Reviews (page 6 of 13)
Ben echt blij verrast! Lekker chill. De stem van die vrouw is echt fantastisch. Dacht ik ken haar stem ergens van. Toen kwam ready or not, en die ken ik natuurlijk van allemaal remixes. En het origineel heb ik ook wel eens gehoord. Fu-gee-la kende ik ook al, en natuurlijk killing me softly with his song
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ fav: Fu-Gee-La least fav: Red Intro iconic: Killing Me Softly With His Song
Incredible!!! Was really jamming with this one and will continue to listen to it. I loved the little easter eggs of some other songs in the album embedded into eachother. Some real bops on here.
A very well produced hip hop album that leans into the absurd at times, while also delivering many classic early rap/R&B songs. I have already listened to the cover of Killing Me Softly (which is excellent), but also loved Ready or Not, and the cover of No Woman No Cry, which leans heavily into the group’s reggae influences. For me, this album sometimes can lean a bit heavily into the sampling and so felt messy at times. Also, some of the lyrics fell a bit flat for me at points, and I definitely preferred Lauryn Hill’s verses to those of the other male vocalists! A pleasantly surprised 8.5/10
Gas
Hits top, rest a bit boring
Smart and doesn’t take any sh*t, great rhymes, great hooks. Listening to it now also makes me miss New York in the 90s.
A true classic
AK
I love this album
Favorite songs: Ready or Not, Zealots, The Beast, Killing Me Softly With His Song, No Woman No Cry
Great album. Holds up really well after 30 years.
Gosto muito e já conhecia algumas musicas
EXCUSE MOI LAURYN JE N’ÉTAIS PAS FAMILIER AVEC TON FOOTBALLL. Enchaîner des couplets techniques, tranchants avec des refrains iconiques d’une sensibilité iconiques comme ça c’est juste irréel ; je vais devoir écouter ton album j’ai plus le choix. Plus généralement, énorme classique, mélange de rnb, soul, hip-hop et de rap, bien produit, Wyclef et Pras excellent c’est très fort. L’album s’en prend à la misère des ghettos, à la société aliénante mais aussi au stéréotype du gangster des quartiers. L’album se place comme un pilier du hip-hop qui ne glorifie pas la violence, qui ne fait qu’aggraver les difficultés des noirs américains (cf cowboys). On alterne entre des prods froides et menançantes, des refrains chantés iconiques et du reggae qui vient comme une note d’espoir (no women, no cry). Le rap egotrip est d’un niveau qu’on ne voit plus aujourd’hui, mon dieu Lauryn quelle reine. En bref un giga classique
Shocked this is only their second album. Lots of great songs in here, and the energy is great. Favorite Songs: The Mask, Killing Me Softly with His Song, Ready or Not
Such a warm, listenable, socially conscious album. Jean and Hill really shine. Catchy, hooky, genre-hopping/ bending, magnificent sampling. A classic.
Beats on some of these songs sound like they're 10 years in the future and some of the Lauryn Hill bars are ridiculous. I even like the No Woman No Cry cover (better than the Marley album version, at least!) Still, some of this shit hasn't aged great - the skits, for instance, really kill it, especially given how some of these songs blend together and how the album has thematic elements across it. Despicable 4, because of the skits. Otherwise great.
J’écoute pas de hip hop mais slay Lauryn Hill
No woman, no cry is the best song on this joint
Pretty cool
Enjoyable with a lot of familiar sounds 4
made me feel things for sure
Si te importan las liricas en canciones, te puede gustar este álbum. Canciones casi habladas con un beat del 80% del hip hop de la era. Fu gee la esta buena.
i love the beast but wtf was that chinese restaurant skit😭😭 🥇fu-gee-la 🥈killing me softly 🥉ready or not
Excellent album, really more like 3.5 stars for me because I don't find the flow/cadence that compelling on a lot of the tracks, but the highlights (that Enya sample on Ready or Not!!! Killing me Softly!!! etc) and the general quality warrant rounding up to 4 stars.
Heavily borrowing from a lot of other artists but the sublime lauryn hill lifts this above the ordinary to extraordinary at times. Fu gee la, ready or not and killing me softly are tremendous adaptations which update and sometimes better the originals. Unfortunately a bit too much filler towards the end of the album. Still well worth a listen or 3
One of the best rap albums of the late 90's.
This had a lot more music/acoustics than I expected!!
Very good album
Creative mix of smooth flows and melodies
Entspannter Rap, Lauren Hill auf die 1
Love the simple instrumentals Lauryn got great bars AND a great singing voice Wyclef got a great flow, not as big of a fan of pras (except in the song ,"the score" he came in strong) 6.7/10
Enjoyed the album. I think if it was a bit easier to sing along with it would have been a 5.
One of the best r&b albums, some songs are quite trendy and some aren’t as good
As rap/hip-hop goes this is a good album.
Wow surprised how much I didn't hate it
hit
This album is great to turn on while driving around. Has some real classics, too.
top tier. no notes
Really vibe-y music. The type you'll listen to when you're chilling on a Sunday afternoon with a cigarette on ur hand
Good, not as good as Miseducation
Good Album with a lot of classics.
Had listened to some songs previously, interesting to understand the wider context to each individual members own solo discography.
Couple of all time bangers.
What. An. Album. I was familiar with the song ‘Killing Me Softly’ and I hoped the album would sound similar to that. I was blown away when listening to the album- it was everything I wanted and more. I adore the songs How Many Mics, Ready or Not, Zealots + Cowboys. One of the best albums I’ve listened to for a while.
Classic
Pretty good listen! A couple of classic songs I didn't know were by them.
Fugees The score Stand outs Track 2: How Many Mics - it sounded familiar from when I first heard the lead - cool airy synth(?) Track 4: Zealots - i dont know, i just really like it Track 5: The beast - i instantly wanted to know the name of the song Track 6: Fu-Gee-La - "ooo la la la la la la lalalalalaaa" Track 8: Killing me softly with his song - classically awesome Track 9: The score - the chorus includes mix of the hooks used in each song and skit snippets Bonus track: Mista mista - I really like songs with storytelling in them. This reminded me of Bobby James by NERD because both of these songs relate to drug addiction and falling deep into it (the only difference being the perspective). Summary Overall, I liked this album and i thought it was very cool. I really liked the simple yet captivating drum patterns they used along with the amount of instruments they used; not much, but enough. I really like this style of rapping that sounds like talking and rapping at the same time. I've always wanted to get used to that kind of freeform rap and i'd say it helped a ton. 8.2/10 December 21st 2025
This is another iconic hip hop album that includes harmonies, skits, and two musical superstars, Wyclef Jean and Ms. Lauren Hill. The album did an incredible job bringing the feeling of Brooklyn through the music. Several places in the album had some dialogue plots and skits to keep the record from sounding monotonous.
Great album between wyclefs production and Lauren’s voice there is some great songs.
Yeah it’s good what else do you want
Liked this more than I thought I would - and has more hits than I thought it did! Agree with many of the reviews that the skits did not age well are detract from the album itself. Between and 3 and 4 for sure
Good album, rap isn't really my style but it has quite a lot of popular songs I know.
I really enjoyed this, a good 90s rap album with sort of jazzy elements in there.
Such seamless flow between Lauryn and Pras, then Wyclef shows up and it’s fun and different. Slight downgrade for the Chinese restaurant skit, like who thought that would age well?
Classic 90s hip hop. Solid through and through. Admittedly this may have only been like the third time I’ve listened all the way through. I forgot some bangers like “Cowboys.” Points off for Wyclef. I never liked you! You were never my friend! One time!
Yet another classic
Loved it. Such a classic album.
They suggested another hip hop album and it turns out to be another album I enjoyed.
Good album.
Some of these beats are annoying af but most of it is classic
Not your typical hip-hop record. While a lot of the lyrical themes don’t hit home for me personally, the album feels like a breath of fresh air compared to much of the genre I’ve encountered so far. The mix of soulful melodies, reggae-infused grooves, and sharp rhymes gives it a unique character. And Lauryn Hill? Absolute standout—her voice elevates every track she touches and I might be a little bit in love with it!
Nice pleasant hip hop for suburban high end mall dwellers, but it sure is pretty. Nothin wrong with that.
This was, for a long time, my sole hip hop CD. That just goes to show what a cultural phenomenon this album was - even white indie kids in the UK had a copy, and I remember hearing the Fugees on the radio in France. It's held up pretty well too. It's varied, well produced, political and refreshingly non-gangsta. Plenty of solid tracks alongside the 3 great poppy singles. Shame they didn't make more music together.
Pleasantly surprised.
Some amazing songs on here. But basically I'm just waiting for Killing Me Softly when I listen to it.
4/5
“Abstract raps simple with a street format” Having only ever heard Lauryn Hill’s work from her universally loved solo album I had an extremely high opinion of her as a singer and RNB musician. However, given how heavily weighted towards RNB rather than rap that album is, I didn’t have a full understanding of why people hail her as such a gifted rapper. This album changed that completely. This will no doubt go down for me as one of my favourite 90s hip hop albums. I can feel the inspiration from (influence on?) so many other great hip hop collectives throughout from Wu Tang to OutKast. I’m sure more will become apparent on inevitable re-listens. The only track that left me feeling a little cold is the most successful single from the album “Killing Me Softly With His Song”. Although in total fairness I have never been a huge fan of it and on this listen I think that’s because compared to everything else on The Score it feels instrumentally a bit empty. That aside though it is easy to see why despite a limited discography Fugees have achieved legendary status and I am glad to have finally taken the time to give them a listen.
Great album art. Great album dude. Like maybe a five. It was actually really an outstanding listen. I’m going to have to listen again. Perhaps the most lyrically rich album I’ve heard yet.
Enjoyed the variety and storytelling
sounds great
många bangers!!!
Cuppa bangers
Pretty darn good. Still sounds fresh to my ears. A couple five star songs, but overall album feels like a strong four.
At times: amazing. Other times: meh. I think this is an easy 5, if you trim 20 minutes. Unfortunately, those 20 minutes brought this down to a 4 for me.
8/10 really really good didn't expect anything bad
A must listen for anyone curious about the golden age of hip hop.
An album I come back to periodically anyway but enjoyable to listen to for this project a few times in a row. You won't find much in the way of original musical ideas, any tunes or songs are borrowed / sampled, but it's the background to the interplay of rappers with the added bonus of Lauryn Hill's singing voice, and for me she makes this a 4 more than anything else.
Essential hip hop album. Great flows and production and only really suffers from a sameness in the beats and energy from the group. Lauryn Hill elevates the sound but in all they’re greater than the sum of their parts.
I wish Hip-Hop gave a damn about clever lyrics and creativity, range, as this album does. But I suppose that’s one key reason why this stands out. First half is great.
A classic hip hop album, ready or not is probably a peak 90s sample. Lauren hill’s voice takes these songs to a new level.
Fugees epitomize here today, gone tomorrow. Not long after this album, the group fell apart and none of their solo albums have reached the heights of this one, not even the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It does suffer from having the skits which I have never liked in an album and is endemic in this era of hip hop.
I think the trio's performance can be somewhat rough around the edges, but damn is it a beautiful album
fiiiire
Tatsächlich ein Hip-Hop Album, das einem gefällt. Sofern man das behaupten kann. Zwei Super Songs drauf, die wirklich jeder kennt. Deshalb drei statt zwei Sterne.
This was really cool, I didn't actually know this group existed before this list.
Definitely one of those albums that I was sure I'd listened to before, but hadn't. Really enjoyed this.
So *this* is where Killing Me Softly and Ready or Not come from! Lauryn Hill has a beautiful voice. I really like the transition between one song and the next. Surprisingly enjoyed this even though it was waaay outside my comfort zone, though I did get a bit tired halfway through. This would have made great video game soundtrack music. Interesting read on how The Fugees broke up: https://uproxx.com/music/fugees-breakup-unforgettable-legacy/
An album of standout moments. The singles sound as good now as they did almost 30 years ago - "we used to be number 10, now we permanent at one" is a great opening line. Kudos for the range of samples and swipes (Falmingos on Zealots, Cymande on The Score and Teena Marie on Fu-Gee-La). They slide into some boom bap tropes at times, and the skits can be laborious/offensive (one notorious one in particular). But the interplay between the three members, with Ms Lauryn Hill's incredible vocal performances the highlight, and general joyous nature of the record bring it to 4 stars
They managed to blend styles and not fall into the gangsta rap or pop-rap traps of the time. Production-wise, it is a product of it's time. It broke big, winning two Grammys in 1997 for best rap album and best R&B vocal by a duo or group for "Killing Me Softly". clearly, it's a big record and belongs on this list.
Maybe it was just them ending with the cover of No Woman No Cry that tugged at my heartstrings a little bit but this gets a 4/5 from me; might revisit a few songs later for sure but maybe not the whole thing
Another classic
Banger
fuck yeah. so glad to have pulled this one. it's one of the best rap albums of the 90s for sure, and has to make one pine for the return of old school east coast hip hop. the production on this record is so cool. just basement grooves all around. obviously there's a lot to love lyrically, and part of that is just because this record is a product of its time. ms. lauryn hill is a goddess and has been since 1990. there's a reason she won a grammy for this one. i actually don't care much for "ready or not", which has been sampled to hell and back. not sure why that one. we're still allowed to like this one because d*ddy's gross fuckin hands aren't on it! i learned against my will that the brits love this one. to them i say only this: get your own. we're gonna gatekeep this shit.
they don't make em like they used to by god
True generational talents. I hope the person who decided every hip hop album needed “comedy” skits during the 90s and 2000s is having a bad day.
Mä kyllä tykkään tästä räpäytyksestä ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nyt oli kyllä ihan pirun kova räppilätty. Tulee kuunneltua toistekin.
Favorite track(s): Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Cowboys
Really good.
More similar to Wu-Tang and Tribe than I expected. Fave Tracks: Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly, Cowboys 3.8/5
It’s always Fugees and Funyuns
Transition til Ready or Not 🤌🤌🤌
Banger! Må næsten være en af de første plader der har balanceret hip-hop, R&B og soul på den her måde, og nok stadig en af de bedste.
This was so good? Great song and good production. Probably top 3 of worst albums on this list, to listen to if you're driving, because of all the police sirens.
Good album. I liked the songs I knew (the intro to Ready or Not is an especially haunting moment in context, when it emerges a couple of tracks in) and I liked the songs I didn’t. A bit more ‘alternative hip-hop’ than I probably expected from a record that broke into the mainstream in such a big way, and that’s a good thing. I’m also suitably impressed with Lauryn Hill’s rapping (as I was on ‘Miseducation’ tbh).
I've heard this plenty of times. It's a really good album. It's got a bit of everything you look for in an east coast rap album from the 90s. It's both laid back and groovy while also being intense and in your face. There's some great samples on this. All 3 MCs have great flow and great wordplay, but Lauren Hill is the star. She's a good singer too. Lyrics are pretty straight forward black militant stuff you heard from 80s-90s east coast rap, but I think they're actually rastafarian instead of 5 percenters. I think others did it better, but this is still a great album. Best songs: Ready or Not, Zealots, The Mask
Need to finish it but very good!!
Highlight Song/s: How Many Mics, Fu-Gee-La and The Mask This album has SUCH a dark atmosphere to it, it doesn't feel welcoming. The choruses on this album are quite good, to me hip-hop choruses don't tend to be too great. Well this album breaks up the pattern. The lyrics are quite intricate and the flow is considerably good whilst at the same time is quite lazy-sounding.
Pretty solid album, some great tracks, and the concept of a "score" is an interesting one. I enjoyed the James Taylor, Cindy Lauper, Robert Flack, Bob Marley references. It's clever, it is foundational and I respect it a lot. However, I do find it a bit repetitive sonically when I do play the whole thing.
Love this. Feels like it’s been constantly in my rotation for as long as I can remember, the cassette was always kicking around the house when I was growing up
okay 4/5
Excellently cool
While I know the singles, I've never actually listened to this album. I really liked it. I love how the album felt like a full experience, I thought the rapping was good - the lyrics, the wordplay, the flow. The skits amused me. I liked the variation in the rappers and the individual tracks. Thumbs up from me.
Not my taste in music, but I do appreciate this album for it's quality in songs/recording/hip hop beats. While I won't be buying this, it was a good listen!
Chocante: Um disco de Rap dos anos 1990 bom! Uma raridade, um verdadeiro diamante na lama. Mesmo assim, ele não escapa totalmente das armadilhas comuns dos álbuns desse gênero dessa época, mas é perdoável comparado à seus contemporâneos. Sim, ele perde tempo com Skits e interlúdios inúteis que só depreciam a obra, mas isso já é de se esperar. Ainda assim, diminuiu meu aproveitamento do disco, como de costume, e isso infelizmente irá refletir na nota (minimamente). Preferi começar a review falando do que mais odeio sobre esse álbum para que eu ficasse livre para falar bem dele logo. E há muitos aspectos positivos para serem apontados aqui. Para começar, a produção é espetacular. A curadoria dos samples é sensacional, e suas implementações são perfeitas. As batidas são inigualáveis, este é o tipo de disco que é impossível não bater o pé e mexer a cabeça. Palavras me escapam para descrever a performance de Lauryn Hill nesse álbum. Ela é indubitavelmente a grande revelação deste disco. Toda participação dela é memorável, poderosa, icônica, com flows invejáveis e refrões intemporais. Que artista magnânima. Os outros vocalistas são bons também, adequados, mas perto dela todo mundo fica eclipsado. O disco é longo, não vou negar, mas ele não cai no tédio como é comum com outros álbuns de Rap desse período. Eles escapam da exaustão com a dinâmica incrível do grupo, a forma com que cada membro complementa o outro, e a forma com que eles tecem seus versos melífluos sob as batidas texturizadas. A progressão interna em cada canção mantém o ritmo imparável, o único pecado realmente são os breves mas intrusivos interlúdios e skits. Minha faixa favorita é The Score. A produção auto-referencial arredonda o álbum como uma obra completa de forma maravilhosa. Disco foda, mas não é perfeito. Sim, os skits! Estragam tudo, como sempre. E sendo sincero, os covers são bons mas não parecem encaixar com o resto das faixas. São ótimas canções, mas eu as preferiria como singles e não como parte do disco. 4.5/5
first time listening to The Score in it's entirety, as it is well known for it's singles such as Killing Me Softly and No Woman, No Cry cover, but man, this is a part of a pillar of hiphop in the 90s and it's opened my ears to how well of a lyricist Lauryn Hill is.
Probably my favourite rap album (sorry Ice Cube).
Really good album with a few recognizable hits. Pitchfork: 9.3 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #134 (2023) Best Songs Ready or Not Zealots Fu-Gee-La Killing Me Softly with His Song No Woman, No Cry
Held godt
Great album. Love the flow and the beats. Lauryn Hill is the real standout star on The Score. I really wanted to give this a 5, but I can't get past the skits. They did not age well. The singles released from this album are all great, and I also really liked "Zealots" and "Cowboys".
Ooh la la la.
Great production on here, some great vocals and rapping performances. A couple songs I don't really care about but most here are great
belllo classsiiicccc
A lot of hits - amazing sample from Lauryn Hill on How Many Mics. Zealots, Ready or Not, Killing me softly all amazing performances from her.
Great
Un album avec au moins 3 classiques, c'est un bon album.
This was a fun, entertaining listen all around. I especially liked the covers of "Killing Me Softly" and "No Woman No Cry." Lauryn Hill's vocals really elevate them and the playful chemistry between the 3 does as well. They can go lighter with pop culture references galore or they can go heavier with many allusions to police violence against black people.
Diferente!
Ironically I'm struggling to determine The Score for this. This is sitting somewhere between a 4 and 5, but I'm hesitant to give it a perfect score. Overall, I just didn't feel the final "punch" to bump this to a 5, i.e. I don't think I totally resonate with it. This album is still fresh. This is one you can still put on for a summer drive or doing chores, etc. Where it is not perfect are some of the lackluster verses, some of the hooks being a bit too similar or plain, and overall just not hitting home the social message that peeks through every now and then. I cannot say for certain, but it feels as though the social commentary is either dialed back or is just disingenuous. I also really hate the skits on 90's hip hop albums, and luckily there is only one here that really annoys me, at the end of "The Beast". Where the album excels is in vibes and in Lauryn Hill smoking everyone else throughout. The cover "Killing Me Softly With His Song" is a showcase for her, but kind of doesn't fit with the rest of the songs. Her verses on both "Zealots" and "The Beast" are some of the best ever. I still respect it being a 5 for many people.
I'm grateful to listen to this album front to back, because I somehow missed getting into the Fugees in the 90s, and I only really knew the hits. Love that they shout out Ontario on Cowboys.
pushing the beat, melancholy, eery beats, clever innervisions line hehe, hahah good beat snare line, Haitian sicilians, john travolta, found sounds, nice triplet lines, fast car tracey chapman, weird bassline, vinyl crackle, OH I KNOW THIS ONE, wild life of being gangsta af, sorry but LAURYNS VERSE, these rhymes go so fucking hard, defecating on yo microphone, ooh cheeky vocal change w nice harmonies, ali line, catchy as hell chorus tbh, smooth adlibs, 50s vibes from this beat, HOLY SHIT THE GROOVE, hehe rockwell line, turf earf, okay go lauryn, the drums from the sample make this breakdown so hard, lauryn got the flow, the transition to chorus goes hard, btw great reggae-esque chorus, cops are here, weird jungle, slidy sample, hehe star wars, lauryn what the fuck are these diabolical rhymes, nursery rhyme type chorus, america is corrupt asf, weird but fitting guitar line, very indian sounding Chinese iwl, half a chicken wing??!?, NO ONIONS., no beef, WHAT THE FUCK, HAHAHAHHAHA, mortal kombat, very mid heavy kick drum, slithery keys, OMG I RECOGNIZE THIS CHORUS, i need to listen to more lauryn hill, "hahahaha", cool vocal echo, the iconic crackle, weird alarm noise in the background, OOH JAZZY START, cool free time spanish guitar, dark feeling, "my family tree consists of street refugees", very shouty vocal, FIRE AND RAIN REFERENCE, damn this is sad, background ad libs in chorus add a lot, nice bluesy humming in last chorus, another supermarket beep, finally the best tune, sitar, acapella verse, tight bass, groovy as heck, beautiful scat part, her vibrato is actually unreal, call and response vocals on chorus go hard, cool chromatic vibrato thing, give it up for the band whoop whoop, cool repetition of previous lines, sad guitar line, driving beat, "left right left right..", really cool radio effect throughout, more crackle, record scratches, OH MY GOD THOSE TRIPLETS FROM LAURYN, yes lauryn u lyrically are gifted, "start flaking like dandriff", "HOW MANY MICHELLE LESLEY BROWNS IS THEY?", xylophone, slidy bass again, trumpets, "everybody wear the mask but how long will it last", jazzy sample there, jazz again, PHONES RINGING, classical, pow pow, more sitar wtf, yodel, i wanna be a cowboy, ze ze ze, how the west was won, lowkey kinda boring
Starting to realise i LOVE hiphop
This is a great album. I'm able to put songs I've heard before, but not quite knowing who they are, finally to a face and understanding the rest of their sound. Lauryn Hill is genius of her craft and finding the discography of the Fugees is something I wish I had found earlier. The production of this album is 10 out of 10.
Honestly this whole record is a vibe. Flows effortlessly into the next song, with callbacks to previous tracks making it like a concept album.
The chillest. Need more music like this
Cooles Album, einige Bangerlieder. Durchgehend gut zu hören.
Aged well minus the pointless Marley cover and skits
First time listening to this, and I can see why it's a classic. I could do without Mista Mista though, kind of a dud at the end.
Some unreal bangers and then some okay stuff
Love getting hip-hop on here cause I do need to explore it more but I have no idea where to start. Loved a lot of this but that Chinese Restaurant skit had me scratching my head for sure
Not too much filler or any duds really. The skits at the end of the tracks feel a bit awkward but a superb sounding album overall.
I'll give it a 4, really surprised me! Good mix of Reggae, Hip Hop, R&B and comedic interludes that were actually interesting. Shout out to"Zealots" which samples "I Only Have Eyes for You" 3.5 rounded to 4
Ziemlich cool.
Brilliant
7.5/10 favourite track - "How Many Mics" least favourite track - "Mista Mista"
How many mics joins I gotta feeling in the group of ‘songs with a random mazel rob’ thrown in. Really enjoyed the rapping but the skits and unecessary reversing brought it down unfortunately. Could have been a 5 star. I do love the album having an end credits complete with applause. Quite funny Specific rating - 4.0 Fav song - how many mics Least fav-the beast
Lauryn Hill is just incredible! and those other guys were alright, I guess. The skits definitely took away from it but still a very very good album- if a tiny bit too long. Favourite song: Killing Me Softly with His Song Least: Family Business
This sort of thing seems to be happening a lot lately, but I found out about Fugees only a week or two ago because I wanted to see if Lauryn Hill ever released any music beyond Miseducation… and here we are. Part of me is a little salty that I didn’t get to experience Hill’s only solo album completely blind (since I’ve heard so many great things about it over the years), but The Score definitely wasn’t a bad place to start! In a lot of ways, this LP reminds me of Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (which I got to hear/review a few weeks ago) – both could be described as East Coast hip-hop albums that are over an hour long, feature three core artists and tie tracks together with skits. The Score was also released only six months after OB4CL, which is a pretty wild coincidence. I don’t bring this up to disparage either album (there are probably loads of other rap albums I have yet to hear that fit the same criteria), but to paint a picture of how much I enjoyed The Score by comparison – it does so many of the same things, but in a way that I found more engaging and approachable. There’s so much chemistry to be found here, especially between Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean – they often trade off verses, double each other’s lines and take turns on hook duties, which just works. Pras definitely has a presence on The Score as well (and he’s never unwelcome), but it usually takes the form of a verse later in the track that helps break up the repetition of the other two MCs’ back-and-forth dynamic. Lauryn is an amazing vocalist and lyricist, which comes out in both her bars and hooks on this album. I didn’t realize Wyclef could rap prior to hearing The Score (electronic music is my background, so I’m mainly familiar with him through his collaborations with Avicii), but he’s got some great moments as well, excluding the poop bar on "How Many Mics." He might even have the most insane flow on the entire project during verse three of "Family Business" – I had to relisten to that one a few times! The skits/interludes aren’t amazing in isolation, but they do a good job providing space between similar types of beats and introducing the next track. There’s actually quite a bit of cross-referencing across the project, which really makes it feel like a true ALBUM (as opposed to a loose collection of tracks, like many of the other LPs on this list are). If there’s one thing holding The Score back, it’s that it’s pretty long and the formula does get a little bit tiring by the end – there’s variety, but not enough to carry me through the full hour plus successive listens. It’s certainly an album I can see myself revisiting, but enough to warrant buying and putting it into regular rotation? Probably not, at least for now. Either way, The Score gets a strong recommendation from me – possibly one of the 5 best albums out of the 38 I’ve had to listen to for this challenge so far. Highlights: How Many Mics, Ready or Not, The Beast, Fu-Gee-La, Family Business, Killing Me Softly with His Song, The Mask, Cowboys, No Woman No Cry, Manifest
What I like about this is how loose it is, which is also what I tire of with this album. The album goes on for-evvvver, like watching a spark inch up the fuse to a dud firecracker. The two singles are covers or largely covers ("Ready or Not" borrowing heavily from the Delfonics original) which struck me at the time as an old record company move - have these fresh faces do stuff from the catalog. The version of "No Woman/No Cry" is dumb, a warning against giving Wyclef Jean too much latitude. The deep cuts like "Zealous" the "The Mask" hit harder for me, paving way for the inventiveness and lack-of-editor in Lauryn Hill's career. Overall, the stoney, self-care vibe is a balm against the blatant self-promotion plaguing 90's hip-hop. It was a turning point that groups like Outkast took up and ran with.
The beat-making on this record is a little uneven; some of the tracks are backed by a pretty unimaginative boom-bap, but there are some real gems. The rhymes are tight throughout.
Another album that I feel suffers from the misguided CD-era desire to fill up the entire CD. Some really great tracks on here. Some really mediocre filler on here. 3 stars for it being something different at the time. Bonus star for Lauren's fab cover of Killing me Softly.
ONE-TIME 4/5
„Too many MCs“ - word!
An all around great album, with nice sounds, iconic songs and filled with amazing and also funny lines! I hadn't listened to it completely before but now i finally know what i was missing on. I would give the album a 4/5 or a great 8 out 10
I feel like my trouble with rap albums on this list is they require much more attention than most other albums… so this is probably a 5 but I gotta go 4 cuz I just missed most of the bars
# Album Name: The score # Artist: Fugees # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: A pretty fun and good listen. Its not normally my thang, but this was a good listen. The top tracks speak for themselves - everyone knows them. You can enjoy them regardless if you like the genre or not. They are big big hits. Theres a fair few fillers in here too. Most of them were mellow and enjoyable for the most part. Biggest issue i have with the genre is the shitty skits. Valiant effort covering no woman, no cry. Doesn't come close to the OG though. Im sorry. Regardless, this was a solid listen. Ill come back to it. # Top Tunes: Ready or not / Fu-gee-la / killing me softly / score / mask # Would I listen to it again? Yes
Hip hop with a mix a musical genres and sampling. Lyrics are good and all vocalists have a good delivery and flow. Lot of mid 90’s political commentary mixed in here, so if you’re from that decade it’s kind of a nice hit to get. Favorites include Ready or Not, Zealots, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Manifest/Outro.
(79/100)
Quintessential 90s album, Killing Me Softly is 😙🤌
yay!
Smooth and fun. Great overall.
Loved it - but the fiancé said ‘turn it off, it’s too early’. Ah well
i enjoyed its old style rap music
There is some great music here. I've liked Killing Me Softly since it came out, but I didn't pay any attention to the rest of the album. Some of the tracks are good, some aren't, and the skits are terrible. Nothing else grabbed my attention like Killing Me Softly. It's about a 3.5.
Great tunes. Innovative, kicked off great solo careers. Faves are The Score and Ready Or Not
Wow, okay, another one I wasn't expecting to enjoy. But, just wow! This will be on a regular rotation.
Lauryn Hill takes this album to the next level. Killing Me Softly With His Song is one of the best covers.
A generational album that launched the careers of three stars. There area some real classics on this, some good covers and some filler. Lauren Hill's vocals are so soulful and the production and vibe are perfectly of their time.
I will not include the bonus tracks in this review. I have heard of the East Coast hip-hop group Fugees. The collective of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel took elements of funk, R&B, and reggae with socially conscious lyrics at a time when gangsta rap was dominant. They only released two studio albums before internal conflicts led to their split and subsequent pursuit of solo careers, occasionally reuniting to perform since. The Score is the latter of those two records, becoming a commercial success, and I can see why. This is a well-produced album where the live instrumentation is balanced with eclectic sample choices. Some truly inspired samplings are blended well, including Enya's "Boadicea" on "Ready or Not", the Flamingos' "I Only Hae Eyes for You" on "Zealots", and A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum" on the cover of Lori Lieberman's "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Combine that with the main trio's laid-back lyrical flows, equally shared among each other, with the occasional extra singing on Lauryn's part, and the result is a sound that has aged remarkably well. That said, the lyrical subject matter could have been more varied. Multiple tracks on this album are about the Fugees' ability to rap and outwit their contemporaries. Of those tracks, it's clear that "Ready or Not" towards the beginning remained the best, followed by the title track, which also served as a warning for other emcees to avoid any street violence their music might instigate. The only other tracks that vary up the lyrics are "The Beast", which alludes to police brutality towards minorities, and "The Mask", in which African-Americans had to conceal their true emotions to present themselves neatly in a white-dominant society. Outside of those, the skits haven't exactly aged well, and it's clear that the songs that remained in the public consciousness either had a prominent recognizable sample, are a cover of a well-known song, or both in the case of "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Still, I'd say The Score is a solid record that exemplified a lot of then-young talent and proved that conscious rap still had its place in music.
not my style, but good
I like pretty much everything about this album, the beats, vocals, and rhythm is all top notch. Killing me softly and No woman no cry are legendary for a reason Big fan of How many Mics and Fu-Gee-La
OMG
I didn't think I would like this album, but dang dude, it's fire! I would recommend 7/10.
Bekannt und gut
top 3: - ready or not - zealots - killing me softly with his song special mentions: - fu-gee-la - family business - the mask
Never knew hip-hop could be so laid-back.
This is the first hip hop album on this list I have enjoyed rather than suffered through.
So many indelible hits! But also minus 1 for skits
This is smooth hip-hop with a lot to say. I never cottoned onto the idea that “Fugees” is short for “Refugees” (?). Music that speaks up for its roots whilst speaking to everyone so beautifully that it can’t not be heard.
Muy disfrutable y divertido, Lauryn Hill es genial. Siento que me gustará más si escucho con más detalle las letras
A great album that had a massive influence on the rap game in the 90s. effortlessly sampling older works and endlessly sampled by modern hip hop artists, this album has everything. Perhaps, more than that, it features Lauryn Hill, who would just two years later put out one of the greatest albums of all time as a solo artist.
I can't stop thinking about how much more I like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, but that's probably not fair. It's very good on its own! But I can't help comparing. For that reason, Killing Me Softly is my favorite track.
8/10 - classic 90s hiphop, Lauryn Hill is a gem, some big tunes on this: killing me softly, fugeela, ready or not
Musikken er klink 5/5, fluffet i mellom er mer variert...
Didn't realise this was a project - Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel. Some all time bangers.
This album is so much fun and brings back lots of memories of the late 90s. It is one I return to from time to time and always love hearing it.
I could have sworn this album already came up in this collection, but I guess I was just confusing it with the solo Lauryn Hill album, and perhaps also because I own this album. It's been a long time since I listened to "The Score" in its entirety, and I'm surprised how the experience was a bit...disappointing. Their singles continue to shine, especially "Ready or not" and "Killing me softly" (which ranks up there for me as one of the best covers of all time, although Roberta Flack's cover version is also pretty good too), but the rest of the album doesn't come all that close to matching those hits, aside from perhaps "Zealots" and their cover of "No woman no cry". Having now heard so many other rap/hip-hop albums from the same time period in this collection, I'll admit to feeling over-saturated on hour-length albums that are comprised mainly of driving beats and half-spoken lyrics, although Lauryn Hill does a nice job mixing it up with genuine singing, and the instrumentation and samples on the album are at least more varied and interesting than much of the contemporary fare. And full credit to them for creating a through story-line of sorts on the album, even if I'm not sure it's as coherent as Lauryn Hill's description of it as "a hip hop version of 'Tommy'". I'm torn between three and four stars for this album, but it only feels fair to lean into four stars given how well they steered away from gangsta rap (apparently the reason Enya didn't sue them for appropriating "Boadicea" in "Ready or not").
As much as I dislike Wyclef Jean and Lauren Hill as people, this album slaps.
good vibes
I'm glad to be introduced to this album, liked it a lot.
Beautiful. Despite her odd existence in the music world, Lauryn Hill's voice continues to be so infectious both with her objective range and her ability to use it to rap or sing. Wyclef has some strong bars with political and social frustrations interwoven between catchy hooks.
Great album.
i dont know its like good
This album really forced me to stretch my ears -- I don't usually listen to lyrics too intently. If an album is musically strong, chances are I'll like it. Here, to be perfectly honest, the music itself is really good -- but kind of just good. Nothing too extraordinary there. But when you do listen to the lyrics, mother of god. These cats were cooking man. The flow, the references, the material...solid, solid album. Fave songs: Whole album, but I gotta say: "No Woman, No Cry" is for sure my least favorite song here. Not what I was expecting.
Great mix of hip-hop and RnB
a few iconic songs, overall so so cool
Huh, I liked this? The skits were a skip and didn't age well, but the fusion of reggae, low key rap, beautiful singing on the part of Lauryn Hill all stand out. I've had Fug-Gee-La stuck in my head for a few days now.
Disclaimer: I am not really a fan of hip hop in general so this wasn't my favorite thing ever, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. The rhymes were fun and clever and the beats were neat.
not my usual fare but i know fire when i hear it.
i liked it, chill. not my fav of rnb of the 90s
Ignore the skits, listen to the songs
n é muito o meu estilo, mas é muito bom sim
Estubo bastante guay. Siento que si lo escuchará más me gustaría aún más. Para mí se sintió como el illmatic pero con buenas vibes en vez de chungas. "Killing me softly" es un temazo y me sorprendió "the mask" que también me gustó un montón. Un disco bastante guay. 7.5/10->4/5
I remember listening to this record when it first came out and loving it - not much has changed. This album still hits me just as it did upon release. The mood feels dark, but cozy. Lauryn, Wyclef and Pras have such great chemistry and make such enticing music. Their production was something truly distinct at the time, and even carries on its own to this day. There's such a range of melodies and rhythms, but all of it sounds so good. A couple parts on the record that aren't fully engaging for me, so I can't quite give it a 5, but it's close.
Hell yeah, more Lauryn Hill. I can see why many people wanted her to go solo - she's definitely the star of the Fugees, while Michel and Jean seem to be out of breath just catching up to her.
Absolute cinema. Lauryn Hill's vocals and rap performance was amazing! Absolutely fascinated. I don't listen to hip hop music much. But I found the elements I love about rap in this album. I sometimes listen to Kendrick Lamar, and I can clearly see that some ideas in his albums are directly used in this album as well. Which shows its influence. My favourite songs were Ready or not (here I come, I am gonna fiiiiind you) Fugeela Family business The score I realized that there are references to previous songs in The Score. But I couldn't catch them all. I didn't pay attention to the lyrics much, and usually focused on the melody and flow. I want to discover what this album tells in the future.
It was fireee fugeeeesssss
Funky, cool and fun
Great mix of R&R and Hip Hop!
The middle between hiphop and etheral melancholic choir jams.
this rocks. bopped so hard i couldn't even see straight
206/1089 - Normally I don't like skits but one of them reminded me of Xavier Renegade Angel and I found it funny. Interesting instrumentals and the singing was pretty alright.
Ooh good record. Definitely an “I’m not cool enough to listen to this” kind of an album
I'm not that into hip hop, but this album is definitely pretty enjoyable. I like the flow of the songs and Hill's singing is very much welcomed as a counterpoint to the rapping. In turn, I think this is a nice introduction to rap for me. However, the outros of the songs were a bit long and annoying.
Lauryn Hill... Waow....
pretty cool. didn't like all the talking parts but killing me softly makes up for it for sure
Evidently, this is one of the best selling hip hop albums in France. For some reason, that makes sense to me. It's soulful and smooth, intellectual and political. It's angry but retained and channeled through poetry. These are people who want to change the system, but simply get their piece of it. While I prefer Lauryn Hill's solo album, the Fugees definitely paved the way for it.
Oh La La La
Songs: Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, No Woman No Cry
Top album. Love the samples used. Insane vocals, Lauryn Hill on Killing Me Softly is epic. Bars are tight and iceee cold. Each track flows nicely into the next with a few skits helping to tie things together. I love when rap albums do this, feel like other genres could chuck in some more patter between songs. Back to the music, some of the sample sounds are dark and mysterious which I find works really well with the rapping style of the group. Think Cowboys is underrated. Obviously not the best track, Ready or Not, Zealots and Killing Me Softly could lay claim to that but for me Fu-Gee-La is number one. Listened to the expanded edition twice through. 8/10
I didn’t care much for this album when it came out – the singles were too much on the R&B side for me – so I’m glad I gave it a fresh listen 30 years later. The hits - "Ready Or Not" and the "Killing Me Softly" cover - are actually among the least interesting tracks in this album. Not only have they been overused, they also tend to eclipse what is essentially a very mature hip-hop album. I don’t like Lauryn Hill’s R&B voice – but her rap flow is impeccable. The beats, although a bit simplistic, are very efficient, and quite a few songs are more old-school than the singles would lead you to expect. "How Many Mics" and "The Score" are great tracks ; "Family Business", "Fu-Gee-La" and "Cowboys" are quite impressive, with a real narrative and a great mix of jazz samples and darker sounds. Overall a very well produced album that probably converted more than a few younglings to hip-hop back in the days. Loved it ! Almost gave it a 5*, but I'll keep those for my cult albums.
Good lyrics, nice mix of paces and some great tracks. Really good album
Non il mio genere, ma si sente la qualità a pelle. Da riascoltare
I knew most of this album before coming in to this, with Ready or Not being a personal favourite. Forgot how good fu-gee-la was. But that doesn’t rescue the album. Sometimes the lyrics are amazing while other times I’m confused at what the fuck I’m listening to. I honestly thought I liked the album more than I did, but I’ve drifted away from listening to this kind of music since I was a teenager. Also the skit at the end of The Beast. Oof
Pretty great. Hill is the standout, and I wish she had been featured more. The skits are annoying, but not enough to drag it down.
foda d+ mais um pra série: tudo que a lauryin hill colocou a mão na década de 90 é ouro puro
Generally good, occasionally brilliant. Standouts in this album ('Fu-Gee-La', the all-timer cover of 'Killing Me Softly') elevate this group into myth; that's especially true because of their later descent or dissolution, however you'd like to frame it. The Fugees were a thoughtful and interesting, socially conscious hip-hop group from the 90's .Between their strong ties to Haiti and their advocacy, they seemed somehow apart from the East/West beef that defined rap for many of those years. Each of the three MCs -- Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel and Lauryn Hill -- were major talents in their own right, evidenced by their solo work and collaborations with other artists. All three blur the line between the spoken-word tonality of rap and the melodies of R&B. Certainly they fall on the rap side of hip-hop, but the fluidity with their voices is noticeable. All three have distinct flows and timbres, though it is easier to spot Hill for obvious reasons. Her singing voice is a special contribution to this trio; without Lauryn Hill, the Fugees would be somewhere on the Wu-Tang/Roots/Public Enemy spectrum of rap groups (less to more activism, that is). Her smooth, warm, clear singing work elevates the Fugees to something that much more remarkable. The Score isn't without flaws: I've never been a fan of sketches in rap albums, even if they've been around since the beginning. The parts of the record that hold up less well tend to be in these sections ('Fu-Gee-La' ends with a confrontation in a Chinese restaurant which seems less than charitable to Chinese immigrants). They're relatively limited, thankfully. Each of these members were multitalented (they'll remind you!) and it's worth revisiting this Grammy-winning Best Rap Album of 1996 just to see how much more there was to 90's hip-hop than a feud between New York and LA. It's worth addressing the central role that Hill played in both their success and their demise: she remains a rare talent -- gifted in flow and lyrics, blessed with a beautiful singing voice and, to boot, a talented actor, she pushed the Fugees to another level. However, Hill's relationship with the other two members was always fraught, leading to each reunion disintegrating with a public feud. This is chill as hell and very well-produced. It feels loose and comfortable, as if the members could show up in a studio and do this any day of the week, which is a real trick of production for a group that likely prepared meticulously for this. If 36 Chambers feels like a kung-fu film (not a great insight), this feels like a Western. The Score is a solid damn album and you can listen to the whole Fugees discography in a morning, so you should. They're one of hip-hop's (and possibly the 90's, writ large) greatest what-could-have-been questions. 4/5 (or call it 29/36 chambers)
I could do without the skits, but otherwise I loved this. Really liked Zealots on top of all the hits. It was fun to ID all the samples and references. Will def come back to this again.
3.5
Classic Fugees
The singing on ‘ready or not’ and ‘killing me softly’ is iconic, this was good 4/5
Volvemos al ruedo después de algunas semanas con un disco que juraba ya haber escuchado por éste reto pero veo que no. Tremendo segundo álbum y despedida de esta banda, hitero y con un mood ideal para una juntada. Increíble la voz de Lauryn Hyll. Sin nada más que agregar, me despido hasta mañana.
I love the way this album sounds. I remember when it came out, I was 18 and finding all kinds of music that I'd never listened to before. I still get chills when Ready Or Not comes on. It set a really high bar for hip hop.
Let's gooooooooooo. Love the solo Lauryn Hill record, like what I've heard from the Fugees, so I'm excited for this! Was not expecting this weird sample in How Many Mics, but love the tone it sets. Ready or Not is a classic, not much to say there. I was so shocked to hear the sample in Zealots. Love the original, really like this too. Interesting title too... I'll just say this right now, I'll need am loooot more time with the lyrics for each track. But loving this so far. Fu-Gee-La is another immediate stand-out, and then there's Killing me Softly... classic isn't enough. The Score and The Mask are more straight-foward rap or hip-hop songs. Not at all a bad thing, but they do stand out in the tracklist. I prefer The Mask. Cowboys is in the same vein, not as impressive. I like how its outro adds a different context for the next track, their cover of No Woman No Cry, which is a great note to end things on. This was a very enjoyable experience! The classics deserve their status, but there are also some hidden gems in the mix. I can see the album growing on me a lot more too. Great stuff. Bye
Great, though like a lot of hip hop albums of the 90s, too long!
Funky
back when woke meant something more than “liberal idea that i don’t like” good album
Very eclectic sound on this album. Very fun stuff.
Did not know that I was going to find this to be as good as I did. Though some of the language is outdated, the lyrics were very interesting to listen to. And Lauryn Hill crushed it.
“This is a Chinese restaurant, but HAVE IT YOUR WAY”
85% Best: Ready Or Not; Fu-Gee-La; Killing Me Softly With His Song; The Score Must-Hear? Sure
Convulsing suave.
This would be an easy 5 if it wasn't for the skits
Really good, sort of dark, downbeat sort of rap album. I can see why this won a Grammy (Good for Lauryn Hill!). I didn't know Wyclef whatshisface was in here since I only knew him from Hips Don't Lie, but I guess he does serious stuff too. I knew some songs from this album already, like Killing Me Softly With His Song, Fu-Gee-La, and maybe even Ready or Not. All the songs were great! How Many Mics is cool and catchy. Contraire, mon frere!... I wear sunglasses at night... They sound a little villainous. Lauryn saying "many, many, many," especially, is sort of Disney villain. Zealots. I liked the "somebody's watching meee!" bruh idk it was good I liked the restaurant skit. It's funny. It's stupid. LMAO "I'm gonna show you deez nuts." im gonna cry holy shit Killing Me Softly is SO good soOOOOOO fire Love this album HIGH 4.
Enjoyable, didnt go as hard as I expected for an album this iconic. Beats were on point tho, jammed to it for sure. Favourite Song: Zealots Honourable Mention: Killing Me Softly with His Song
It's been a while since I've listened to this and it's aged pretty well. There are still a couple songs that were so played out I really don't need to hear them again, and the energy does seem to dip a bit in the second half, but overall it's really will done and there's a reason it was so huge when it came out. I'm happy to hear this again.
This is one of those albums that I’ve probably not listened to enough in my lifetime. I was a kid when it came out, but it’s certainly reached legendary status is many circles. It’s an excellent, cohesive listen with some great stories within. Excellent production - it doesn’t sound dated at all. I don’t exactly have the nostalgic factor that would probably push this to 5 stars for me, but maybe one day after a few more spins I’ll update it. Killing Me Softly is a stunning cover.
So many songs I liked that I didn't know were from this group. Definitely adding some songs to a playlist.
"The Score" has been described as one of the best alternative hip-hop albums of the decade, a title the album truly deserves. The Fugees draw clear inspiration from other east coast acts of the time and still manage to make the music their own. The melodies are largely sampled throughout the record but often interpolated into something else, indicating a level of care not often seen. The lyrics are heavy hitting, thoughtful, and paint a vivid picture of the culture the group was experiencing at the time.
I remember when this album came out that it received a tremendous amount of praise. I knew Killing Me Softly because it was on the radio but the rest was not something I was able to access in my small town midwest home. So it was interesting to listen to. It is interesting how Lauryn Hill became the star of this group, but Wyclef and Pras seem to do the majority of the lyrics. They are poignant, deep, feel authentic and go well with the melodies. The album tells a story connected to a world and place in time. overall it is a really well done album. Now I can't not mention the Chinese Skit because I have included criticisms on misogyny and racism on other albums. Yes this was almost 30 years ago, but that shouldn't have been okay even then. It is also interesting that they are discussing the plight of the Haitian immigrant but also mock an Asian immigrant. I hate the human need to fight hate with more hate. If not for the Chinese Skit I think I could give this a 5, but I just don't want to overlook that portion.
The music is pretty minimal. It's really all about the raps and the beats. No horn samples needed. Lauryn Hill's distinctive vocals put this a cut above the rest. Not bad (for 90's rap).
Great vocals from Lauryn. Classic hip-hop/soul/r&b songs. Super influential record for the genre.
Energy. Nothing but pure internal energy. Not energenic, for the most part, but more like here is that feeling in your chest you don't know what to do with. This is very good. The skits are terrible, and have aged more terribly than you can remember, like most rap skits. But the music and lyrics hit harder now than ever before, and it isn't even about anything I've been through.
Absolute fantastic album. I remember Lauryn Hill having an amazing voice and listening to the album again reminding me what a great group they are as a whole
This album and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill have been on my list to listen to for a while. Well put together album that seems cohesive while also having diversity. Of course, Killing me Softly is an all time great. Genre I don’t listen to much. I realize part of that is because I don’t hear words, only music, so songs that feature the same loops are less interesting to me. And lyrically based music (rap) means I missing out if the majority of what makes the music good.
Fun, Funky, Powerful, Soulful. This album flits between playful and emotional and does both well. Earnest from the outset.
A great album that didn’t feel its length at all. Bangers and classics here. My one thing was the skits pulled it down a bit.
I can definitely see how this album influenced a lot of artists that I really enjoy now. It’s the exact style of hip hop that I look; suave, effortlessly cool, nothing too frantic. Admittedly, I think I still prefer the artists of today that have been influenced by these folks, but it’s still an album that deserves a lot of credit.
Obviously great and the mix of voices are perfect together. They have their rhythm and harmony down. Lots of recognizable songs like Ready Or Not, Killing Me Softly, and Zealots. 4 stars just because I don’t think I’ll listen to it often
This one surprised me since hip hop isn't my thing. I really liked Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song and No Woman, No Cry.
I can see where most of samples used in mid 2000s was from Great beats, flow, iconic 90s hip hop sounds Fu-Gee-La a banger
Awesome album.
Brought back a lot of memories since I haven't listened to this in a long time. It used to be in my rotation a TON back in the day but has fallen off since. Overall, I think it has held up to the test of time and it was still mostly good.
A prime example of how great 90's hip hop was. Probably don't need 3 remixes of Fu-Gee-La, though.
I have never heard of Fugees before. I will most likely be listening again.
Dope album and a fun listen. Already knew the hits off of this one but worth going through to find a few tracks that were new to me. The balance between R&B with Killing Me Softly, wutang style rap on Fu-Gee-Lah, and reggae hip hop on No Woman, No Cry or Zealots is really enjoyable. Not flawless as I was not a fan of How Many Mics or Mista Mista. Only makes me wish Wyclef Jean was a better person and Lauren Hill was a better performer.
I liked this. Very cool hip-hop!
the chinese restaurant skit was bad but the rest of it is pretty good
I was not ready for it but it came
Great album, it was so nice listening to this gem again
MO BUENO
This is such a special album. Certainly a rap royalty crown jewel. It is damn NEAR flawless. Near because the skits obviously have not aged well. Otherwise a beautiful album with incredible samples, timeless beats, incredible interpolations as well. The influences this album brought together are unparalleled even to this day, it seems like an album at the center of the crossroads of black culture in the mid 90's, and times were indeed quite different back then. Iconic hooks, iconic refranes, iconic bars, and getting to appreciate this album later in life is definitely a treat. Cowboys is fucking insane, Family Business is also insane, and the title track is a classic of classics too. Lauryn is a SICKENING MC all over this thing, jesus. And she can REALLY sing too. Classic boom bap done for the most part tastefully at the highest level. Cultural riches man.
A lot of great beats and clever lyrics. The career trajectory of this trio after this album is fascinating.
Alomtegenwoordig in mijn jeugd. "Killing Me Softly" en "No Woman No Cry" hoef ik dan ook niet meer te horen. Voor de rest een zeer solide plaat. "Fu-Gee-La" klinkt nog steeds hard.
Classic
I've somehow never come across this album before. Fantastic album which shows off the best of hip hop - great atmosphere, flow and layering. Lauren Hill's rapping is fantastic and her voice on songs like Killing Me Softly is jaw dropping. Ready or Not, How Many Mics and Fu-Gee-La were the other standouts. Only listened to it once so far, but lost attention a tad in the last quarter of the album and felt the Chinese Takeaway Skit took me out of it a bit, so rounding down to 4 stars rather than up to 5. 9/10
Thought they only did about two songs before disappearing. Solid listen
Good
lovelovelove no time today to write my lame review but I love this album still listen to it
Enjoyable, liked their controversial songs and story telling.
Flow and lyrics were great, enjoyed the samples for the choruses but not really original work here, beat and cadence got pretty generic and repetitive after a while
J'ai eu du fun à écouter ça
Good job 👏
Ça groove. 1h15 de rap c'est trop pour moi mais ça reste mieux que 37 min de reggae (jkjk, j'apprends à apprivoiser Exodus en parallèle). No, woman, no cry! L'omniprésence des sirènes de police sur l'album est cool, ça met sur les gardes, j'imagine c'est une façon de faire vivre c'est quoi être black dans une grande ville aux États-Unis(je vais présumer côte Est ou Chicago). Pas encore eu le temps d'analyser les paroles, mais les bribes de paroles que je comprends ont l'air d'être sur le thème des fausses accusations. L'humour des bouts parlés (the beast avec la sitar et les talks de fast food) me fait penser au Wu Tang Clan ou à The Wire. Il y a une esthétique très cinéma d'ailleurs, clin d'oeil au mouvement Blaxploitation. D'ailleurs, très nice pochette Goodfellas blaxploited. Killing me softly c'est une tonne de brique, une excellente idée de reprise et merveilleusement exécuté. J'adore The Mask! Gorillaz a rien inventé avec Clint Eastwood! Musicalement il y a définitivement quelque chose avec des emprunts au jazz, flamenco (Family Business), r&b/soul, gospel. Album concept, belle unité avec des rappels, des références culturels partout ("mama se mama sa mama coo sa", "The Mask") Vraiment proche d'un 5 étoiles, reste à me brancher après une 2e écoute
Wonderful
I started listening to this and was wondering why it was so good. Then I read the description and learned this was Lauryn Hill. It all made sense after that. Great album from The Score.
Ready or not and killing me are 5 star songs, rest of the album really holds up. Seminal and hard to believe nearly 30 years old, would hold up today
This was fantastic. Their cover of No Woman No Cry has always been a favorite. 4.5
The only song I really was familiar with was (of course), "Killing Me Softly" but I was very surprised to find myself enjoying this listen overall, since hip hop is definitely not typically a favourite.
Вообще в итоге в целом лучше, чем сначала думал, но дослушать не смог - настроение вообще не то. Под настроение может и может зайти. Поставил бы 3.5
great lyrics, great tunes
This album has some stone cold classics but I found it a little long to say the full album is a masterpiece. Still a great listen. Favorite Songs: Ready or Not / Killing Me Softly With His Song / The Score
An imperfect understanding of the talent available. A tad long, but hey there's a great album in there somewhere. 7.78/10 Favorite Song: Killing Me Softly with his Song
The year this dropped I was more immersed in rock than hip-hop, particularly underground artists, so when The Score became a major hit I ignored it. I definitely heard "Killing Me Softly" because it was unavoidable, but if I heard any other singles I didn't realize it then, nor did I recognize any others today. So I was pleasantly surprised that I mostly enjoyed it. I'm not in love with it yet, but the songs are pretty good & I enjoy the group dynamics. I do feel like it's a little lazy to have 2 covers included, but at least they're both solid. It didn't hook me in as heavily as most of my favorite hip-hop albums, so time will tell how often I'll return to it. But I definitely get the appeal now, and I'm glad this project gave me a reason to finally sit down with it.
What the FUCK was going on at the end of The Beast ?????????????
I really liked this one. It had a lot of cool songs I recognized from when I was younger on it, and I LOVE Ms Lauryn Hill.
Love Lauryn Hill but had never listened to this before! Pretty much every song was awesome what else can I say ^_^ Fav song: Fu-Gee-La
The Fugees are a force to be reckoned with. Easily one of the most unique and important hip hop acts of the 90's, the chemistry between the three members and the product of their shared vision is incredible. Lauryn Hill's ability to rap and sing (very, very well) is the Fugees secret weapon. "Killing Me Softly with His Song" is probably the one everyone knows, but there are a wealth of great songs that, I would argue, outshine this one. There's such a great mix of emotions, topics, and production: all of it *rich* and *lush*. Absolutely deserves to be here!
Amazing, I actually knew quite a few of these