Reviews (page 13 of 14)
“Killing Me Softly” was good but the rest was hard to listen to…. Rap is not my thing 2 stars
Gute Stimmen, aber musikalisch fand ich es ziemlich langweilig. Gab einen komischen Cowboysong.
Except for the well know balade, I found it rather flat and boring. 5/10
Not for me, but some really nice bits
not for me but i respect the cause
I don't like old hip hop
13/1001 First listen. I’ll need more than a day of this to rate it higher. Paying attention to the lyrics might help too. I did enjoy the singles.
Best Song: Killing me Softly I really didn't enjoy this. It isn't the genre of music as I enjoy hip hop. It wasn't Laruen Hill as she has an amazing voice. That leaves Wyclef who annoys me. On top of that, this is really timely and 1996 is long gone. 2/5.
Lyrically powerful, but musically not very interesting.
It's a damn shame we never got more from Lauryn Hill; it's also a damn shame we got this much from Pras and Wyclef. Wyclef did seem like a good dude that time we were both stuck at the border, though.
Not for me
One great original, a couple of strong covers,not much else. I think miseducation is a belting album so this really disappointed
fine very classic hip hop RnB but nothing i would reach for. i blame king taps for ruining classic hip hop forever 4/10
Maso.
Could have benefited from more Lauryn Hill. Her contributions are tremendous. The rest, not so much. The rhymes go from lyrics that pack a punch to being downright silly. When it hits, it leaves a mark, but it doesn’t hit often enough.
Album has two memorable songs and one great song. Killing Me Softly is one of the best covers ever. Needs a few more bangers.
If you wanna sound gangsta when you're rapping, make sure your swear words aren't censored, or else you'll just look like a pussy. Very telling that the only good tracks here are the ones with Lauryn Hill
Einige ikonische Songs aber nicht mein Genre
Honestly, I'm not really sure I understand why this was such a hit. Lauryn is definitely the star here. Wyclef is overrated, and Pras' contributions are easily forgotten. I remember the hits well, but not fondly. They were all overplayed. The non-hits are boring and forgettable.
Ok
It was fine, not spectacular. I don’t believe I absolutely needed to hear this in my lifetime. I also just cannot stand “Killing Me Softly” so that was obnoxious to sit through. I’ve also realized I don’t like it when albums have skits interspersed within the songs so I didn’t like when this album had that.
Well - like many others on this list, I quit after a few songs. Not a fan of the talking over each other and at the end of songs. Had some good beats, but the lyrics! Then I saw 'Killing me softly' and thought, let's give it a try. And I liked it! Better than Roberta Flack. And I saw 'No woman no cry' by Bob Marley. I liked that one too. Best two songs on here. cover songs.
Never listened to this before other than the singles. Not as bad as I thought it was gonna be but not my thing.
Pre listen notes: Ugh. I heard most of this record on the radio in 96, and I didn’t much care for it or understand the buzz about it back then. I can’t imagine much will have changed since then. Wyclef Jean has always seemed like a bit of a nob, and I heard Lauryn Hill doesn’t care for folks with my skin color…although that could very well be a rumor; I never much cared to check the veracity of that rumor because it wouldn’t change my opinion of this music either way. Listening notes: Eh, if you can disregard the handful of tracks that got ground into the dirt in the 90’s, the Score isn’t the worst record. That’s not to say I’ll revisit it, or that I’m super enjoying what I’m hearing as I listen now. But it’s not the egregiously bad record that “the hits” led me to believe it was. Truth is, at least the production is solid. But I think the Fugees made a lot of pop-culture headway based almost solely on Lauryn Hill’s presence; I guess I'm saying that the whole group feels like a novelty act. Were she not on this record, what would differentiate The Score from any other 90’s hip hop record? Would The Score be better, worse, or the same without her? I reckon no one ever would have heard this record without Lauryn Hill. And would anyone have really cared about the record at all if Lauryn Hill was just another dude, rather than an attractive, young, confident, and seemingly angry black woman? I guess that's what I mean by this record feeling like a novelty; it appealed to the sensibilities of mid-90's "girl power" culture but didn't offer much else. I don't deny that she's talented, in fact, I think she was probably better off parting ways with Wyclef and the other guy. But, I don't think there was really enough going on in this group to make this record a big deal without Lauryn Hill. Of course, I reckon the same thing could be said about plenty of other bands over the years, and it's probably really a pretty irrelevant point that I'm making, because the Fugees WAS pretty much Lauryn Hill. Probably my biggest problem with The Score is that I just feel like there’s not a ton of joy on this record. And I’m bored listening to it. I dunno, maybe it’s just not my speed. 2.8/5
A few bangers on here. A bunch of skips. Lauryn Hill is a double threat. The dudes I can do without.
Hmm, I didn’t gel with this. There are two noteworthy tracks in Killing Me Softly and No Woman No Cry, but they’re classics in their own right, so… To the Fugees’ credit, they are top tier covers. I’m just not a fan of their original work. ⭐️⭐️
Lauryn Hill has a great R&B voice. But this is a hip-hop record, and one that was extremely hard for me to connect with, or even to keep up with, considering endless references. It gets better toward the finish, though, when lyrics start to get more personal. But still - mostly not my thing.
The Killing Me Softly cover is golden and Ready Or Not and The Mask are good but the rest sounds like a greatest bites of 90s hip hop. Rather unoriginal. And the world REALLY did not need a cover of No Woman, No Cry. Rating reduced by one star and I take time off from work to crank Dr Octagon in order restore my chi afterward.
I don't understand why this group is so revered.
Lauryn Hill is the only saving grace for me on this album. She has a beautiful voice.
„The Score“ erschien 1996 als zweites Album der Fugees, einem US-amerikanischen Trio aus Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean und Pras Michel mit karibischen Wurzeln. Aufgenommen wurde die Platte in verschiedenen Studios in New York und New Jersey, unter anderem im Booga Basement Studio. Musikalisch bewegt sich das Werk zwischen Hip-Hop, Soul, Reggae und R&B, wobei vor allem die Mischung aus Rap und Gesang prägend ist. Bekannte Titel wie „Ready or Not“, „Fu-Gee-La“ und die Coverversion von „Killing Me Softly“ machten das Album weltweit erfolgreich. Die Songs verbinden eingängige Melodien mit gesellschaftskritischen Texten und einem eher warmen, organischen Klangbild, das sich von den oft härteren Produktionen der 1990er-Hip-Hop-Szene unterschied. Insgesamt gilt „The Score“ als stilbildendes Album, das Hip-Hop stärker in den Mainstream brachte, ohne seine politische und kulturelle Tiefe zu verlieren.
OK, but I couldn't really get into it. Killing Me Softly is a great cover, but overall it didn't sync for me.
Great performances by all three MCs here, especially Lauryn Hill. There's urgency behind their rapping, and I enjoy the conscious lyrics. That consciousness sometimes slips into a holier-than-thou attitude though, which means this isn't always a positive album (and it's thus a bit ironic when stuff like that Chinese restaurant skit is included here). And speaking of urgency: I wish that was reflected in the beats. These beats are laid back, almost to a fault. The sung covers switch things up, but those songs are also pretty subdued. I think this could use some more energy or variety - there are two MCs here who excel at both rapping and singing, but they rarely do so on the same song. For an album lacking in hooks, that seems like a missed opportunity.
Rap není můj šálek kávy, ale některé skladby se mi líbily
4/10
2.5
Sorry, but I just can't enjoy this. Hip hop as a rule just doesn't do anything for me.
Hard to be objective because hip-hop is not my jam...BUT there were some moments of true musicianship and vocal skills on this disc which raises it a point for me....
I found this album boring, but not painful enough for 1 star.
Although there are some songs that I like, the album as a whole has no cohesion at all
This one was very boring. I didn't hate it, but I would never play it again. The talent is there I just don't like what they did do with it.
Killing me softly as a highlight… the rest sounds just the same
I struggled with this it started ok but I was getting bored quickly and it then I drifted off
It's rare to like the second half more than the first but that was definitely the case with this album. I'm glad I held on because by track 2 I was about ready to turn it off. The record ends strong with The Mask, Cowboys, No Woman, No Cry and Manifest/Outro as stand outs. In context, I actually don't think their big hit, Killing me Softly with His Song, even really fits. It's a weird vibe change compared to the songs that sand which it. Also, some of the skits are pretty atrocious, especially the Chinese restaurant skit. Huge shout out to Enya's "Boadicea" as the sample for Ready or Not. The original is the true banger. 2.5/5.
Not really my style
I can tell this is good hip-hip. It feels well thought through, delivered, and produced. A few tracks in there I recognise and then obviously some classic reggae influences throughout. I think it just takes itself a bit too seriously. It listens like an album trying to sound deep and meaningful. It is also a bit of a mash of different styles and I was never quite sure what I was listening to.
Pretty bland rap.
387/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
I’m sorry. Hip Hop is boring. The lyrics juvenile and the music repetitive.
Un paio di canzoni belle (Ready or not, Killing me soft)
This only has limited nostalgia value....
As someone who isn't a huge fan of rap, I was surprised by how much I did not mind this. It has a smooth, soulful sound. I have always enjoyed and sung along with the song "Killing me softly". This album won't make me a rap fan overnight, but I can see myself listening to it again.
The supporting shout outs from Hill every few words actually make their words have *less* impact. The skits are tedious. Still, they have talent and can write some earworms.
Highlights: Killing Me Softly With His Song, Zealots. In a nutshell: the music that the refugee bring The Score has all the things I like and dislike about hip-hop. I like the sample use and the vocal acrobatics by Lauryn (pardon me, Ms Lauryn Hill). Dislike the tracks that stretch over 4 minutes, skits and intro/outro monologues. I think you can get away with listening to Zealots and Ready or Not instead of the whole album. Then if you like what you hear, keep going. Overall: 4/10
Good just not my sort of thing
If I am going to hear a sample of The Flamingos "I Only Have Eyes for You", I might as well just listen to the original. I was never a fan of their cover of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly". Their use of The Godfather film font and the album cover design just weirds me out. Has all the things that I find annoying about hip hop. Didn't enjoy this album when it came out in 1996 and I don't enjoy it now.
I could listen to Lauryn Hill sing all day long, unfortunately she doesn’t really sing that much on this record. The rest of it is ok, but I found it pretty unmemorable.
Not really my style, some good songs. It was not bad
J'ai franchement écouté que la moitié de l'album c'est pas trop mon style. Fun fact la meuf dans le groupe a joué dans sister act et elle a été mariée pendant un bon bout de temps à un des fils de Bob Marley. Ça se trouve c'est le messager. I and I brother. Brother from another mother.
Obviously very accomplished but not for me, dawg. Beautiful singing but rap is just noise for me xx
This was good. But not very memorable
no
It was pretty cool to see 2 songs I recognized. And I didn't hate the beats. But wow every song is sooo repetitive.
To be honest, if I ever listen to hip-hop, I usually prefer its more extreme forms—like Cypress Hill. My usual taste leans more toward prog rock, alternative, and other genres. This is my first time listening to The Score, and so far, it feels more dull than engaging. Still, I’m not giving up—I’m genuinely curious. But wow, “Ready or Not” is so overplayed, and to me, it’s forever linked with clumsy, mainstream vibes. I can imagine a scenario where I might enjoy this album—probably around 4:00 AM after a big party, using it as a chill-out soundtrack. But realistically, I wouldn’t play it on my own during the day. That said, there’s something oddly soothing about it. Maybe it’s best enjoyed at low volume—as background music. 🙂
pretty ok
This was a big deal when it came out my freshman year of college. Didn't do a lot for me then, doesn't now, but I can get the appeal.
For some reason I thought I would enjoy this more than I did, though I'm not really sure why. It's not that I'm an established Fugees fan, more that I've been aware of their influence for some time and for some reason had preconceived notions that I hold them in high regard. I've had Killing Me Softly in my Liked list forever and after this listen I actually decided to take it off. It's not that it'd bad, it's more that I'm not sure why I thought I liked it so much. I got through the album and basically shrugged my shoulders as to what the buzz was all about. Second half hooked me more than the first half but that isn't saying much as I couldn't tell you much about it. The beats are simple, the vocals are basic and melodic (which is fine) but the interludes between songs are pretty annoying. Wyclef, Ms. Lauren Hill and Pras just basically whiffed on me. Maybe it was the time and place when I listened to it but The Score didn't feel like much of a score. 1.73 stars
Not a fan…
Meh not by style
I just didn't get this, though I did like Cowboys and Killing me Softly
Some good songs, but not my thing and not very interesting overall. The best song here "Killing Me Softly" is not an original and even pales in comparison to the Roberta Flack version. At least, nowhere near as overrated as Ms. Hill's solo album, which I haven't gotten yet but am not looking forward to. Key tracks: Ready or Not Fu-Gee-La Killing Me Softly
Another rap album
I really wanted to like this. But honestly apart from the singles - this was really really boring 2 ⭐️
It seems that, for the most part, 90's Hip-Hip just isn't my thing. I can recognize the important records, but they just don't move the needle much for me. The Reggae-ish tone on many of these songs does not help matters at all for me. It's also worth noting that the biggest hits from this record were covers of other artists' work.
Some classics. 2/5
Couple of solid tracks I’d forgotten about
not for me
The lyrics were obviously better than a lot of rap/hip hop lyrics but this album was so not interesting. I didn't make me want to turn it off immediatly but after some time I got tired of it. Some parts were nice, mostly when Lauryn Hill was on vocals.
Nothing grabbed me about this album. Feels a little all over the place without anything that really ties it together. 2.5 stars
Album is boring to me. The talk/rapping is boring. I think I don't care for the voices of the majority of the group. I'd rather be listening to The Gravediggaz.
The songs that aren't covers have 1 musical idea, repeated to the point of medium. The covers are ok, but hardly greatest album material. I don't appreciate it lyrically, and I feel that it is where it's got to hit you, as the songs are so repetitive.
Album 724 of 1001 Fugees - The Score (1996) Rating : 2 / 5 Not really my thing, but not bad for the genre. There were a couple of decent moments. Certainly a step above some others.
No problem with this white guy not buying this
2/5
# 425 : nnng! I just can't get the hype for Lauryn Hill - I can listen to it, but I found it drawn out, tedious and boring. Nothing really grabbed me - not even the so called hits and if the music isn't good, I'm not sure I need to hear it before I die. Thanks.
If you followed the Grammy’s this year you might know Doechii, who won a few awards. You can hear the influence of albums like this in her music, 90s-style rap is recently really popular. Anyway, I liked some of the songs such as fu-gee-lah and skipped “killing me softly with his song” because I find it very annoying and overplayed.
Un album de pop rap qui participe à signer la fin de l’âge d’or du style, entre autres avec cette reprise de killing me softly - succès énorme qui m’avait tellement saoulé à l’époque - ou celle de Bob Marley alors à nouveau hype. Le rap entre définitivement dans le domaine de la musique populaire. Reste la pâte caribeenne de Wyclef Jean et la voix de Lauryn Hill (qui, après Queen Latifah, a eu le mérite d’être l’une des toutes premières femmes à s’imposer dans le rap), mais tous 2 feront, selon moi, bien mieux par la suite et chacun de leur côté. Perso, Cowboys et Fu-gee-la en principaux highlights, le reste m’ennuie un peu et les textes ne sont franchement pas dingues.
« Ouh la la la », indeed ;)
Interesting choice for the beginning of my 1001 journey. I haven't heard it a while, and I remembered it having better rhymes (still grooves though).
I enjoyed the songs with Lauren Hill the most because her voice is like buttah. The rest? Meh.
This album was too long and should have been split into two albums of standard length. There was too much repetition here, e.g. all those Fug-ee La mixes. My usual comment with rap music applies here - too much talking. I liked that the group incorporated clips of older music throughout.
Another one that comes across as just very self-indulgent.
It seems fine just not for me.
This is one of those albums people love to say they love. I never got into it and listening to it I can see why. Wyclef is a nob and Loren Hill is over rated. The skits aren’t funny.
Not my cup of tea
Not for me but I appreciate what it did for the genre.
Lauryn Hill’s undeniable talent is the lone saving grace of The Score, but even her brilliance can’t save this monotonous and overhyped album. “Killing Me Softly” is fine at best, but it pales in comparison to the original—hardly worth the effort of this reimagining. The rest of the album drones on, recycling the same tired beats for nearly every track, making it feel like one endless, lifeless loop. Even the skits, which should add charm or personality, are nothing more than irritating interruptions. The lyrics? Without having them in front of me, I’d have no idea what’s being said, and when I do catch bits of it, the subject matter is either gratingly crude or so far removed from anything I care about that it’s impossible to engage with. "Mista, Mista," for example, attempts to be a soft, reflective ballad but is ruined by gratuitous profanity and its overly bleak focus on addiction. It comes across as trying too hard to be edgy rather than meaningful. If anything, listening to this album underscores why Lauryn Hill left the group to go solo—her talent deserved so much better than this repetitive, uninspired production. Adding to the distaste is the knowledge of Wyclef Jean’s mismanagement and exploitation through his Yéle Haiti charity, which casts an even darker shadow over the whole experience. The Score may be considered a classic by some, but for me, it’s a shallow, monotonous slog that I couldn’t wait to end.
Not my favourite style of hip hop. It was ok but more the RnB aspects of it.
Some artists go with the time, this album went away
Little boring for me
Not impressed by this album it seems pretty flat to me. I love Ms Lauren but I like her a lot better solo and with some R&B focused vocals. There's one song on here that does that but other than that this isn't for me..
Lauren Hill is the only thing worth listening to here. She is amazing. The rest just isn't.
There were a few tracks on here that got some playtime a very long time ago. I did go back and attempt to listen to this; it didn't hit the same 25 years later. Let it go.
Blah blah bla blah bla bingbong blimmpoplie blubping
Never got it - Lauren Hills solo stuff is far superior - and if I hear killing me softly - one more time!!!!!
It’s like if someone kept rapping mildly obscure references that educated people would get like Porgy and Bess and Colecovision and Paralax over backing tracks made entirely of songs from Pure Moods. It’s hip hop for the most annoying liberal you know! Jesus
Killing Me Softly is such a good song, it brought the album up from a 1 to a 2 for me. Now i know why I never really listened to this when it came out, either.
Without the hit songs this would've been a one
HipHop not my real taste.
Kinda meh outside of the few hits
Ok I guess. Not my bag, but I know this is a groundbreaking album.... sort of...
I had high hopes for this one. I had never listed to this entire record, and I gotta say, I was underwhelmed. I guess I had all sorts of anticipation for listening to Lauryn Hill's gorgeous voice, and her ability to wail was undermined by mid 90's rap/sfx noise that was disappointing. Maybe it is simply that time doesn't help this one.
Played this a lot back in the day, I’m fine leaving this one back in my memories.
Beats are fairly bland and lyrically nothing unique going on. Lots of better hip hop albums from the 90s. The covers were kind of annoying too. My fav track is Family Business.
I think this album caught the end of the 90s hip hop / jazz trend and as a result it’s of it’s time. I thought it was ok, but it kind of left me with the impression that the people who made probably think themselves as the only ones cool enough to listen to it. I can’t say I would rush back, despite a few decent, catchy tunes.
Well nothing on the album was bad, while at the same time I didn’t love any tracks either. Just some 90s hip hop without too much excitement. Knocking a mark off for tragic skits.
Not a fan. It's that level of talky rap stuff that isn't interesting, but also doesn't have the decency to fade into the background. The title track is, at least, musically strong.
I love a few songs but not a fan of the whole album.
2.5 ok
I personally don’t really care for their flow so 78 minutes of run time felt far too long for me. Don’t care for how crude the lyrics are either. Feels like a lot more swagger than substance. 4.5/10
Still definitely not my genre but more listenable than most hip hop, albeit sounding a little like listening to two radio stations at the same time; at least it doesn’t sound like noisy neighbours as well.
didn't have a good time listening to this. aside from the one or two bangers (lauryn hill!!) This was lowkey an album half the cast of Hamilton would be in and it didn't really float my boat 2/5
Un poco pesados.
I think it's good for what it is but I don’t like it.
The only two songs I really like on here are covers. The rest I find kind of boring and repetitive, tho I’m sure the lyrics mean more to some people than they do to me. It might be a character defect in me that makes me not really like intelligent rap. Wish wyclef Jean hadn’t defrauded haiti to such an unfashionable extent. Not cool man.
This felt like very standard hip-hop to me. There wasn't much in the way of variation within tracks or between tracks, creating a slightly monotone atmosphere for a grand 77 minutes. The songs involving (melodic) singing rather than rap were easily the highlights; Ms Lauryn Hill is always a win. (I still regret giving her "The Miseducation..." album as low as 3/5, but I was much more naïve back then.) I'm surprised this album was the 5th best-selling hip-hop LP of the 90s, because it's very nondescript. It wasn't terrible, though. I enjoyed the variety of rappers, and the cover of No Woman No Cry was almost as good as the incredible original. The production was fairly good as far as 90s hip-hop goes. 2/5 Key tracks: Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, No Woman No Cry
Did not like the lyrics. Too many F and N words.
Deras största hit är en cover.
This is the kind of music where I can tell it’s well done. I can tell it’s meaningful to the right people. I am not those people. I try to give every rap and hip hop album a chance, but between the skits, the language, and the general themes, I just can’t see myself listening to the whole album again. I could listen to the singles again, and I think they have a great dynamic in the music they make. It’s just all a vibe that is not meant for white guy me.
too inconsistent to be great but has a couple great songs
Most of the songs in this album have very basic beats and weren't super interesting to me. I do like "Ready or Not", "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "No Woman No Cry" however.
Goed te luisteren R&B en verwacht dat ik dit op een mooie zomerse dag wel vet zou vinden maar moet zeggen dat het me een beetje tegenviel. Kon me niet echt bekoren. Misschien verkeerde timing. 5/10 Highlights Killing me softly
I thought it was boring in the 90s. If anything, it's gotten less interesting with age.
Some very good covers, but still hip hop…
90s hip-hop. This has a few good songs (mostly the covers), but the skits bring it down. Stand-out: Fu-Gee-La
expected this to be better, not gonna lie!
I remember back when "Killing Me Softly" was huge hating the idiot constantly singing "one time, one time" all through it, so I didn't hold high hopes for this album. Somehow it's even worse than I feared. A lot of the songs come across as wannabe gangster. The skits are terrible.
Lauryn Hill is a good singer. I wish she did more of it.
I kind of like Zealots
I don't like hip hop. I think it's a shame with this album in particular. There are great vocal passages and fine choruses. The vocals are great. But I can't do anything with the chanting. I always enjoy listening to Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly and No Woman No Cry. I only played the rest of the album and skipped it. 2/5
Un poco pesados.
noh, killing me softly, ja maar nee
Snippets of good stuff.
Don't like rap
nudy
I can dig some hip-hop/rap , but this one just seemed like more noise than music to me. Some of the rhymes were creative, but back beats were mostly one note/one beat. All the senseless chatter and N-bombs are grating.
Boring
not for me
Not my bag
While I acknowledge the talent, I didn't enjoy this album as much as I anticipated I would. I didn't find that the non-lauryn hill members added much. Best Song: Killing Me Softly With His Song Worst Song: N/A
its fine ig. bit too cruisy for me overall, even tho it has some nice snappy moments. i think it tends to suffer when hill isn't on the mic tbh. favs: ready or not fu-gee-la
This list is opening me up to how many varied types of hip-hop I don't care for (and a few I do). The opening rample about corporations is pretty laughable given the extreme commerciality of this highly polished effort. Apparently they are refugees... well one of them... probably... form some where in the Caribbean. Isn't Lauryn Hill a refugee from Hollywood child stardom? I don't know, so many post 1990 rap/hip-hop things seem very fake and over-produced to me. And to my untrained ears this is mostly just another rambling rap album with not much original to say, and some limp wristed reggae thrown in towards the end when they remember they are cosplaying as refugees. Of course it's saving grace and key to success are the storming vocals of Lauryn Hill, her voice is wasted on this album. Those are my thoughts. But then I only listened one time (one time).
Pretty good for the good songs, the rest is somewhat mid
Not my cup of tea...
Ein paar bekannte Songs mit Gesang, die gut sind. Für Rap Songs sind nicht mein Ding.
Just bit boring other than Lauren the performances weren’t that good
I have a hard time listening to the “N” word as it was drilled into me as a child that it was wrong. This band seems to have staked their fame as cover artists
Too laid back, never gets going
Nope
Nothing near the seminal album it is portrayed as. It has some decent moments, but most of it is forgettable. Just never fully understood the appeal. 1.5/5
Some of this was good - but mostly the tracks that sampled other songs. Didn’t show much original creativity
Pulled into the 3s by one song
Didn’t grab me.
It's alright to listen to a song or two, but the entire album just sounds the same, so it gets very boring. It would benefit from being cut in half or changing up or doing.. something different. It's just the same beats over and over and over again. Do something interesting. I made it up to Cowboys before I threw in the towel.
Love "Killing them Softly", but not a fan overall.
Not for me thanks
Die Musik macht mich wütend und aggressiv. Beim zweiten Track ausgeschalten, also eigentlich "did not listen". Aber weil ich es so scheiße find muss ich die 2 drücken. Tatsächlich konnte ich eher die Christmas Songs fertig hören. Daher eher 1 😂
There are two good tracks. However those two aren’t Fugees originals. Sooooo, enhhh.
Feels lame to not like this but this era of hip-hop doesn't grab me.
Wasn't really a big fan of this one
Was alright, think I enjoyed other hip hop/rnbs albums more. Killing me softly obviously is a banger
Not my style. Had to skip much of the album.
Ms Lauren Hill was cool. 1st time to delve into this type of music. Got through the top 5 songs ok.
Not a big hip hop fan but tried - OK but didn't make me think or move.
Очень скучные зацикленные семплы, однообразно, для своего времени мб было круто, но сейчас слушается очень уныло
geht für mich nicht über one hit hinaus
Not a fan of rap however this has some reggae and is therefore a slightly better listen.
wow, i knew 3 songs already. nicely done even though it's usually not my most preferred genre
eh its ok, hip hop albums kinda require you to read/listen the lyrics to appreciate the album, and with these albums I just cant be asked.
Jotenkin ihan menevä albumi vaikka räppiä
Meh. Not my cup of tea. I'm sure somebody likes this, just not me. Hey, that rhymed!
Decent album, lots of samples and great voices. Interesting ride reading how each of the trio were terrible people
Not wanting to be the contrarian here because I know how huge this was and is beloved ... I like hip-hop, I love soul/r&b. I don't like this. It's this particular style of rapping that I have always disliked - behind the beat - that permeates most if not all of the album. I know the talent behind being able to rap like this; excellent wordplay and lyrics, I just get zero out of it. And I suspect if you don't focus on (or even notice) lyrics for the most part - like me - you lose any sense of why this album is beloved. I'm a music fan as in I focus on the music first... the music sounds fantastic on every track - right from the beginning - until every single one gets boring and repetitive within 20 seconds. Uncreative loops with no variation - it's a palette for the vocals which again - not my thing. High point: "Ready Or Not" is actually nice with Lauryn Hill's vocals but when the rap (Wyclef?) comes in it loses me quickly. Not my bag, but points for talent. 3/10 2 stars.
Not a huge fan of all hip hop and this one just didn’t do it for me. Gave it two stars because there seemed to be creativity put into this and it was a long album.
Another hip hop album I wanted to like more than I did.
It’s decent for what it is. Still not saving it though
Un poco pesados.
not my cup of tea
It's alright, a couple of nice tracks.
Impressions: I don’t know how to rate hip-hop albums, especially if it just samples other songs apart from the rapping. I loved most of the beats though but hated the annoying skits in between tracks, especially that last track Manifest/Outro, hurt my ears, a deal-breaker. Favorite Tracks: How Many Mics, The Beast, Fu-Gee-La, The Score Rating: 2/5
Not a big hip hop fan
it was fine, not as great as everyone seems to say it was
Electric Reggae Rap. Not my cup of tea. Has a weird racial slur confrontation in the middle of the album.
Not sure why some of these songs are so popular, dull
Not my kind of think but strangely inoffensive
Interesting samples but nothing really hitting hard enough for me
A couple of good tracks mixed with lots of filler
I had a Mandela Effect with this album. I would've put my hand in fire assuring that Ready or not was sang by Rihanna
Some really nice Riffs & Samples. I’m probably just a fan of Lauryn Hill’s voice than anything else here.
I really don't like this album. Other than the cover versions of songs they released as singles, the majority of the album isn't worth listening to. Very disappointed with this Fugees album, I had higher expectations when it came up for review. I had thought 1001 albums review would introduce me to some really cool music, but after 125 album reviews, I'd say 100 were crap, 20 were OK, and 5 were good but I already knew them.... so I don't think there's much value in continuing to spend my time listening and reviewing the selections they keep pushing.
A few good odd tracks here and there, but for the most part it sounded like a Diet version of Wu-Tang mixed with reggae and neo-soul, but not in a good way.
It just feels like they were given access to a studio while on shrooms and started to rap stuff, hitting a peak where no one really knew what was going on, but not in a good way. Anyway, that's not for me.
It’s ok but I don’t really like Hip-Hop so it was kinda hard to listen to
Gewogen en te licht bevonden!
It was alright. Cool beats and skits but eh..
They were very popular, but they were pop hip hop rather than innovators. Compared to the other hip hop on the list so far, this is a little boring. Favorite song: Fu-gee-la
Too long and I hate it. This is a music album, yet they have little skit things for half of it. Enya is the reason this gets two stars instead of one.
Waaay too long. When it’s good it’s solid, when it’s not it’s tiresome.
Killing me softly and no woman no cry are good, because those are great songs. The remaining of the album is just bad hiphop.
Nique sa mère les interludes
I like the mask, but not keen on the rest, really not fond of the singles, arguably the weakest tracks on the album. I did learn Lauren hill was in sister act though, and hips don't lie should've been their hit if Lauren wasn't so stroppy.
If you have to remix the same s9ng four times on the album, and one that was not particularly that good, think that says it all. Needless profanities but couple of decent songs, mainly the covers!
It has some good moments, and Lauryn Hill is an excellent singer, but I was not enjoying the overall vibe of this album and wanted to skip many of the tracks.
Not really my think. Some bits were ok.
This is a pleasant listen with some standout tracks. Lauren Hill's voice and the samples are great, but the beats and rapping are pretty ordinary.
Super not my thing.
I had heard three tracks from The Score, and I have heard some solo music from two of the Fugees band members. I did not enjoy this album. The music was okay, but there were so many pop-cultural references and other lyrics that I did not like. I was frequently hoping for most of the tracks to end. "No Woman, No Cry" is the closest I got to liking a track, and that may be Bob Marley's fault.
In the hip hop genre this is very good, but I just don't enjoy hip hop that much. 2 stars.
Lauryn Hill is what I like most about this album. Such a clear, strong and beautiful voice. I will listen to her songs again - not the whole album.
No thanks
Listened Before? Y I owned this one back in the day and was fairly disappointed in it, honestly. Gave it another listen and am still disappointed in the lack of consistency. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Ready or Not
It was ok. There were a few good songs, but then some of it was pretty basic. It definitely shows its age too.
I recognise this album was huge at the time. I also acknowledge that between this album, and Wyclef Jean's subsequent albums, I used to consider myself a fan of the genre. But things have changed: both the world of music as well as my views have evolved since, for better or worse. There are still a couple of songs I consider (Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly); however, I have little patience for the rest, especially the parts that are more like talking than anything else. I'll put it this way: my life upon this earth is way too short to waste on the meaningless bullshit that constitutes such a huge part of this album.
Better than Gangstarap. But that is all I can say. It's still Hip-Hop, and I still don't like it. 1.5/5
A few nice moments but overall did nothing for me.
Enjoyed some of the songs but not enough.
Un poco pesados.
One of the albums responsible for the rise of rapping - and for that it deserves one star. A few tracks stand out - like Killing me softly/No woman no cry/Ready or not. I wonder why? Oh yes, that's right - they actually have melody. Remember that? It's called music. Too bad rap forgot that. A political speech/poetry/rant/bragadocio over a beat does not constitute music. Unfortunately all of the actual songs are covers, so this album contains almost nothing new at all.
inte för mig
Never really liked it that much, nothings changed.
ok but not really top of my list
Lauryn Hill is clearly the standout here but is grossly underutilized throughout, save for a couple of tracks.
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.
Not a huge fan. Can barely summon the effort to explain my feelings toward this album
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
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
Mais uma tentativa de se envolver com um álbum de rap.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
2nd listen. It's ok.
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.
The singles were good but the rest of the album not so much.
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
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.
nelabai
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
Couple of ok bits.
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.
I did not get on well with this album. Some good songs, but outside of the hits it didn't resonate.
How many people would have heard of the Fugees if not for the Roberta Flack & Bob Marley covers? Lauryn Hill, on the other hand…
5
Melodic and interesting, but I'd probably not listen to it more than once a year.
So halb gehört
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.
Album hip hop con Lauryn Hill. Non essendo appassionato di hip hop è difficile giudicare
Rather dull. Enjoyed killing me softly. Lots of random chat over dull beats. Some of it sounds like GTA radio. 2 stars is generous
What a mess
More hip hop, blah
sounds like the radio station on gta..
I really didn’t like this. The soul elements lack soul, the hip hop elements lack edge, and it is heavily reliant on covers for its main material.
1.1/5 Other than the 3 hit songs this was a pretty hard to me because I don't like hip hop. This needed more Lauryn Hill and less of the other guys. Also why did most of the songs have a little skit at the end? I found that weird.
not my thing
Meh
tror att jag kanske har lite svårt för genren? någonting kring mixen av hiphop med reggae och r&b som inte riktigt går hem hos mig
I'm not sure how ground breaking this was at the time, but listening to it now it's laughable. Just the same old shtick masquerading as edgy. Holy crap this was boring.
Always thought this album was overrated! Was not a fan when it came out back in the day. Still not a fan 30 years later. I honestly completely forgot about this band until the album popped up. Will easily forget them again.
I still hate the Fugees for what they did to Killing me softly. Didn't listen and will rate poorly.
The best part of this album is when it ended. The second best part was looking it up in the database and finding that there's only one album from this band on the list. Look, hip hop isn't my jam, but at least put in the effort and come up with some good lyrics if you're just going to rap over some repetitive drum machine and world's simplest "melody." Not recording your Chinese food order. I also didn't think it was possible to make me hate Bob Marley, but this did it for a few minutes. Feel like I need to listen to some to clean my soul after this. One star because it's impossible to give less.
ik wist hoe laat het was toen ik al de intro moest doorspoelen wegens vervelend... ben ik op de verkeerde lijst gestrand, 1001 albums that can cause death by boredom?
Too much swearing. Didn’t like.
Terrible. This album has aged badly. Sounds of its time.
Did not listen
garbage
Fugues not for me. Recognize the talent but not a fan. I do like Lauren Hill quite a bit - “miseducation” album…
esta cultura negra a no ser que sea en pelicula no la banco nada. 1/5
Nope. Terrible. Most of these songs sound the same start to finish with no variety or anything of interstate, except for some BS spoken crap at the end of several tracks, which does serve to break up the monotony of this album, except it's even less desirable to listen to.
Todo rap, no banco
Not my vibe at all
I’m not a fan of this kind of explicit music; and wouldn’t have listened to it otherwise. The language and messages are extremely offensive and violent. Wondering why it’s on the list.
sucked
Not my vibes
Confession time. I just couldn't get the whole poetry thing when I was at school. So I'm not surprised that, what is essentially someone reading "poetry" over single bar repetitive samples doesn't float my boat. But this isn't really poetry either. It's a lot of shouting, talking over each other, a bit of arguing, and a lot of "nigga"s and general potty mouthing. It also follows the standard hip-hop tedium formula of having 'skits' between tracks. Whoever thought of that idea needs poppin', know waaaaaaam sayin' know waaaaaam sayin'? And if you're going to sample 'Recuerdos de la Alhambra', then why stick an out-of-sync drum beat over the top and totally gnore the rhythm of the tune itself? Fuckwits. It's quite sad because Lauryn Hill has a nice voice when she uses it for singing. Ok then stone me to death, because this is shite.
not great
Fugees’ The Score is an album that passed me by when it was released in 1996, and I’ve never felt the need to seek it out. Rap and Hip Hop are genres that have limited appeal to me, and I can’t say The Score changed my mind. I’m not saying it’s a bad album by any means, but it just doesn’t click with me. Also, all the best tunes on the album aren’t theirs – which really gets on my wick. 2/10
p794. 1996. 1 star. More foul mouthed hip-hop/rap :( It speaks volumes that the best tracks on this are covers, and none of them add anything to the originals.
Album Review 042 The Score by Fugees (1996) Rating 1.5/5 In a list of 1001+ albums, I can’t imagine there’ll be many that I like as little as The Score. There’s few good samples used and Lauryn Hill has a good singing voice when she uses it but it’s track after track of uninspired beats and the same message in the raps, and two stale covers - one so bad that I’m knocking a half a point off. The Score is 1.5/5.
Yesterday I had Maxinquaye by Tricky, it's hard to grasp that both albums were from the same year. This one is empty, devoid of originality and sounds very old
No
0.00
Nope
It doesn't matter how many Hip-Hop albums are in this list, I still think that Hip-Hop is crap, and this largely boring album, which contains their interpretations of "Killing Me Softly" and "No Woman, No Cry", is no exception.
Undoubtedly good and innovative in its class, but this is not my cup of tea.
Ok
Não é meu estilo musical
I tend to not really like R&B stuff that much. I do like albums with skits and that feel like a connected album though. Like mentioning the “Killing me softly with his song” lyric on other tracks that weren’t that one. Also the “add a motherfucker so you listen” line does indeed go hard
Disco sobrevalorado de la vida. Se hicieron famosos destrozando una canción de Roberta Flack. La prensa de finales de los 90 los elevó a ídolos porque supongo que no tenían nada más a mano o intentaban prever el signo del siglo siguiente. No he escuchado el disco entero nunca, pero de lo que sé, es un batido comercial y absurdo. Son algunas canciones conocidas con gente hablando rápido encima. Otras es gente hablando encima de gente. Tres canciones he aguantado. Esto es tres idiotas discutiendo mientras suena música de fondo.