Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Enjoyed it.
I like rap, but I don't listen to a lot of it. I enjoyed this album a lot. I was already familiar with "Killing Me Softly With His Song", but there were a few others that I had heard before but never realized with was by Fugees. Overall, I enjoyed the album.
Some of the tightest percussion production I’ve ever heard
Great album with beautiful songs. Lauren Hills vocals are amazing
Thought it was mad experimental then realised I was listening to the non explicit version, still really good
lauryn hill carried this but it’s still pretty solid lol
Enjoyed this as a teen, but didn't remember how funny some of the lyrics were
Listened quite recently, but decided to relisten. My opinion hasn't really changed since first listen, but I also really enjoyed it then. Obviously the rapping is insane, the attention is probably usually just to Lauryn Hill, but Wyclef is also amazing and has a quite unique style. I think the thing that's amazing about Lauryn Hill is that she's also an insane singer, which fits well for the choruses of quite a lot of these songs. The instrumentals are very good, and the live guitar in some of them fits quite well. The downsides are that the skits are not really needed (especially the racist Chinese shop one which I thought sounded like Scooby Doo). Some of the adlibs aren't so great either, but thats quite a small complaint. Favourite songs: ready or not, zealots, the beast, fu-gee-la, family business, the score, the mask, cowboys, manifest/outro Overall around 8/10
Fiyah! A little long for me
I listened to this a lot when I was younger and figured it'd be a 3 before listening. The album is on the longer side compared to contemporaries, but being ~1 hour long isn't necessarily a detriment. As long as it is varied and consistent it should be good, but I don't think it quite achieves that, not like Enter The Wu-Tang or Black On Both Sides. I think it is worth a 4 though; there are some great beats on the first half of the album, second half slows down a little, but I think it flows well enough that its okay. The singles, though, are fantastic, so I think it needs to be better than a 3.
An absolute power house display of great hip hop. So much talent on this album.
Fantastic blend of RnB and HipHop. Lauren Hill's voice is magical. 4 stars.
“ready or not” is really good. that’s partially because i recognize it from samples. also “killing me softly” is always PERFECT. i ascend every time i hear it. didn’t realize it was from this album! everything was actually so fun! all in all a 4/5.
This is legendary album.
Again, not huge on rap, think it’s limited as a genre. That said, Ms. Lauryn Hill is very talented, she has creative rhyme schemes and interesting lyrics. Production is cleaner, but keeps the rawness. Good variation in the themes and melodies and lyrics. Ended up liking this a lot. 4.5 imo
Solid beginning to end
Enjoyed a lot more than I thought. A lot of songs I had heard and were overplayed. But loved the songs I didn’t know yet. Great album. Lauren is the standout.
A 90’s hip hop all timer.
Solid
Perfect album!
Some good songs on here, I liked it.
Simpatico, belle basi, attualissimo. Non riuscivo a credere fosse uscito nel '96!
The Score is one of those rare albums that feels both of its time and timeless. Lauryn Hill’s voice is the undeniable standout — especially on “Killing Me Softly,” which is arguably one of the most beautiful remakes ever recorded. That said, the loop-heavy production and slow pacing make parts of the album feel repetitive and forgettable to me but I still recognize its brilliance.
Never really listened to the Fugees before but I love this
Not what I would normally listen too but enjoyed
silky smooth, with hard hitting lyrics and beats throughout. i had listened to this album a bit ago, bit it was really great to revisit and put under a lens. definitely enjoyed and will keep in rotation.
Awesome album with some awesome standout songs. My only complaint with it is the length. Make it 20 minutes shorter and you might get that last star from me.
Really like the vocals and lyrics but this loses a point for over reliance on samples
There's a few strange parts here but mostly just very beautiful and boppin' to listen to.
Some misses but some big swings could i write poetry to this? n
Intense and creative, but I can only get into the Lauren Hill parts.
Liked a lot more than I thought. Female singer was so good, entertaining. the skits and stuff was not really my thing, but overall I really enjoyed it
My ultimate rainy day record. Lauryn was just so talented man. 8.5/10 Fave track: Fu-gee-la
Some classics but the rest is hit or miss
Enjoyed this
Nice hip hop with r&b roots.
This takes me back to high school. Damn!!! So good
general: im not super into older hip hop as a whole but this is pretty catchy i love her voice sm, it’s so pretty (and her flow is lowk the best too) bro he’s ordering chicken wings in one of these songs?? 😭 top 3: zealots killing me softly with his song ready or not
7.5/10 very very fun; i like fav songs: Fu-Gee-La; Ready or Not (i know this from Disney); Zealots
A lot of iconic songs that I recognized by their use as samples. Good album and a good time. Really funny sketch about a Chinese restaurant in the hood.
On 'Red Intro' I just thought - jeez. Calm down. You would be the most annoying man to try to converse with in a social setting. The obligatory, pointless hip-hop album intro done with, the album quickly finds good ground with 'How Many Mics' which is like a twisting Pharcyde rhythm and delivery, with a dark carnival feel. In general, the album feels elevated above the countless pile of 90s hip-hop albums, narrating life in the streets. It falls into it a bit ('Manifest'). That and the Outro, which is ridiculous, nearly torpedo the whole thing. I've always thought Fugees a bit lightweight really. As good as Wyclef and Pras can intermittently be, the real magic is when Lauryn sings or raps, and the difference is marked. On 'Killing Me Softly' I just want her to sing without the 'one time' bullshit, which is equivalent to the 'so good' add-on in Sweet Caroline. In saying that, when they all hit form (mainly the singles) the results are excellent.
"Killing me Softly" was played waaaaaaaay too much, but the album overall is a delight. More Hip-Hop like this and less with the ridiculous low-hanging jeans and abuse of women please.
The skits and ad libs are horrible and dated (bing!), but the tunes hold up pretty well and Lauren Hill still sounds great.
A great listen that needs to be revisited to fully appreciate the lyrics. Both fun / lighthearted and cutting with the depiction of America in the 90s.
I'm not typically big on R&B, but this was good stuff. 3.8
What an album: great lyrics, great songs, great artists! Some tracks were felt a bit repetitive, and this is definitely not my favourite genre, but other than thst I can't fault it. 4.2
Great/ classic album
Pretty good album. One of the most listenable of the myriad of terrible rap albums on this list.
Idk I've never really listened to this sorta thing before. I kinda diiiig it.
👍
Thought this was on track for a 5 but it wavers at points. Extended version has way too many versions of Fu Gee La, why not remix something else? But I'm being unfair, it's very very good
Remember this being released and my friends older sister being obsessed with it.... Never listened to the album before but obviously know the hits. Thought it was pretty decent mostly. Must've been a nice change to all the gangsta rap being released at the time. The 4 different versions of Fu-Gee-La annoyed me, but I assume they weren't all on the original release. Aside from the huge hits, "zealots" was the highlight. I like the creole 3.5
великолепная Мисс Лорин Хилл
pretty solid
Very much a moment in time album for me. Tons of great songs, but when listening to the album straight through, the outros can be distracting or sometimes unnecessary. Still so solid all the way through.
Essential Hip-Hop knowledge, incredible flow and sounds. The symmetry of the group is notable and all songs sound great.
I liked it Will I listen to again: 75%
Beautiful Hip-Hop album!! Lauryn Hill's voice really shines in this record. Songs are good and catchy and the lyrics are awesome as well.
Was a great listen, always love Lauryn Hill
I've heard parts of this one before and those parts have been pretty good. Favorite song off of it before listening is Killing Me Softly. After listening to it, that's probably still true. Maybe Cowboys or Zealots are close. Over all, I liked it and I'm glad I listened to it. I loved the reggae themes combined with soul and hip hop. I've heard a lot of Lauryn Hill's and Wyclef Jean's solo careers, but nothing from Pras. I should check him out. Overall, great album. 7.9/10
Very enjoyable
tbh the lyrics are sometimes quite lame, but the rest makes up for it
Smooth OG rap vibes
Rien que pour Ready or not, cet album est mythique.
incredible
Loved. Added "Killing me softly" to my liked songs.
Un classique. Difficile d'écrire une critique tant The Fugees sont ancrés dans mes souvenirs bien avant que je ne m'intéresse au rap. J'étais au collège et je pense qu'à l'époque il était impossible de ne pas avoir connaître (et aimer) Killing Me Softly. L'exploration de l'album s'est poursuivie avec les années, confirmant que l'album entier est une référence du rap. Et quand on est capable de s'inscrire aussi durablement dans la mémoire collective, au delà d'un genre musical, c'est qu'on est un classique.
First i was not to big on it however after listening to it a few times i love it and it is truly amazing
Et album med nogle gode bangers, ikke mindst de fire single udspil og titelnummeret. Fugees har ikke smidt interludes ind, men bare ladet deres snak og sketches være i enden af numrene. Det gør det så sværere at skippe dem. Lidt for mange fillers. Men kæft Lauren Hill rapper lækkert
I was there when it hit and it hit hard. Hip hop in 1996 was so happening and this was one of many highlights back then, especially due to Lauryn Hill's vocals. Over time some of the glitz has rubbed off for my taste, but still a good record.
Already heard this one, but it was nice to revisit
Somehow it's the year of our lord 2025 and I've never listened to this album before. Probably because it was released and super popular when I was still actively rejecting music that didn't fit my identity. I really liked this album, it's a classic for a reason. I found it odd what a 90s hip-hop album this was - verse-trading MCs, fairly straight forward beats, it was good and comfortable. I could absolutely have done without the (period appropriate) skits though, they're always so bad.
I like this one, but I don’t love it. I expected to be more into this than I actually was, it’s good and I like Wyclef’s style but as an album it falls a little short of what I remembered. The singles are (obviously) the best tracks on here. Overall, although most of the beats feel kind of simplistic, they work. Rating? 3.5? I’ll bump this to 4 stars it’s definitely close.
I really like this album. Lots of good stuff here, good beats, Lauren Hill is an outstanding vocalist. Not one I put on all the time, but it's good to hear it again and remember just how good it really is. Couple of my favorite lines - "2 MCs can't occupy the same space at the same time, it's against the laws of physics" along with "And even after all my logic and my theory, I add a "motherfucker" so you ignant n***ers hear me. And I know the Chinese restaurant sketch isn't in good taste, but it will ALWAYS be funny to me. I love the back and forth on that so much. That's probably the best rap album skit I've ever heard.
I liked this album alot when it came out -- and I still do.
Classic rap album
This hits
Кайфовые минуса для 96 и прикольная читка. Лол вот откуда семпл Ready or note
Bop and a half. Tons of classics and Mrs. Lauren kills it. I didn't know dick about wyclef but I sure as shit am gonna find out. It's just that facial song from thugger. But good stuff. For sure gonna re listen for a whole while here
Nice hiphop med typ precis så mycket RnB jag pallar. Några klassiker jag inte visste var deras och för det mesta mycket skapligt man kan gunga med till 👌
I'm not bumpin' too much Biggie Smalls. Great album, could live without all the skits but otherwise a high score for this one.
A classic. The skits are a bit too much, but the music, the lyrics, the message, all of it is amazing. 4/5 Will listen again
Chill flow Singles kinda slap Liked the bob marley cover
It was a beautiful and interesting album. I do enjoy hip hop, and there's a lot going on here. It's pleasant and worth revisiting.
Crazy how clearly you can hear how this album and their music has directly influenced other artists. Favorite tracks: The Mask
This album was EVERYWHERE in ‘96. You couldn’t escape it! MTV had the videos for “Ready or Not” and “Killing Me Softly” heavy rotation. I’m not complaining, though; “The Score” is very near perfection. I could do without all the skit interludes, but doing that kind of thing was kind of en vogue then, for some reason (there’s a bunch on “The Chronic”, too). Not every song on this album is a 100% banger, either. “The Beast” and “Cowboys” being the weakest tracks on the album. Four stars is the rating here but the more accurate score (pun intended) would be 4.5.
It's a really cool rap album, there are a lot of things in the production that most other concept albums don't. That being said - I really wish they rapped more. When they did it was good, but most of the time it was just a bunch of disparate talking. I even liked a lot of the filler, but at some point it became a little bit too much filler and not enough music.
3.8/5
Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Pras. "Ready or not" super recognizable, good track. Recorded really well, super clean. Drums especially really good. Really distracting me from studying physics. Vaguely reminds me of Mezzanine, especially "Zealots". "The Beast" reminds me of De la Soul's feature on Plastic Beach. Fu-Gee-La reminds me of Coast Contra freestyle but more mellow. Very good, will listen to again, highly recommend.
Lowkey some songs are fire! I added one to my playlist
Red Intro 3.6 How Many Mics 3.4 Ready or Not 3.7 Zealots 3.6 The Beast 3.4 Fu-Gee-La 3.8 Family Business 3.5 Killing Me Softly 4 The Score 3.4 The Mask 3.4 Cowboys 3.2 No Woman, No Cry 3.8 Manifest/Outro 3 Sxcore: 3.523076923
My sister had a variety of music for me to borrow growing up. Korn, ICP, Marilyn Manson, Garth Brooks, and this album. I still haven't deviated much from the rock realm when listening on my own, but I can appreciate a good variety. This album was everywhere in 96 and I remember it being a big thing at the Grammys. It's one of those albums that you can't really give any good reason for not liking it without sounding racist, and I think even me saying that my seem a bit racist somehow. I like the singles well enough, but many other songs have a message that isn't meant for me so it feels awkward to me listening to it. I understand a lot of the issues but unfortunately the country has a bunch of babies running it now that can't listen to reason and logic. A lot of these grievances in the songs are ignored by the powers in charge because keep these issues keeps the focus off the true problem, which is money controlling the powers that be. Once the money gets out and the politicians can address the people then progress can resume. Favorite track "Killing me softly" 4/5
To jest totalny klasyk. Lauryn Hill genialna. Rap to nie jest mój ulubiony gatunek, ale nie da się tego nie docenić. Hit za hitem, hitem pogania. A Killing me softly to wisienka na tym, naprawdę smacznym torcie. 8/10
3.5, but rounding up to a 4. The absolute best thing on the album is Lauryn Hill's vocals. I'm still not a huge fan of hip hop, so for me the standout songs are Killing Me Softly and No Woman No Cry. I don't think this is a commentary on The Fugees' writing as much as that I like the singing more than the rapping. Other songs I enjoyed are Ready or Not, Zealots, and Fu-Gee-La; especially when Lauryn gets the spotlight.
Would get canceled today for some of the between-song filler! Otherwise, still great. Not something I would listen to regularly, but I can't deny the greatness.
I really liked this one. It’s cool, has nice homages, and is what I would call ‘funky fresh’
I knew a couple songs from just listening to Lauryn Hill but this was an amazing album altogether. One of the best R&B I know.
Full of classics! Love the funky r&b and a worthwhile listen
A hip hop classic that I had listened to years ago. It's a great listen although it would be topped by Miseducation a few years later
A little bit difficult to rate. While I absolutely love the words and way they are presented, even sometimes sung, and the astoningly laid-back approach to music making despite of much of the anger that shines through the lyrics, it is exactly that laid-back approach that makes it feel a little bit samey all over. I would have given it a three, but Lauryn Hill propelled this up. The best they and the individual members did, maybe apart from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill...
A hugely influential and impactful jazz-rap/R&B this album is a classic. It’s not my favorite genre but holy shit is this album great. It’s so smooth and catchy, and features a few huge hit songs. This is the album I’d recommend to people who are not familiar with R&B classics, cause there’s no doubt this album is a classic. It does feature a skit that would offend the easily offended, but that’s not an issue for me. Overall a top ten R&B album.
One of the better hip hop albums with enough pop sensibility.
Thanksgiving
Another good album
Really solid record. I knew "Killing Me Softly" and "Read or not", but the rest of the album was unfamiliar. I really liked "Fu Gee La" and there were various other songs that were pretty solid (Zealots, Beast, Mask...). Awesome grooves.
Flirts with a 5-star rating. There's a couple missteps and too much between-song chatter, but there is a lot to like here.
Did not realize there were multiple lyrical references to poop. And a super solid album nonetheless.
cinematic, I really love killing me softly.
wasn’t immediately on board but then Ready or Not started and the rest of the album was great
I have to confess that this is Not bad! I’m not a hip hop person but it’s actually very good. The lyrics are extremely intelligent.
Cool
the outro of the beast has one of the worst Asian impersonations i've ever heard. this is a 90s album I thought they were supposed to be good at being racist back then pretty good ig
-this is probably one of the most enjoyable hip hop albums I’ve ever heard, to be honest. Lauryn Hill is probably the best part, absolutely phenomenal -The rhythms and sampling is sooo good in every song, especially in the first half (Boadicea my beloved…). Would want to listen again -Favorites are Ready Or Not, Zealots, and Fu-Gee-La
Great
4.25
Lauryn Hill is so talented. 4.4.
The blending of genres and lyricism on this album are top notch. Could do without the skits. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
I remember listening to this album in my apartment in Lawrence Kansas. It was my sophomore year at KU and my friend and I would listen to this album and smoke cannabis. It was really good times, I can almost smell the incense that we would use to cover up the smell from my neighbors. Lots of good memories around this album. It's unfortunate that all three of them appear to be less than stellar individuals, the music is still great though.
I am far from a hip hop/ rap aficionado. Not something I ever “just listen to”. I know the Fugees were a very influential group within this genre- But to me it is simply a solid well done album.
Further proof that you should not underestimate New Jersey. Talk all the shit you want about us, we’ve heard it all before…chances are we’re too busy making something incredible to care what you think.
I've always had mixed feelings in my limited exposure to this group. I heard only the hits. As an album it feels like a true synthesis between Wu-Tang and something more gentle like LL-Cool J's more romantic tracks. It has skits, it has some nice flows, it has great sampling, it's a fantastic and varied album. I don't know that I'll run it back again and again but I enjoyed it.
Excellent.
Uno de los mejores álbumes de Hip-hop que he tenido el placer de escuchar, y todo se lo debo a esta lista. Con un contenido lírico que se enfoca en representar la realidad afroamericana (la cual no cambiado mucho desde los '90s), el trabajo nos muestra capas y capas de rica crítica social a través de flows prístinos e intervenciones melódicas que evocan a lo mejor del R&B, Soul y música caribeña, de la mano de la talentosísima Lauryn Hill. Definitivamente, "The Score" es uno de los mejores LPs de los '90s, no solo por su relevancia cultural y contextual, sino también por su nivel de producción, creatividad e influencia para el panorama del Hip-hop.
Wicked hip hop. I like the speed and clarity of the lyrics and beats, it was very easy to follow along too which is essential to the genre (for me anyways) I'll be revisiting this album for sure.
Love ya Lauren
Classic rap album 4/5
Very enjoyable
Throwback hip hop and soul with a message that everyone should hear. I love this album so much. Must listen songs: Zealots The Beast Killing Me Softly No Woman, No Cry 4/5
it is funny how Spotify has "The Beast" coupled with "- includes Chinese restaurant skit" in its title. big "Dead Dove: Do Not Eat" vibes from that. i can understand why some see this as an enduring classic, but i wish i could do the same. it's not bad or even middling by any extent of the imagination -- "Ready or Not" is a pefect song -- but it is easy to see a better record if some changes were made. let Lauryn rap more and get Pras to rap less. let John Forte join the group and make him contribute a bit more than Pras. tone down the tutting judgement in the first half of the record. cut the "No Woman, No Cry" because it's straight ass and you have a cover on the album already. don't let Ruff House put three bonus tracks on on the CD. however, The Score is what it is and it's no point dictating things you could do to improve it. the milk was spilt, dried, and forgotten. i don't think there are any really weak instrumentals on the record, everything's very well put together (barring the bonus tracks stapled to the end). it's more to do with the simple fact of who the Fugees are -- a very talented woman who knows this, a guy who thinks he's much more talented than she is, and his cousin. why did the Fugees break up? why do crows mob owls? why do papier-mâché volcanoes explode? because there is no other outcome for the combination of the parties involved. it's just the way it was always gonna be.
Blast from my teenage years. Classic 90s rap. Lauryn Hill is amazing. I have definitely heard this album at school, takes me back. Some absolute bangers.
Some very catchy alternative hip hop/ pop taht has many songs and samples that I recognise. Standouts: How Many Mics, Fu-Gee-La, The Score and Ready Or Not
Don't honestly know why I've never really listed to the Fugees before this is right up my alley. 8/10
Immer noch gut.
This album has some really cool songs on it only marred with dumb chatting between songs.
4.5
Her voice is flawless and everything else sounds really neat and nice for an almost 30 year old album
How have I never listened to this completely? Crazy.
An obvious classic. A smooth, super well produce hip-hop record. Such great sampling.
#376. When I listened to Lauryn Hill's album, I shit on it pretty hard, and I think rightly so. Pretty shit, to be honest. But listening to this here shows me that wasn't always the case. This right here is pretty fucking good. Seems she took the John Lennon approach and decided to go off on her own and just make trash afterwards, but there did, at some point, seem to be some pretty good stuff going on. 4/5: great
8.3/10 Bangers and flow. Appreciate the wyclef jean and lauryn hill b2b melody.
Highlights: How Many Mics Zealots Killing Me Softly With His Song The Mask
such a banger 4-4.5/5
I was struggling to crack this one but the more I paid attention the more interesting some of the samples on this went went; there's a 3 second sample of The Day Begins from The Moody Blues Days of Future Passed. That's such an interesting call for the very end that almost leaves the song hanging. Then they use a sample from Knights in White Satin from the same album to end The Mask. There's a great energy throughout this. This feels like it's a bridge between a lot of things but I don't know hiphop at this time well enough to me able to see it all. Cool listen. This is the type of thing you could pay attention to and get something or zone out and get an entirely different experience. I know it was of the time but the skits don't land. Their voices work together really well.
They have that bounce in their flow that I like. Over all sounds like a blend of The Wu-Tang Clan and a Tribe Called Quest, sprinkle in some reggae. Some of the skits sound right out of Enter the Wu-Tang. This album feels a little loose at times, but has enough strong points to keep riding high. I'm going 4.8 rounded down.
Never heard this before, better than I expected. Hill is clearly the star here, but was more hip-hop focused than the singles would indicate. An easy listen
Some classic songs, some 90s NYC rap. Okay.
Not listened to this for years and enjoyed revisiting. The covers are probably the strongest but the rest still holds up as well….
Great melodic hip hop with awesome music
Let down by skits
One of the best hip-hop albums to come out of the 90s.
Not my music at all but was interesting to listen to
Wow! Very soulful, socially aware, and diverse 90s rap album! I loved it!
kinda lost me outside of the singles but i like how accessable it is
I listened to this one twice and it's pretty great. I don't think I'm ready to go 5 here yet, but it's a 4.5 for real.
Reade or Not, Fu-Gee-La och Killing Me...är såna riktiga hits. Övriga låtar är också bra. Det är liksom hip hop som jag kan fatta.
Ready or Not - Track 3, nostalgia at its peak. Zealots --- a layered song, very fun. Fu-Gee-La Lauryn's voice and bars 🔥 It's been like 10 years since I last listened to this album and what a good way to remember where I was and where I am.
Good
Some really amazing tracks. Some have not aged as well. But a very good album. A 3.5-3.75, but I'll round up.
Banger, this is a better rap album than the other one a listened to
Solid album, some of the skits are so-so but the guys are top of their game here.
Ah, The Score, an album I've listened to a handful of times. This album came out when I was in fifth grade, and I remember "Killing Me Softly" being a massive hit. I wasn't really allowed to listen to hip hop when I was a kid, but "Killing Me Softly" was so massive that it got plenty of airplay on the local top 40 station that wasn't barred in our household. I know I listened to this within the last year at some point, but I'm excited to fire it back up today. The Score isn't one of my favorite albums, but I still think it's really good. The lyrics are great (I love all of the references to politicians and pop culture figures), the vocals are fantastic, and the production is out of this world (I would expect nothing less from Lauryn Hill). "Ready Or Not" and "Killing Me Softly" stand head and shoulders above the rest of the album, but the other songs are good too. This album does an excellent job at showcasing hip hop as an art that's just as serious and beautiful as other forms of popular music. Where this album gets weighed down is its pacing. I know skits are a part of hip hop music, but the ones on this album just slow things down to a snail's pace, and I found it difficult to get back into the album after the skits. This album is great because of the music and its dark atmosphere, but the skits bring both of those to a screeching halt. Some of the songs are a tad long as well, and a couple of songs felt a little unnecessary to me, particularly "Cowboys." Still, this album is really good, and it showcases the collaborative talents of Hill, Jean, and Pras. The Score is an achievement, but there are other hip hop albums from the era that I'd rather listen to.
Great album! It got a little weaker for me in the middle and I felt that a few semi tracks didn’t make up for the length, but all in all, I enjoyed this more than any of their solo stuff.
This is almost a 5. I feel like all the songs were great, but not gonna give it a 5 because none of them really stuck with me
Heck yes. Vibes galore
Classic hip hop, I take one star off for the skits that sometimes go on too long
What a coincidence! Reference to Tracy Chapman - yesterday’s album! Great sense of humour- killer flow from Lauren. Great references
Ou la la la!
Really enjoyed this! I had no idea Lauryn Hill originally started with this band. Also that they only had two albums? Also this band includes Wyclef Jean? I learned so much!
An enjoyable album all the way through, with a couple of proper good songs. I'm not sure I would like it as much without Lauren Hill - much better than the rest.
Good stuff. Why had I forgotten the Fugees?
Solid 4
What’s really unique about The Score is the production quality. On top of the super clean production you have Lauryn Hill, who is a master of both rap and singing/melodies and adds to the overall super high quality album. I’m not sure the other aspects of the album are as revolutionary as they appear 30 years later (content of the songs, female rapper/singer). Overall it holds up, and I’m sure at the time pushed the genre forward. The template of creating a 10 second loop and rapping/singing over it for 3 minutes feels tired now, but at the time may not have been played out. I wish they would have explored other structures and arrangements. Skits are also something I could do without, but obviously were/are popular on Rap albums. Would go somewhere between 3.5 and 4.
Overall such a solid album - I loved this. It’s held up a lot better than a lot of 90s hip hop. Lauryn Hill obviously stands out - she elevates some mediocre songs (eg Fu-Gee-La) and makes the good ones even better (eg Ready or Not). Killing Me Softly is a gorgeous combo of understated production and her voice in center stage. Some great production in other spots too - super creative Enya sample on Ready or Not that spawned several remakes since then
Not really into Hip Hop but this is a great album
++: Zealots, Family Business, Killing Me Softly, The Mask, Cowboys +: Red Intro, How Many Mics, Ready or Not, The Beast, Fuu-Gee-Laa, The Score, No Woman, No Cry, Manifest/Outro 8,1/10
Solid album. Ms Lauren Hill, like the Y in CSNY, is making all the real contributions. It kinda sounds like wyclef jean was always corny, with shakira shakira level contributions. Lotsa 90's nostalgia - Judge Ito gets a call out! The beast is a pretty good track.
Fantastic hip-hop/R&B infusion. Unpopular, but I prefer this to The Miseducation
- Ich wusste bis heute nicht, das Wyclef Jean und Lauryn Hill Mitglied bei den Fugees waren - Irgendwie ein geil gesampeltes und düsteres Album. Wesentlich zeitloser und moderne als vieles Andere, was es an HipHop aus dieser Zeit gibt. - Daneben MegaHits wie No Woman no Cry, Ready or not und Killing me Softly. - Wusste ungefähr was kommt, war dann aber doch positiv überrascht 3,75/5
- Banger Album, gefiel mir sehr gut - Hits (sehr viele also) kennt man, davon abgesehen sind aber auch andere coole Tracks dabei
This is pretty slick
I do like my hip hop conscious. So this is right to my alley. Great rhymes, great production. A free misses for me but for the most part a very solid listenable album that gets you both moving and thinking.
Loses a bit of steam after "killing me softly"
This is #day8 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about some '90s hip-hop? I only knew "Ready Or Not," which was on heavy rotation on the radio in my childhood, so I never listened to the album in full until today. What do we get under the cover? Some of the best specimens of alternative rap music out there. Not gangsta rap, but genuine hip-hop, telling a story. The productions, the live instruments, and the flow make this record an amazing listening experience. I also love the blend of male and female vocals here. How about a strong 4 this time around? You bet. Looking forward to #day9.
Fire production and incredible vocals. Crazy influential and all the melodies were catchy as hell. I knew a lot of them, which is a good sign. Fantastic overall, but some of the skits get repetitive or cringeworthy. Another high 4.
Fugees: one of the more interesting groups of the last century. When the least-in-trouble member of your group has committed tax fraud (and been to jail, if memory serves), it's crazy. But that's Fugees, lightning in a bottle. Some people have wanted another record since, but it just never seems like it's going to happen. Honestly, why should it? You make a statement like this, there's no need to make another. Favorite tracks: "The Mask", "The Beast", "Zealots"
Innovative and real but besides Killing Me Softly, nothing I would listen to twice.
I like!
Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit is a massive thing to follow. Lauren did well. 4.0
Some exceptional songs sprinkled with some interesting speeches
The most important album of 1996 with an elegant mix of hip hop, soul, pop and rock.
Such great smooth story telling.
got a little goofy but i liked it
I'm not really into hip-hop, but I rather enjoyed this. The rhythms are great, the lyrics tend to be witty, the samples are good- overall, an excellent package. The skits unfortunately were constantly pulling me out of the album, perhaps my biggest gripe.
made me feel quite badass, entertaining w/ the bit of storytelling, i think my bf would like this
Solid album. I don't listen to this type of music a lot but it seems innovative with some really great songs.
this was a good album!
Buenosimo
Such a nostalgic hit. Mad that this was the end too. Almost brilliant, wish there wasn't a horrible cover of No Woman, No Cry on there...
Heard it a few times already it's cool
I can dig this. Vibe with. I really dig the beat work it's got goin' on. And... Yeah, that's all I feel like I hafta say. Which feels weird to me; I should have more about one of **the** albums of hip hop, but... I'unno. Yeah. It'd be neat if we lived in a timeline with a second album from these people.
So many hit songs, I enjoyed it
I liked this one, very 90s hip-hop feel to it.
I enjoyed this album a lot
Awesome
Stands the test of time well. Lauryn Hill is clearly the stand out performer, but they work well as a trio. Stand out tracks Killing me softly and Ready or not. 4/5
More gangster than i thought
Really great and creative album. Just like "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill", I like how the songs are interconnected. The blending of all these different genres also help this album have a unique and memorable personality. Definitely one I need to listen to regularly to really appreciate it due to all the detail. Some songs do miss the mark though so it isn't a 5/5 but still great.
This was very good.
An amazing combination of the two dominant early 90s New York hip hop sounds - the emphatically lyrical wordy and insistently clever delivery of Tribe Called Quest or Digable Planets paired with production style of Wu-Tang, with dead simple looped piano/drum machine beats that serve as perfect platforms for the delivery. More than any individual contribution, the interplay between the voices swapping verses, picking up and continuing each others ideas, speaking back and forth, extending the rhyme schemes and cadences is the real magic here. The hits were inescapable but remain fresh and exciting, some of the best hop hop singles of the 90s. Overall it's is very consistent in terms of sound/style and quality - so a bit samey, but lots of good stuff, though the Bob Marley cover is very corny. The whole thing has a very cinematic feel, from the movie-poster style cover and the silly skits, to the atmospheric beats, and scene-setting, character-establishing, story-telling style in the lyrics.
song reco: killing me softly, ready or not ⭐⭐⭐⭐ easy to listen hip hop album. even though i'm not a fan of hip hop, i liked this album. better listen to it in order.
Very close to a 5*. Very good stuff
Solid hip-hop/R&B album that's at it's best when Lauryn Hill is singing. Relaxed pace, poignant lyrics. Nice choice of samples. Standout is "Ready Or Not".
Amazing
Fosters a very specific energy. Incredible production for the time. Falls to some trappings of 90s hip hop that isn’t my personal favorite, but a great listen
This album helps me understand the popularity of hip hop and rap, which gets me to 3 stars, but when I compare it to the rambling garbage of Eminem it goes to 4 stars or a B rating.
Great flow and rhythm of the music.
This is a 4.4. Going to have to round down because of the skits and because some of the non-hits don't strike me as hard as the hits do.
Very good
Cool
i love how many songs sound familiar because people have ironically sampled the shit out of this album
Classic
Really really good. Borderline HoF.
What a solid album. 3 amazing rappers showcasing their skill, and the production is great too. Honestly it's a shame they broke up so soon after this, but hey it gave us The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill so I won't complain too much.
The singles are all amazing but while the album tracks have some cool lyrical moments, they’re largely forgettable and often sound like second rate Wu Tang.
Dope production, rapping and singing with carefully crafted lyrics. All around amazing.
Great album. Love miseducation of Lauryn Hill, so expected to like this and I very much did. Some great lyricism in many of the songs
HL: "Fu-Gee-La", "Killing Me Softly", "Ready or Not", "No Woman, No Cry", "Zealots" June 6, 2024
Lots of hidden bangers. Amazing flow
Enjoyed it! Good listen.
Well know,great album
Surprisingly good. Very well constructed and executed rap. I love the east coast spoken-verse flow. Lauryn hill is remarkable as a rapper, and stellar as a singer. While there may be a few filler tracks, the peaks are really strong here and as a complete collection it flows well. The beats are strong and well recorded, the passion is felt throughout.
Chill production, great flow, some real classics. Good album all around!
not a genre i spend a lot of time in but such a pleasant listening experience feels like im in the room with them. killing me softly one of the most beautiful covers of all time..
A very well produced album. I know "Killing Me Softly" is pretty much a cover, but I didn't realize how many samples and interpolations there would be on the album. The lyrics are often well thought it and poignant. The Chinese restaurant skit was humorous, but also kinda came outta nowhere? The album was certainty an interesting listening experience
Nice to hear Lauryn Hill again on this album. I didn't know she was singing on this famous cover of Killing Me Softly With His Song. Also nice to hear Wyclef Jean! I liked this album, it had a few big standout songs in the mix. I liked Fu-Gee-La and Ready or Not the best, How Many Mics was cool too. I'm off to finally watch the 'It's tough loving Lauryn Hill' vid I've have on my to-watch list for so long.
Normally, I’m meh on hip-hop/rap. I’m a music first listener, so I usually enjoy the melodic stuff. However, this is really good. Probably my favorite hip hop album as of now. Favorite song: No Woman, No Cry
Hmmm this is a difficult one. Went into it think it’d be a 4* for sure with possibility to get to 5*. But I started to waffle the more I listened. There are the hits, sure, but the rest of the album isn’t as captivating as I remember. And those skits…man, really take me out of the flow. I ended up at a strong 3* or weak 4* and rounding up given how monstrous this album was when it came out. And the popular songs are still great. 3.5/5
This was really good, I enjoyed this a lot. Fugees are a trio of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel, and they all compliment each other super well on this. It has a really mellow vibe throughout most of it, the lyrics are relaxed and funny. I like this comment from an Entertainment Weekly critic, "The Score feels warm and intimate — partly because the instruments are live but also because the Fugees sound so relaxed and casual." There's quite a few covers/samples on here, including some of the most well-known songs. "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and "No Woman, No Cry" are covers and "Ready or Not" has a few major samples (plus others I'm sure). They manage to pull these off in a fresh way though and they all work great. Generally just really enjoyable stuff here. I'm not a huge old rap fan, but this was great, it's almost 30 years old but still sounds pretty fresh. A few weaker songs scattered throughout (on a 61 minute album), but plenty of good to make it worth it. Lauryn Hill is super talented, I'm sure The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is on this list somewhere too, so I'm looking forward to that one. Favorite song: Ready or Not Other: How Many Mics, Zealots, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, The Mask, No Woman No Cry 5/6/24
Wish Lauryn Hill would sing more.
några bangers
Lauryn Hill Wycef John. Third Guy. This was essential 90s jams.
please miss hill just one chance 💍🧎♀️ drags in places
Lekker
It's easy to forget how good this album is amongst all the things that followed - Wyclef's penchant for flipping cheesy samples, Pras' legal troubles, and Ms. Lauryn imploding her career after dropping Miseducation. But subtract all of that and take it back to the source - fresh beats, interwoven rhymes. Three lyricists giving their best over their own productions. Who could have blamed anyone for seeing anything but a brilliant run of albums as a collective and individuals? Dang. We'll always have The Score.
I really like the flow on this album. What we could've had if these folks stayed together. A few all-time greats on this album, there's some filler I could do without, but overall a great album.
Such an amazing album. The three of these guys really brought something magical. I’ve loved this album since I can remember.
Smooth grooves, nice flow, great beats, and at times, when Lauryn Hill is on vocals, transcendent. I do have to knock it down a star for the Chinese Restaurant skit.
The Score sees the Fugee's hit their stride while making their collective's unexpected final statement in one swoop before going their 3 separate ways. The result is a collection that is equally lyrical as well as hook-driven. Plenty of these tracks will live on as instantly effective needle drops forever while scores of the the bars wait with more layers of depth for new listeners to discover. The collision of 3 independent and strong personality types working together in a project has long been a compelling formula, from the rock power trio, to a small jazz combo, to 3-MC equation of hip hop. Run DMC, De La, Tribe, Beasties, TLC, Cypress, Def Squad, and so many more prove how formidable a sound can be formed with this kind of lyrical triangulation. Also impressive when a trio can stick together through stylistic changes, creative disagreements, and personality clashes, and it's understandable that longevity wasn't meant to be. This album remains a shooting star forever flaring brightly in the CV of Pras, Wyclef, & Hill.
This album rules. I remember listening to my parents cd in my early teens.
Pretty okay
Great to step into the 90s hip-hop sound today. I love the simplicity of the record. It's so effective and lets LH (and Wyclef Jean and Pras obviously) shine. I hadn't ever noticed to the chord structure of Killing Him Softly and I thought it was genius. My big takeaways are that sometimes simplicity is king and that LH is goated.
cool album, but not as good as i remember. 3.7/5
4.5/5
I can't help but like this album. It's well-crafted, catchy and fun. You already know all of these songs but in the context of the album they are that much more compelling.
Violence ain't necessary, unless you provoke me Then get buried like the great Mussolini
Fantastic album!
Some great songs!
favourites: "zealots", "fu-gee-la", "killing me softly with his song" skip: "mista mista"
Good ass tracks in this one.
Lauryn Hill is extraordinary. Didn’t keep my attention the whole time but they still killed it. 7.2/10 (+0.2 bonus for NJ natives)
- wild listening experience, huge fan of all the skits & feeling right there in the studio with them - fugees is a funky name but also sick that its topical to the album - refugees - obsessed with Lauryn Hill's voice, obviously - had to keep from laughing out loud during the outro - not as familiar with standards for rap music / this kind of flow but love it. the conversational type of contributions are amazing - sometimes cannot tell where one song starts and the next begins - as working music 4/5 - vibes 5/5
These are the albums on this list that keep me going. These are the albums that I know why they are on here the minute I see the visage of a Lauryn Hill (also looks like this was an album of the year nom). I did not know this existed! I fell in love with Hill years ago and was obsessed. Not a one hit wonder, but a one album wonder, by choice. But here we find that it wasn't one album, she was also in a band with Wycliff Jean! These songs were great and I'm keeping a few of them too. This cover is so Godfather and I love putting Lauryn front and center. Another classic hip hop album at 80 minutes but I think it's being driven by some remixes at the end and skits within the songs.
Hell yeah, most definitely a classic hip-hop album, and one of my favorite of 1996. Multiple beats that have served as classics for a long time, and Lauryn Hill's as sharp a rapper as she is an excellent singer, like on "Killing Me Softly," you'd almost think that was her song. Though I may have been surprised to say this at one point, I prefer Miseducation. Nevertheless, this is an excellent album. Favorite tracks: How Many Mics, Ready or Not, The Beast, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly, The Mask. Album art: Definitely iconic. Quick sidenote rule of thumb to follow - if Marvel hasn't done a cover variant of your hip hop album, it's not iconic. Anyway, yeah, three disembodied heads floating in darkness, plus the Godfather-style font. It's powerful, foreboding. 4.5/5
Great album, lush mix of sounds.
I really enjoyed this album. Imagine crafting Enya into an awesome Hip Hop track - Genius! I loved the skits and in-between bits and wish more albums would incorporate this in their storytelling. (Shout out to The Killers—Pressure Machine!) I'd be happy to listen to this again outside of this challenge, and I'm sure glad it was on the list.
The handful of hiphop choices are doing their best to drag up my 90s average score. Surprised at how much Wu Tang I could hear in parts of this.
own
Skits are charming, rapping is good, beats are fresh, ryan is happy
Surprised to learn Alec Baldwin was relevant back then
Ready or not here I come! Time less .
At the start of Ready or Not I had to double check my queue and make sure Enya didn't somehow get mixed in. I love the song Boadicea and was surprised to hear it sampled.
I wonder if I still own this CD? 🤔
Have I heard this album before? Yes Highlights: Ready or Not, The Beast, Fu-Gee-La, Family Business, Killing Me Softly with His Song, The Score, The Mask, No Woman No Cry Rating: 9.1/10 The trio work really well together, Lauryn Hill has incredible singing ability and Wyclef and Pras rap with real flavour. Caribbean influences blended with hip hop and R&B make for a really funky listen. Loved this one.
Great samples, flow and lyrics. Lauren Hill makes this album. The skits are out of place but an essential part of late 90's/early 2000's rap.
good
What stood out to me was that it still sounds current. The instrumental backing tracks have a nice groove and I think are what take it out of the 90’s. The songs that feature Lauren Hill are definitely stand outs. It could be because of my own bias toward melodic hip hop— and I mean, she’s an amazing singer— but even the songs where she’s rapping have a sparkle the others don’t quite have. 4.0
Some great grooves. Solid original “non gangster” hip hop
I remember this record better. The highs are incredibly high, and they're largely all Lauryn Hill coming through with some of the greatest verses in hip-hop history. But the lows stand out. Wyclef and Pras are...a lot more boring than I remember them being. It's not like they're bad, but they pale in comparison and weigh down the record on most tracks. The last few songs after the title track feel excessive, and while I don't hate them, the album should've ended with the title track and cut that feature. Maybe it's a sequencing issue, too? Also, the mastering is weird. The fake vinyl sound is annoying as hell. And the skits not being their own tracks ruin this – they're either really bad or outright unnecessary. Golden Age Hip-Hop albums are often bloated, but this would have absolutely benefited from a tight, concentrated edit down to 10 tracks, at least if you insist on keeping the skits. I complain only because it's flaws are obvious, but again, the highs are high. There are stretches of this album where it is just stone-cold-classic after stone-cold-classic, and that basically means the problems come out in the wash. It's still a classic record, and the quintessential "intro to hip-hop album" – I know it was that for me – and that reason also validates its acclaim. It's not a 5 star record, but it's an important record, and one that I think serves an important role in most music nerds' journeys.
Great album by some amazing talent. "Killing Me Softly" holds a special place in my heart.
I love Lauryn Hill, probably her solo album more than this, but this does have Ready Or Not and Killing Me Softly on it. Still, some pretty good beats and lyrics overall. Definitely a classic in my eyes.
Flows y beats que aguantan el tipo 30 años después, y momentos vocales que podrían samplearse para hacer d&b.
Again, I truly dislike rap/hiphop but this was nice enough. I didn't care for some of the songs and most definitely not for the skits, I skipped those. But the singles are great, Killing Me Softly was one of the favourite songs of my teenage self and still is. I also really like Lauryn's voice.
This is incredibly good and then Lauryn Hill comes on the track and really takes it to the next level
Great, lauryn hill is a new favorite.
Unreal that Wyclef used to be, like…a real rapper. Lauryn Hill the 🐐
Great vocals, great songs
Top tier hip hop boosted by recognizable singles. Love the cool sound and the blend of styles. Everyone vibed in the car on the way to ski at palisades. Shae wanted me to put in the record that he would also rate this highly although he will not be filling out a ballot. I wonder if I wouldn’t rate this a 5 if I had grown up listening to the whole album more.
If it weren't for Lauryn Hill I'd probably give this 2⭐ There's a reason the three big singles feature her heavily. Didn't care for the skits.
Not the right album if you're introducing someone new to hip-hop. Several stone-cold classics, excellent (if uncharacteristic) mixing/mastering, and a great all-round album for connoisseurs, but let down by the too-laid-back beats that don't match the lyrics. I could've done with the aggression turned up a little bit. Unfortunately, this leaves it trailing its contemporaries. Still great, though.
Chilled out, groovy hip-hop vibes and spawned some mega-hits
nice evening smoke sesh soundtrack. didn't expect to like it as much as I did! top 3: how many mics, ready or not, fu-gee-la. honorable mention: cowboys
Bit of a mixed bag but when it's good it's incredible. Pretty much the epitome of 1996.
The coolest
3.5 rounded up. Honestly I just want to hear more of Lauryn Hill every time I listen to the Fugees. They're a solid trio but for me she’s the star. One thing I’ve found listening to these 90s rap albums is that they tend to hold up - with the noticeable exception of all the skits. Which just make me feel icky listening to.
Excellente - peak 90s
I knew most of the hits from this album but I especially liked their version of No Woman, No Cry. You can tell how much influence this album/group had on hip hop. 8/10
i listened to this wth
Fugees are a bunch of assholes. Good music but asshats
Hip hop has not that often bought the right people together to combine softer hip hop without losing any steam or hardness. Certain tracks stand out obviously.
Lots of great stuff