest is mostly run of the mill 90s rap that doesn't touch musically the covers. Something odd about a album's highlights not being originals. I'm not a fan of a word vomit rap where profundity is mimicked with random words that prioritize rhyming, and the only sense is "im great you suck". But it's a genre complaint, not album specific. Overall a nice listen. An overrated album that leans heavily on only a few tracks, most not original. If the quality was more consistent this could be a 4 or 5, but I feel wrong highly rating an album based on a moment of greatness and the rest is forgettable.
I enjoyed it, a couple classic bangers, but not one I'll come back to.
Cool album with some groovy beats and smooth flows. I dig the interplay as a group where the hype sections reflect their easygoing flow styles compared to other rap groups.
First impression: I like the font. Gurrrrrrllllll. It gives me a vibe of free-styling rap and also a taste of Hamilton. WAAAAAIT!!! I got so flabbergasted with "killing me softly", I didn't know i was from here. Also, I appreciate that songs are longer than 4 minutes because 2026 would've never given me that. Not my favorite but really good.
fine but no true standouts
6/10
I'd have liked this more with less talking.
5/10
Listened to this on cd player while working out one day. Here was my review: nothing crazy but I vibe to a few of the hits from here.
Not my type of songs but still was good
Pretty cool album! Better than average
Good at what they do and good sounds in this album but quite a ‘theme’ going on.
This is one of those albums that we all know but I hadn't listed, so I'm thrilled I finally did. You can see the influence it has had to modern time. A nice listen with thoughtful lyrics and clever references
Classic 90s hip hop, with more soul vibes than others of the era. Great samples and a laid back feel.
I liked this album, the hooks are consistently great throughout, and there are some great vocal performances. Lyrically, I wasn't as impressed. The amount of allusions / references was egregious, and I became annoyed with it pretty quickly. Three stars. (Favorite track: Killing Me Softly With His Song.)
I liked it, had some cool beats and some recognizable songs. Some challenging lyrics which I liked too. Probably won’t listen again h unless I’m showing somebody else.
Overall Enjoyment-2 (really enjoy) Re-listen Desire-1 (maybe) Playlist Potential-1 (several) Energy Level-1 (somewhat energetic) Groove / Rhythm-1 (occasionally groovy) Listening Comfort-1 (okay) “Wow” Factor-1 (few) Scale - 3 Best: 2.How Many Mics 3.Ready or Not 5.The Beast 6.Fu-Gee-La 7.Family Business 8.Killing Me Softly 9.The Score 10.The Mask 13.Manifest/Outro.
te monotoon
The Score didn’t resonate with me as much as I expected. I like Lauryn Hill’s voice, and I’ve always enjoyed “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” but the album as a whole didn’t fully click with me. To be honest, hip-hop can feel a bit boring to me.
45 seconds into How Many Mics I'm already inhaling at the debt Doechii must owe to this track, and then by the end the "mini mini many" vocal stim that seems to predict the vocal patterns of Jacob Zuma desperately attempting to say "In the beginning". While I'm still chuckling about that `Ready or Not` hits with it's haunted panning vocal hook and switches up the whole vibe, what a track. This is a cool album, it's a window into a world I've only ever walked in through films, video games and to a lesser extent music videos. It's smooth, its accomplished, theres some obviously classic tracks and subtle samples deployed masterfully. But it isn't very me as much as I enjoyed cycling to work pretending i was a character in San Andreas. The skits, I did not see them coming. Killing me softly is a beautiful diversion and compelling version. Lauryn Hill's flow on The Score is notable.
I don't know what it is but I just can't get into this album as much as I would like to. Maybe because while it is catchy and groovy at times I find at other times it just kind of fades into the background? I don't know. 3.5/5 that isn't good enough to get a 4. So 3/5
Early rap vibe, not bad
Not my taste, but it wasn’t bad. Had some good songs and I recognized a few, the lyricism was overall good. I’d much prefer this to most modern rap.
Must be one of the most overrated albums on the list. 3-4 great songs, but everything else is below average. Also, tacking skits onto all of your songs instead of making them separate tracks is a hate crime.
I didn't listen to the whole album. But I know Killing me softly with his song. So that was fun.
Not usually that into hip hop or rap. But this had its moments. Even recognized “Ready Or Not” and “Killing Me Softly”. Part of the problem is that I don’t get much out of lyrics. Similar problem with Dylan. 6/10 Pretty Good
Nastalgic.
I enjoyed most of this, except for the cover songs.
Gostei bastante do álbum. Já conhecia algumas músicas
Some absolute bangers Killing me softly Fun gee la No woman, no cry The mask Used to work at burgerking a king taking orders. Felt
Hip Hop historian klassikko.
Ihan mukavaa hippiihoppii. Ja ne pari ikivihreää on aika jepa. Kevyttä kuunneltavaa.
Noh, muutama tuttu biisi jo entuudestaan mutta muuten levy oli itelle aika kertaluontonen kuuntelu. 3/5.
Щось між джазом та чимось модерніським, мало пісень сподобалось
oh lalala
I bought this CD when I was in 8th grade when Killing Me Softly was released. I also remember at that time I also liked Ready or Not. I don’t remember listening to any of the other songs. I think I listened to Killing Me Softly so much when I first got the album that I got tired of it, and since then whenever it comes on the radio, I end up turning the station. THIS time around, I listened to this all the way through working. I could’ve done without all the skits and I don’t think we need 3 remixes of the same song , making the song appear on this album 4 times in different variations. Not sure if I will need to listen to this album again after today. Favorite songs: Killing Me Softly , Ready or Not , & No Woman, No Cry Ratings: 2.5/5
Lauryn Hill's voice is really pretty but then there's two other guys and a bunch of skits
The music wasn't bad. The Chinese Restaurant skit was very weird.
3/5 Honestly a lot of talking which I’m sure has a purpose but not great just for listening. Like ready or not, fu-gee-la, and killing me softly
Ganske bra!
Ein del bangers her.
Not bad. Not bad at all. Nooo woman no cry
It's okay. I don't love it. Most of the time it uses soul as window dressing rather than leaning into it, which I would prefer. Tries to be thug way too much, which it really isn't good at.
3.5/5
GOING IN: No strong feelings LISTENED WHILE: walking the dog FAMILIARITY: Know a few songs SKIP RATE: Played it straight through REPLAY VALUE: Once was plenty DISCOVERY CURVE: Slow burner this one ALBUM ARC: Peaked mid-way VERDICT: Fair enough BODY'S VERDICT: Toe tapping situation FAVOURITE TRACK: Ready Or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly My Rating: 3 I'd have given this a 2 if it weren't for the girl from Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit on vocals.
Digging the lyrics, they're interesting and different. Each song ends with some type of monologue. Love the woman's R&B type melodies.
It sounds pretty typical to me. I haven't highlighted anything new
pretty dope! a lot of these beats have a sort of simmering coolness to them, and i think some of the verses have a little trouble keeping up. even though i knew it was coming the placement/inclusion of Killing Me Softly With His Song felt funny. lauryn hill is very talented. Ready Or Not is still really sick its probably my favorite track 3/5
14 canciones Si: 7 Maso: 3 No: 4 Álbum hip hop con mucho rap. Diferente a lo que suelo escuchar, pero me sorprendió que me gustó. La verdad está bueno, distinto. Lo que odie es que muchas de las canciones terminan con peleas y gritos wtf Me gustaron mucho las canciones en las que aparece ✨️ella Lo recomendaría, mas que nada a personas que escuchen este tipo de música o les guste innovar.
хороший реп, классная обработка, но че-то не хватает, тоже вайб гта, но такой, чуть упоротый, размеренный, раскуренный? все похоже друг на друга, напоминает чем-то аквариум, если честно, мне не очень зашло, вот и всё. я прям приход чувствую...
Aluksi ajattelin että "eih, räppiä", mutta nyt kun albumia on kuunnellut eteenpäin niin ei tämä niin paha ole. Nainen, joka räppää albumilla kuulostaa mahtavalta. Biisien taustat on aika samankaltaisia koko biisin ajan. Kaipaisin enemmän vaihtuvuutta rytmissä tms. Toistuva biitti taustalla tekee kuuntelusta vähän tylsää välillä. Ehkä tämän albumin hyvät puolet on jossain muussa asiassa, ehkä sanoissa? Pitäisi olla biisien sanat edessä niin tajuaisi mistä nämä kertovat. Joissakin biiseissä on ärsyttävää pälätystä biisin keskellä tai lopussa, josta ei saa mitään selvää ja mikä ei tunnu liittyvän biisiin millään tavalla. Luulin ettei tämä albumi ollut minulle mitenkään tuttu, mutta olen kuullut somessa jonkun version biisistä Killing Me Softly with His Song.
Not sure this one’s for me, but i didn’t hate it at all.
Мне только Ready Or Not и кавер на Боба Марли понравилось
Only listened to half to rappy
Whoa. This is fun. Super 90's. This covered a lot of musical ground/genres.
Liked it, not my favorite. Honestly, I found it to be a little overrated. I thought it was going to live up to all the hype I heard around it. Maybe I just didn't immerse myself completely into the genre, but I wasn't grasped.
I have no idea what I'm about to listen to. I'm not into rap much, especially into 90s rap, but I feel like this goes pretty hard.
Some bangers but in general hip-hop is not my jam
I have not listened to this since doing my A levels and had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Great beats and great lyrics delivered well without any b/s (apart from the skits).
RIP John Forte.
Not sure actually. I like most songs individually, but not as an album.
Lauryn Hill is truly an icon. Some pretty iconic songs in this album, so I have to give it credit. Overall a pretty good album. Fav song is ‘How Many Mics’.
Great album
6/10
El don’t like. Lots of banging samples. But not a must.
Terminally torn on this album for myriad of reasons. Because on one hand, I don't think any soulquarian album (besides Tribe and the Roots) has as much raw swagger coupled with lethal production value. The highly talented features add so much depth to it and only help enhance the overall end product. Additionally the occasional reggae infused hip hop track is so insanely good. But on the other hand. Its a loose concept, with dodgey incomplete bars and sloopy flows interupted by god awful ad libs at times. And constantly referring to themselves as "refugees" and the group is called the "fugees" I can't quite forgive that. But maybe thats lore. Anyway its great, listen to this album before you die. Hell enjoy it, make it your favorite album. Just remember theres one overly crtical, ego maniac who can't get over small stupid shit in albums that are 30 years old.
I’ve owned this album since it came out, but probably never listened to it more than 3 times. There are fantastic tracks on this album, but as a whole, it’s not a great listen.
Great record, some top singles
You've returned to work after an 18 day holiday and this album is your soundtrack. Reuniting with Lauryn Hill like she's one of those coworkers you happen to get along with. 3.5
Okay - but too much "conversation" between songs. Reworked Killing me softly for a hit.
Interesting 2 songs stood out: Ready or not Killing me softly with his song* Sort of new those to before(maybe as a sample) 6/10
enjoyable listen liked some parts more than others
Hip hop is definitely not one of my go-to genres, but I can appreciate the fluidity and thematic sounds The Score brings. Lauryn Hill is a masterclass at what she does, truly. It’s funky, and the lyrics definitely mean some crazy stuff that I just don’t understand. Overall, I don’t see myself going back to this album but I can appreciate it for what it is.
Poppy, bubbly, high, sweet with bits of edge. Definitely a bit rose-coloured by being a teenager when it came out. Very high three.
Not my usual kind of vibe but solid album if a little repetitive. Only song I’d heard before was Killing Me Softly which isn’t even one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. Definitely worth another listen to catch the lyrics more.
Digga gar nicht Mal so schlecht richtig Solid sogar. Höre diese Art von Musik nicht Mal aber trotzdem hab ich mein Kopf gebobbed
Listening to the whole album it was kind of samey but Ready or Not is SUCH a good song. The standout of the album for me.
No es mucho mi estilo de música pero pude escucharlo perfectamente de inicio a fin. Hay algunas canciones que había escuchado antes en algún lado pero no sabía que provenían de este álbum, así como también pude notar algunas referencias usadas por otros cantantes contemporáneos. En general y con mi poco conocimiento en tema de producción musical, este álbum se sintió muy cohesivo.
Some classics
Generally not to my taste but a really good album. Witty and insightful writing, that still feels relevant today. High lights were: Zealots, Fu-Gee-La, The Score and The Mask. 3/5
You want beef? Like Burger King, have it your way.
Some great songs but could have greatly benefited from being shorter. Still will listen to the singles but probably not the full album
While i had listened to the singles on this album hundreds of times this was my first listen all the way through. The singles are excellent and hold up even if they were overplayed 30 years ago. I wish the Outsidaz were on here more I have always liked Pacewon and he and Lauren are the best rappers here in a conventional sense.
Sharp and incisive and Killing Me Softly makes valuable in and of itself
Great production. Some great songs. Loved the bass and drum sound. Seemed like smart clever lyrics.. More like 3.5 stars for me.
Album one! I was surprised I knew some songs! Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly, also, 1996 feels very early for music like this, but I am not complaining. FUCK OFFFFFFFF!!!! The Black Mirror song! Okay this was the best idea, anyone has ever had! EVER! I really liked it felt like something that could release now to the same acclaim!
21st december 25 - upbeat but really simple - classic - can be played really anywhere, you don’t need to have special ‘ears’ to really enjoy this album - can hear millions of other songs in just one of these songs from this album due to its popularity and sampling
not my vibe
75/100
was excepting more considering how good is the miseducation of lauryn hill. 3.04
Some bangers here but parts of this album drag. Lauryn Hill really elevates the rest of it.
okej dag TVÅ!!! redan??!! nej skoja men idag lyssnade jag på ”the score” och ja det var en mysig start på dagen. avgudar ms lauryn hill så hennes inslag på albumet är de jag gillar mest, samples fast det en hel del av och det är alltid roligt (speciellt när man känner igen dem). overall inte riktigt min genre men kommer garanterat lyssna fler gånger i framtiden!
I listened to one song I really like it
Ich finds cool, dass in den Liedern so viele references eingebaut sind, die man wie kleine Easter Eggs verstehe oder eben nicht. Sonst sind die Texte cool und interessant, aber als jemand, der eigentlich nicht auf Text in Liedern achtet, ist es anstrengend, darauf zu achten, was genau gesagt wird. Die Melodien sind sehr einfach anzuhören und machen Spaß, weil sie leicht und teilweise verspielt sind.
I enjoyed this album even though i’m not really an rnb guy and I don’t think this album has changed that for me. My highlights of the album were Ready or Not and No Woman, No Cry.
great funk hop
Good stuff, but not my thing. 3 stars, has some good moments and real bangers.
Decent songs but too many skits.
grooovy