The Score

Incredible album

They were on some good drugs because some of what they say is bizarre. Funny, but weird. I do love the constant dropping of little musical references. This was so many levels better than the garbage coming from most of their peers.

what an insane group of talented people this is obviously one of the best hip-hop albums ever, it's hard to combine Wyclef Jean and Ms. Lauryn Hill and make anything but the best such an instant classic

Super nice vibes, chill but never boring

Could have gone without the skits but has some great flows

In a lot of ways reminds me of Wu-Tang, this record is characterized by a minimalist dark production with hard beats and some light cool effects like radio static or record scratching, but the focus is always on the multi-layered raps of the trio. They're all talented, but Lauryn Hill is the multifariousness one who always sticks out for her power and emotion. Their flows and rapping styles in some ways have a reggae twist to them, which might just be biased from them literally having a "No Woman No Cry" cover on there. It's a really strong coherent experience with plenty of highlights and smooth transitions. Nothing that obviously stands out as off, but the second half songs don't have as much of an impact.

This is reaaally really goood. Maaan I'm impressed. I am excited to listen to more of the Fugees. Easy 4.5/5

I listened two time

This was better then allot of the mid 90s gangsta rap.

A couple of minutes into the Fugee's second and final album, 1996's widely acclaimed "The Score", Lauryn Hill raps: "You use that loop over and over, claiming that you got a new style, your attempts are futile, ooh child, you puerile, brain waves are sterile, you can't create, you just can't wait to take my tapes". It's a characteristically impressive verse, cramming multiple rhymes into a tight couple of lines. It's also an audacious statement to make on a record primarily built from samples, its biggest hits being covers of Bob Marley and Roberta Flack. Detractors may argue that this gives the Fugees no more merit than their targets in "Zealots", but on balance, while there may not be a huge amount of musical innovation in "The Score", the performances are exemplary. I'd never heard "The Score" before generating it here, even though it receives more praise than most albums in its circle. The Fugees found a perfect space to blend Lauryn Hill's gifted vocals and wordplay, the smooth cool raps of Wyclef Jean, and… whatever Pras brought. The interplay between all three members, as they trade lines, hooks and ad-libs, works to the album's advantage, bringing a nice amount of tonal variation which must have been especially refreshing in the mid-90s (female vocals in rap, whatever next?!). While there are brags a-plenty, this is no gangsta rap: it's much smoother around the edges, much more eloquent, and much more melodic, forming a clear bridge between hard-edged East Coast hip-hop and the neo-soul Hill would diverge into in 1998's "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill". The best cuts foreground an R&B influence, with Hill's triumphant lyrics and stunning singing voice front and centre. "Ready Or Not" is truly great, alchemising two disparate samples (Delfonics and Enya) into an intoxicating, moody jam. "Fu Gee La" is exemplary, with a killer hook and mellow delivery. I also really enjoyed "The Beast"'s ominous tone, and "The Mask"'s catchy hook delivering considered commentary on social attitudes around race. I was conflicted at first about the covers ("No Woman, No Cry" and "Killing Me Softly") but they're both done so well it's hard to be too critical. Both contain excellent vocal performances from the Fugees, and the production refreshes them enough to make them relevant and vital for new generations. "The Score" is overlong, like so many albums of its time, and could easily have trimmed down (or cut altogether) "Manifest/Outro", "The Score" and "Cowboys" as some of the more underwhelming tracks. But in this case, the high points really make up for it. I'm stuck between a 3 and a 4, but relative to the rest of the hip-hop I've heard so far on the list I think this deserves to rank near the top.

4.5

I've known about this album for years now, and after finally hearing it, I understand why this is such a standout part of hip-hop and rap. Lauryn Hill impressed me as an artist earlier in the list with her solo album, so I was looking to enjoy this too, and it delivered. I would even say I enjoyed this more, with the little skits not being as intrusive as in that album. The only thing holding this one back is its overall length, with some of the songs feeling almost like filler, and are obviously lesser compared to some of the others. However, great album and I wish someone had forced Killing Me Softly unto me sooner.

me gustó mucho el álbum uno el cual disfrute mucho hasta cierto punto las ultimas 3 canciones se me hicieron muy pesadas pero en si uno de los mejores álbumes de hip hop que he escuchado, lauryn hill definitivamente carrea el album

Kende fugees niet eens maar nummers en vooral beats heel herkenbaar. De rap is alleen wat minder, maar toch Hefs lentesessie 2009 beat dus dat verdient 4 sterren

Heeeerlijk album!!!!! Echt al meerdere keren geluisterd sindsdien en verbaasde me over hoeveel ik soort van al kende maar nooit echt echt wist dat het van hen was. Een 4,2!!

Classic. Great verses. Dramatic instrumentals with live instruments and unique influences

Lauren Hill the goat

don't like teh genre but I like this one

No nelonenhan tämä oli..

Fugees are a hip hip trio from the 90's that was made up of: Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and his cousin, Pras. This is Fugees second studio album, and is also their last album before breaking up to persue solo careers. I've reviewed a Lauryn Hill record on here before, and her flow is fantastic! It reminds me of Missy Elliott. I am also familiar with some of Wyclef Jean's stuff, and really enjoy it! The one complaint I have, with almost all hip hop records I've reviewed, is with the skits they include on the album. I always find it distracting and feel that it takes a bit from the record. Aside from the skits, the album has a really cohesive flow to it. The cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" is awesome. They did a really good job of making it their own, but not straying too far from the original. Overall, an excellent listen today! Definately something I will listen to again in the future! Favourite songs: Ready or Not, The Beast, "No Woman, No Cry", How Many Mics, Killing Me Softly With His Song, Fu-Gee-La Least favourite songs: Cowboys, The Mask, Mista Mista 4/5

I actually like the singles less now but I like non-singles better now.. Makes no sense I know. The Mask, Cowboy and Score I don't recall but I really like. Killing Me and Ready or Not are not as good as I remember.

I liked this more than expected. Lauren Hill shines for sure, not only does she have a really good singing voice but her raps are strong as are WJ and Pras. The mix of beats and samples are pretty great, but I deduct a star because a few of the songs are basically covers. The gags are a bit much, but ok. Overall, a record that deserves to be here.

When I listened to this in the 90s, I don't remember liking it. Just thinking the singles good. I liked it a lot more on this listen. Too bad they couldn't figure out the third LP.

Very interesting fusion of hip hop and reggae!

I love me some old school hip hop. Missed this in the 90's but worth a follow up to see what else is on offer

Fugees are on it

Ambitious, original, refreshing and powerful

Classic

listen to the beast once again 😭 LOVED IT

A week after I bought this, I woulda told you this was a 5-star album. It hasn't aged terribly well. The conviction that I heard back in '96 I don't hear now. Now it feels more like a put-on for some reason. But I know every word of this. I mean, some of these bars... And my panache will mosh your entourage Squash your squad and hide your body under my garage. And when the cops come lookin' I'll be bookin' to Brooklyn Leave the trails broken flippin' tokens to Hoboken That's worth a couple stars alone.

Smá nostalgía hér. Hlustaði ekki á hip-hop 1996, en Fugees voru svo vinsæl að það var ekki hjá því komist að heyra í þeim. Svo hafði ég líka gaman af, svo það sé skrifað. Eldist barasta ágætlega, og þá sérstaklega hlutur Laurynnar Hill. Hún er æði.

Vraiment bien! Le ton est pas toujours clair (chansons joyeuses, puis sérieuses), mais l'énergie est bien!

I was transported back to 1996 and a Little Chef on the way back from Manchester where I purchased this album. I didn’t understand it then but loved the music. Yay for innocence.

Love the fugees

This was a really fucking good album, it was interesting and held high quality musically. It did include some amazing covers and collaboration with really talented musicians

Red Intro How many mics- one of the many tracks flexing about their rap abilities Ready or not- only really heard the chorus to this before, but very solid track👍 Zealots- Lauryn Hills verse is insanely good here👍 The beast- Poignant social commentary with a random skit at the end Fu-gee-la- very catchy chorus👍 Family business- a bit all over the place, quite fast paced and another skit Killing me softly with his song- Lauryn Hill can truly play both sides👍 The score- this almost seems like the culmination to the album, with the constant samples from other tracks, lots of emphasis on mcing flexing again and A SKIT The mask- The verses are all so good here👍 Cowboys-This is quite a packed song No woman no cry- Classic song, great cover👍 Manifest/Outro- Lauryns verse goes so so hard, last half is weird outro. This album really felt like an event, I’m not sure about the skit interludes but songs really show level of talent and cohesion that is seriously impressive. WOW 4/5

I enjoyed this a lot. Good rhymes and flow to the album.

Lauryn Hill is *chef’s kiss*. This album lyrically and rhythmically is much more my taste when it comes to 90s hip hop. I want to say it’s a more refined, sophisticated album than others at the time.

Very good. Strummin my pain is just so well done, but I was surprised by how good the rapping was in other tracks.

Love this album

Fantastic album here that really elevated the 90s hip hop theme to a different level. The Fugees were able to show that gangster rap wasn’t the only cool way to do hip hop. Lauryn hill is always spectacular and it’s a shame she quit making music. The production on this album is stellar and so many songs are timeless. 8.6/10

A certified hip hop classic.

Killing Me Softly is an obvious banger, but the deeper cuts go just as hard. I wish we'd gotten more collaborations from this crew. Best track: Killing Me Softly

me re gustó lo sentí REFRESCANTE comparando con lo que me venían mandando 8 / 10

Great hip hop r&b Record with great Lyrics flow and singing. Everyone does a great Job.

Kinda slaps all around tbh. Not my fav style but it’s amazing.

I didn't even listen to this on the day, I instead listened to the day before's suggested album (Avalanches - Since I left you) twice more. God that's a brilliant album. Anyway. The Score. I have to admit, I've spent 25 or so years actively trying to avoid the Fugees. I absolutely hated "Ready or not" when it was released. I wouldn't want say I like now either, but I dislike it less intensely. I also disliked Fu-gee-la intensely on release, but that's grown on me. I quite often meow it to my cat. She humours me, although I suspect that she prefers it when I meow the Robocop theme to her. Scanning down the track list, I see we've still got Killing Me Softly With His Song - and guess what, I absolutely detested that back in the 90s too. The odd part of all this is the fact I clearly dislike Lauryn Hill rather than The Fugees, because the rest of this album is really jolly good. The flow is great, the beats mellow, relaxing and expertly constructed. It's hard to rate this album, because the strong dislike I have for the flagship Lauryn Hill tracks really does detract from the actually really bloody good rest of the album. I can skip a couple of tracks and enjoy the rest.

I skipped the filler, enjoyed it.

surprised how consistently good it is, almost a 5 for me tbh

The VARIETY!!! I had heard Killing Me Softly before and had no idea who it was by. I thought the different styles work together well. Zealots had a similar background sound to that one song in Euphoria. I liked the line that there is “Too many MCs and not enough mics.”

did not know that i used to listen to some of these song as a child me: likey

Muy bueno

Very good album that looks a good for multiple listens, but too many covers, no matter how good they are makes the album feel unsure of the song writing

Great album. Making hip-hop a mainstream kind of music. Nothing was the same in black music after this album

74/100: This was a fantastic album that I had never heard before, but had definitely heard of before. This album was a different style of rap than I had ever heard before, it stands at the intersection of R&B, reggae, and rap—which is such a cool fusion of genres. With all of that being said, it’s not my favorite rap album I’ve ever listened to, even within its own era; however, it’s definitely an album I would listen to again.

Great album - it is known

Came for a good time, left with a good time. Particularly liked the cover of No Woman No Cry

Great record

love it

Highlight: How Many Mics, Zealots, Fu-Gee-La

Hadn't listened before I didn't know there were a few classic songs on their album due to not knowing the original artist. My only gripe is the last few songs seemed to drag and the album could have done without as many songs. Will listen again 4/5

listened to again a bona fide classic

Saucy lil album, could be improved here and there, especially the flows on the weaker tracks. Fav track: Zealots Least fav: cant decide on it

Good flow. Good mix of sounds.

Grows with every listen.

Great 90s hip hop

Samples are great, the instrumentals are hypnotizing, and the boom-bap sound is well produced throughout. Rastafarian references and culturally-themed lyrics really fit their refugee image. Lauryn Hill's soulful singing carries certain tracks, especially the singles.

"The Score" is the second and final album from Fugees consisting of Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel. The style of this album is referred to as alternative hip-hop (not conforming to gansta, bass, hardcore, party) which became more popular in the late 90's and was a shift from their first album. The music is primarily composed of samples and has a laid-back feel, sometimes almost a reggae feel. Fugees were given complete artistc control which may be one of the reasons for the sound. Each of the group members takes turn rapping and singing. I'd have to say that Lauryn Hill especially stands out. The album has a great feel to it. There were four singles released with three having huge chart succes. Their first single "Fu-Gee-La" samples " Ooo La La La" from Teena Marie and has great vocals from Lauryn Hill. Speaking of great vocals, she absolutely kills it on the cover of Roberta Flack's version of "Killing Me Softly" which also adds a hip-hop beat, samples A Tribe Called Quest and has great gospel-backing vocals. All sorts of legal stuff going on with the orginal writers. Anyway, a huge success and great song. Probably my favorite song for feeling that laidback vibe is "Ready or Not." Great sampling of Enya, the Delfonics and Bob Marley. Great, great soulful singing by Lauryn. The fourth single and last song on the album is their cover of Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier." A decent cover...it didn't take to the last song to hear the reggae influence though. This album was one of the biggest albums of 1996 and listening to it today it's clear why with its feel and great singles.

I had forgotten how smooth the flow of this album was. New Jersey’s finest hip hop.

This is the week of solid hip-hop for me, and this one was so close to a 5. I really liked the beats, and Lauryn Hill is an incredible rapper and vocalist. It loses a point for the skits and the outros that take you out of each song where they're suddenly at a party talking. Just let the music stand out on its own, but it's a product of its time I guess. Lots of great jams on here aside from the filler.

Generally a very good album, but occasionally loses its way with some songs that should have been omitted or pruned in length.

Intelligent hip hop evolution.

Classic album. At times cheesey, at times pop, but I love the hooks and their version of killing me softly. I understand that it was overplayed on Radio 2 for a long time, but I still have love for this album.

A lot of quality tracks here, as well as some good variety in styles to keep it from being stale. Favourites: "How Many Mics", "Ready or Not", "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

They fused hip-hop with jazz, rhythm'n'blues and reggae at a deeper level. Love it (7/10) FT: Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly

Still has topical issues. The Mask is a hit, funny Chinese skit. Classic 90's MC rhymes and beats.

Really good hip-hop production. The singer and the rappers really give a nice mix within the music. They made some nice covers from; "No Woman No Cry" and "Killing me softly with his song".

This was a really wonderful album. I appreciated how musical it was for hip hop, as well as interesting and often clever.

I remember when this came out. For a good year, you could not escape this album. The hit singles "Ready Or Not" and "Killing Me Softly" were played all the time right around the time I was getting ready for my wedding. Hard to believe it's 25 years that that's been around. I really thought Lauryn Hill was going to be such a star. And then she completely flaked out after her first album. But she is just so good her, the rhymes are crisp and really flowing. But it's hard to take Wyclef Jean so seriously as being "gangster." I just don't think of him that way, but that was the image he was trying to pull off, along with the third guy (what happened to him, anyway?) Hill's harmonizing worked so well with the big singles it's no wonder they were played so often. They became so damn catchy. But even the other songs work well, even with the goofy skits in the middle of them (the Chinese Restaurant thing is just silly, taking me completely out of the song). It's just a shame that there was no real follow-up to this album. The big stuff on it did so well. I keep coming back to it in my head. The filler is skippable after a listen. Why do all of these albums have these skits on it? Why does it seem necessary to them? I know I've said it before, it just makes it a track to skip after a while. I mean, now albums seem like suck a thing of the past with the technology available, people will just buy the songs they want and not the whole album. I just don't get it.

It's a good album but could've been way tighter. Other albums provide some cool insights in the interludes or riffing, but I found those sequences in this album to be just a step above nonsense. So the Intro and Outro and other snippets at the ends of songs (e.g., the Beast) were mainly a waste of time. When they actually sing and rap, they're pretty incredible. Lauryn Hill is powerful every time she opens her mouth (singing or rapping). Wyclef is a really soulful singer and a quick rapper. Pras is guttural with a voice you can't ignore. And their messaging in the actual songs can't be ignored. But the best thing about the Fugees is how they combine rapping vocals, singing melodies, and smart beats in their songs. That's why all their big tunes are so great (Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly, No Woman No Cry). Except for the filler, really easy to listen to over and over.

8/10 melancholy beat, great vocals, lyricism, and flow.

Great album. Not typically what I would listen to but most songs are great. Lasted a little too long but still good.

Never gave this album a full listen before. I knew the hits that were on the radio often. I really enjoy 80/90s rap and this is quite a throwback. I am loving it.

Weak start strong end

3/28/2022 Today's Album: "The Score" by Fugees - It took me a few tracks to really get into this album, but wow this album really turned around and showed me a really nice sonic experience. There is a ton of character in the rap verses on this really consistently great-sounding and well-produced record. They take breaks to explore other sonic routes other than just rapping, but I would say the hip hop tracks are a majority of the track list. I appreciate a lot of the samples they use in this album, 2 of which I think I can pin on Moody Blues Days of Future Passed, but anyways, I like a lot of the production choices on these tracks, having a really groovy bass and African percussion scattered throughout the album and always mixed very highly, which sounds great for this kind of music. The cover of No Woman No Cry was really great, and it just goes to show their versatility between their hip hop tracks and their more stripped back melody-focused songs. There are some mediocre tracks and performances, especially near the beginning, but this album really picks up with a lot of great soul, R&B, African, Hip - Hop, and Reggae music influences and just a ton of great tunes and performances. Overall, this has been the best so far of the 90s hip hop album the generator has been spewing at me over the past week and you should give it a listen if you enjoy this kind of stuff and want a great example of it done well and with tons of character. Score: 8.5/10 Amazingly colorful and charismatic Highlights: Zealots, The Beast, Fu-Gee-La, Killing Me Softly With His Song, The Mask, No Woman No Cry, Manifest / Outro

Qué recuerdos de la MTV, la radio de los 90, nunca me compré este disco pero es como si lo tuviera. Canciones como: Ready or not, The beast, las versiones de "Killing Me Softly" y "No woman, no cry". Este disco si es imprescindible.

I would have given this a 3 bc I hate skits and not every song was good but it moves up to a 4 because of lauryn hill’s rapping alone. She’s so great especially on “Ready or Not”. None of the others are bad but she clearly outshines the other two.

I enjoyed this, my directors mocked me for enjoying it and I'm still not sure why.

Great

Dettta går hårt.

This album is pure vibes. Some of the smoothest riding songs to come out of the era. Unfortunately, it also came out of the skit era, which is the only reason it drops a star. I'm typically not a fan. Just such a jarring thing that pulls me out of the album. Eh, maybe I'm just getting old, I suppose...

alright

Awesome - sounds like it was recorded yesterday - consistently great tracks and Caribbean sounds - in hindsight there has been nothing like it since - a classic

It's easy to forget that Fugees only released two albums. I've always loved The Score. Clever lyrics and beats that still sound fresh. Ready or Not is a moody mutha. Killing Me Softly is far superior to Roberta Flack's original. This was EVERYWHERE back in the day. At a push it would make my top 10 songs of all time. The comeback vocal from Lauryn Hill towards the end is a real moment. Zealots samples Armagideon Time - there's your Clash connection. Plus any album that name checks Chaka Demus and Pliers is a bit special.

4.25

Siis aivan todella fresh hipidihop-levy! Tunnelma on todella hieno tasapainottelu tuskan, kriittisyyden ja huumorin välillä. Jotkut skitit ei kauheesti iskeny, mut kokonaisuus on kyllä ehdottomasti ainakin 4/5.

Crazy in a good way. Some great songs like "Ready or Not", "Fu-Gee-La" and "No Woman, No Cry" which I've heard more times on the radio than I've heard my father's voice. Would be a contender for the best hip hop album of all time, but it's a tad bit too long and dragged down by meaningless skits (what the hell is that Chinese restaurant skit?). Still a big fan, Lauryn Hill is unmatched.

I knew the singles from high school, but I actually like the rest of the album much better. Hill has an awesome voice, but the hip hop tracks are great.

Prefs: How Many Mics, Zealots, The Beast, Family Business, Killing Me Softly, Cowboys Moins pref: Manifest/Outro

Very nice and sets me back to the 90s

this was dope. a nice refreshing album from all the others we've had so far.

Really enjoyed this! Lauryn's vocals for me are just mmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMM

Chef's kiss

I just found out that Ms Lauryn Hill was only 20 years old when this album came out... absolutely fuck that I've enjoyed this album even more every time I've listened to it, and it feels vital and significant to this day. I'm not a fan of a few of the skits, but there's not a bad song on here and it's a great listen

Made it on my playlist, love the chill vibes, beautiful vocals and smooth flows

Solid interplay between the emcees, Ms. Lauryn Hill absolutely killing it. Timeless classics in songs like Ready or Not and the cover of Killing Me Softly. Always glad to see a good hip hop album on here. Very enjoyable listen. ONE TIME

4 its a bop

Undeniably great and groundbreaking at the time. Even so, it does feel a bit dated and weak at points. The skits? So '90s hiphop and cringey. They're super cheesy but not enough to tank the album. Amazing performances all around. Haters gonna hate but Lauryn Hill is a singularly amazing talent and she absolutely shines on this album.

i didn't think i'd like this album very much. i was wrong - i did like it, and kind of a lot. it must say something about me that the tracks i liked best were both covers, but it's honestly strong start to finish. you don't have to love hiphop to appreciate this album, though i'm sure that helps.

some top 90's Hip-hop/Rap here the Fugees really got how to crossover to mainstream with some great sampling and some original tunes, creativity at it's best. Would have loved to be a "fly On The Wall" on the development of some of these songs. Good use of the Flamingo's "Only Have Eyes For You" on "Zealots" But of course the standouts here are "Ready Or Not" "Killing Me Softly" and "No Woman No Cry" good album rightfully listed.

Super album. ‚ready or not‘ wird nie alt. sehr eingängige lieder, abwechslungsreich und trotzdem stimmig

Das ist echt ein Top Album! Mega Stimmung! Super beats, die können das.

Hab mich gefreut als das kam. Schlanke und minimalistische beats, Lauryn Hill Hammer Stimme (grappt und gesungen), poetisch, die Message steht im Vordergrund. Gelegentlich auch ironisch - aber nie so klamaukig wie die 80er Hip Hop Bands manchmal rüberkommen - 90er waren kälter.

groovy

A good one

Rakt igenom bra album, bra producerat, bra framfört, bra balans, bra sketcher, bra covers, bra individuella framföranden. Bra allt? Hur fan har jag missat denna banger till platta? PS Chinese Resturant Skit var fan klockren

det är ett så bra album! många hits. back in the days när hiphop var bra hihi

Great album. Favorite track is The Beast. Really nice mix of hip hop and chill beats. Singing from Lauryn Hill is great on the hooks. No snoozers anywhere.

Super chill. A few classic songs. Tough to rate the entire album a 5 though.

Lyrically, this was clever as hell and I loved all the cultural references. Hill's delivery was dope and stood out tons. The beats were neat to listen to, and the samples held up throughout the years. A very solid record that I would gladly re-visit. Nearly 5 for me.

Ein Konzept Album, das klingt, als sei man sich noch vorm drop der Wirkung dieser Bombe sicher. Blasting 4.4

J'ai beaucoup aimé cet album. Groovy, avec d'excellents lyrics qui continuent d'être d'actualité en 2021.

I'd never really listened to Fugees before and I now see the error of my ways. I had a great time with this album. Not enough for it to be a 5/5 but it's a solid 4/5.

More albums need intro tracks, I love a good intro track to hit the context. Family Business was a stand out for me, generally a good album, would happily listen to it again, but don't think its a 5/5.

Gg

I've heard a couple songs on this album before, but I wasn't too familiar with Fugees in general. Hell, to be honest, I only knew of these artists as individuals. I had no idea this was even a group. Regardless, I found it mostly enjoyable. Aside from the hit singles, there are some really nice hip-hop tracks on here. It flows well as an album, too. I find skits enjoyable on a first listen, but after that it's just something to skip.

But do I care?

A nice trip down nostalgia lane. Good samples - lots of good samples.

Really enjoyed the album. It is packed with timeless tunes like: Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly with His Song.

Interesting flow and meaningful messages.

3.5. This one was a bit tough for me to decide which side of the fence to fall on. The music is so so good. The skits are distracting though and had me reaching for the next track button each time. I recognize those probably mean more to other people so I don't begrudge their inclusion but it does knock it down from a true 4 to a 3.5 for me personally. It breaks up the flow of great music.

Never listened to the fugees, but a really good album. Smooth rap album

Brilliant album with classic songs on it. I will be listening to this again. First impressions are that it's let down by the fact it's a little on the long side at an 1 hour and 20 mins and I'm not sure the No Woman cover version adds much. Nothing else to fault.

An all-time classic.

Soft 4 stars

Actually very nice, intelligent lyrics and I appreciate the mix of genders. I preferred their own songs to their covers

Fugees will always be the in the top

Very solid album from start to finish. Enjoyed it but there wasn't one track for me that REALLY stood out. 4/5 stars.

Pretty good hip hop and rappin over all

Great album

Solid hip-hop album that clearly serves as the foundation for much of today’s rap and hip hop.

Favs: Killing Me Softly, Fu Gee La, Ready or Not Mehs: Chinese Restaurant Skit. Why does this time period think these dumb skits are so great? Ffs I got very sick of this album the year it came out, but I can't deny that their voices are all fantastic. And there are some incredible hooks here.

pretty good. starts a bit slow.

Incredible listening experience. Felt balanced and want forcing every person to be involved in every moment of every track. Killing Me Softly feels like an otherworldly redo. Wow!

4.1 + Been a few years and this one still holds up. Lauren Hill sounds incredible, both as a rapper and a singer. Supreme talent. Wish they left out the skits, especially the one in the Chinese restaurant.

Very fun album.

Very good album. I loved it in high school. Now I don’t really listen to rap but this was still enjoyable.

Yo this kinda slaps actually

Killing Me Softly in almost enough to get a 4 on its own here. I like the weird little version of it at the end of Family Business that lead straight into the normal version. Some good, some fine across the rest of the album

Good stuff. Hip hop/reggae/pop this band put a mew spin together and influenced a lot of others. Love the covers - esp “No Woman No Cry”. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Real good 90's hip hop r&b. No woman no cry is a fun cover, ready or not and killing me softly the other standouts. Rest of the album holds it up well!

not a fan of hip hop but this stuff is classic. The lyrics are hard-hitting, the beats and hook lines infectious.

Obviously a classic

Some great tracks, the skits add little and are an overall detraction

Some absolute bangers on here. Would be a 5 if it wasn't for all the skits and random outros on the end of otherwise great tracks. If they were separated out properly so you could skip them or something, could easily be a 5*

Solid chill classic beats

I thought the quality singing by the rappers was noteworthy. Love the Chinese restaurant skit.

I enjoyed this. Great beats on some tracks, like Ready or Not. I also like their covers of Killing Me Softly and No Woman. Fu-Gee-La was another stand out.

Great album reminds me of old Wu Tang 36 chambers. Great classic hip hop they don't make them like this anymore.

Great album, heard it before, but not listened this intensely before.

Better than I expected

Very enjoy able, 4.2 stars

Mid 90s classic hip-hop album. Couple of classic tracks on this album warrant multiple relistens: Ready or Not, killing me softly etc. Album itself has some filler tracks that can be skipped (intro, putto).

Best tracks: Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Family Business, Killing Me Softly with His Song The Mask, No Woman No Cry, Manifest/Outro

Love all the samples, and Lauryn's vocals. Gets a little repetitive in the second half.

Liked it!

Already have this album in my library. I love it! Great R&B Album. Too many favorite tracks to name. Unfortunately not a 5 because of a track or two that doesn’t hit as hard, but definitely a 4.5!

Great album

Favourite Songs: Ready or Not & Killing Me Softly With His Song

Sick album. No jokey or throwaway lyrics just serious rap delivered by three distinct but unified voices (apart from the Chinese skit) . There are some bona-fide hit records on this but my favourite is probably the closing 'manifest/outro', 6 minutes of raw and frustrated expression.

Iconic album. Lauren Hill is a boss.

First rap album I ever bought. Great album - as relevant today as it was then, maybe even more so. Best tracks: Fu-Gee-La & Ready or Not.

Nicer groove.

Hip hop, toques de r&b, muy guapo

Still a great album.

Strong album, would've been a 5* had it been cut down slightly to exclude some of the weaker tracks. 4*

Lauryn is a one of a kind talent

Full of bops

This album fuckin bangs but what is up with that Chinese restaurant skit

Excelente voz, buenas melodías

Yea this is good. Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly, lots of good tracks. Cowboys is a good track. NO WOMAN NO CRY!

Great - just great

Woah, this one caught me off guard. I didn't realize ready or not came from this album, nor the cover of killing me softly. Really enjoyed this.

We actually put this on the other week, to share with the kids. It will always hold up.

Classic

Classic rap shit, great production and flows

Eccentric

Nice

Nice album.

The individual members of the Fugees may have all gone on to get mired down in financial irregularities, but here they're all working cohesively together to create a great album! It all sounds so effortlessly confident. Fave track - "The Mask" - takes on a different meaning in 2021, heh.

Good album. I have never listened to Fugees or the individual artists before (aside from Killing Me Softly, but that doesn’t count). Off to a great start.

i really liked this album. i'd heard some of the singles but never the full album. im very happy about this one. 4 stars, but a high 4

Sin ser un fan del genero HipHop creo que es un buen disco. El talento se deja ver en los arreglos y las voces.

Minus one cos it sounds like they defs put onions in the white rice.

Idk why hip hop albums have comedy skits. They're not funny. But it's a great album if you ignore them

8/10 few classics and gorgeous voice, sprinkling of humour but also poignant.

nice bonus at the end!!! Liked even more than the original

Despite the cringey moments with kung-fu skit interstitials, this album crushes. Solid rhymes, unafraid to be patient and laid back in the delivery. This is a regular rotation album.

Funky

Entertaining R&B / reggae album. Ms. Lauryn Hill has a wonderful voice so the singing shines past the great rap.

Hip hop bom!

No sound like this album.

Very good old-school hip-hop type vibes

Very close to a 5. Amazing mix of genres and so much personality from the Fugees. This album was as good as the hype made it out to be. A classic of mid 90’s hip hop. Listen to Ready or Not and Fugee La

One of the best hip-hop/rap albums ever created.

Great album from a great era of hip-hop!

Awesome Hip-Hop

There's a lot of emotion in this record. I feel like Childish Gambino has a some inspiration from this one. It's a great record, I can't imagine how it was received in the 90's when it came out, I don't think there was anything like this. Definitely an outstanding album. It's typically not my style, But I can still appreciate it.

I'm not a huge fan of this genre of hip hop, but I have to admit that some of these songs are absolute fire. The vocal varieties in the group help to keep the tracks engaging, and the incorporation of more melodic, pop-based choruses and beats, not to mention the creative sampling techniques, help to make the stand-outs really stand out. We've all heard 'Killing Me Softly With His Song', but there's a lot to enjoy here - Ready or Not, Zealots, Fu-Gee-La, How Many Mics are all terrific tracks. Closer to 3.5, but I'll give 4.

:)

Better than I expected. Too much talking :)

Tätä tuli luukutettua aikoinaan huolella. Toimii edelleen.

has some iconic songs, its a shame most rap albums basically call for violence against white people

Nice one!

4* some good songs but definitely some filler

Eccentric mid 90s rap album that propelled Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean into rap and reggae stardom

awesome

1996. Key Songs: How Many Mics, Killing Me Softly With His Song

8/10, fantastic production, aged ridiculously well, with inspired turns from all the performers, doesn't feel especially 90's, and is well worth a spin

Ahhh, this album is fabulous fun

Darker than the hits suggest... great all round album.

Production was awesome and loved the beats. Never heard most of it. Nothing stuck out. Good album.

I know yall heard that Mazel tov. This was good for future musicians to sample.

Well this is the exception that proves the rule. A rap album that I can respect and at times even enjoy. Lauren Hill a generational talent…a shame we’ve heard so little from her over the years. 3 for me.

MOR hip hop karaoke for people who don't really like hip hop Some great elements but ultimately all feels a bit watered down Also wyclef scammed a bunch of poor Haitians so fuck him

Cubs-7, Diamondbacks-0.

Love Lauren’s voice. But not much of a rap fan. Respect the work here but not my style of music.

I've always had a soft spot for this version of 'Killing Me Softly', the rest of the album never quite reaches that height, but it's a decent enough album overall.

I like the two covers quite a lot. More singing, less talking would be great.

Pretty good, but not as good as the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Probably wouldn't get this on vinyl, but might listen to a few select tracks on occasion.

I listened to it when it first came out and liked it okay. It had some catchy hooks that are still stuck in my head even though I hadn’t listed to it since it was released (many money say, me say many, many, many). Listening to it again now, I still found it pretty chill. An easy listen.

Killing Me Softly is and will always be an elite level song but can’t say that this album offered too much more to my taste.

This is only for those hits…

songs rely a lot on sampoles. songs have skits after almost every one. good flow, lots of bible references.

I could do without a couple of these tracks, but the good ones are great and make up for the rest. I loved the closing track (fu gee la global remix), which was new to me.

Love it!

So, this is a very important album. It’s got some all time classics and essentially kickstarted Lauryn Hill’s career. All 3 rappers here come off as intellectual, conscientious and very good on the mic. Individually they’re great, but together they’re amazing. This was the second and last album they came out with. It’s no wonder why. After how well this sold, they all launched successful solo careers, Lauryn most notably, releasing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill literally only 2 years after this one came out. That album, unsurprisingly, is also featured on the site. While most others were hardcore gangster rapping, this album is very different in a sense and just comes off as a unique form of Hip-Hop that no one else was really doing at the time. My opinions of it as a whole are that it’s pretty good. It’s interesting how they’ll go from topic to topic in an almost nerdy way, rapping about how much Newt Gingrich sucked, and immediately following it up with a verse about Chewbacca. A lot of the songs are like that. After about 30 minutes though, I rather get the point. It’s catchy but it doesn’t blow me away like some of these other albums have. I still really like it, and it is very important, but I think I’m going to give this one a 3. It’s got a lot of prominent and notable covers featured throughout, but my favorite song has to be “Ready or Not”. That song in particular I’ve heard covered so many times, and it’s always good. I had completely forgotten that this was the original. Of course, “Killing Me Softly With His Song” gets a shoutout as well. Masterful performance. The original version was probably shorter, but at an hour and 17 minutes, the album really does start to drag a little bit at the midpoint. Also, can we just talk about the Chinese Restaurant Skit please?? A common trend for Hip-Hop albums is to fill them to the brim with skits, and Lauryn uses a ton of them on Miseducation. This album doesn’t actually have a lot, which I’m thankful for, I don’t usually like them and find that they ruin the flow of a lot of the albums they’re featured in. That being said, again, can we talk about the Chinese Restaurant Skit please???? What the hell is this, lmao. Like, it’s really funny, but why is it here. I don’t really see the point to have it placed where it is, but I will say that it’s very funny, so I’m not complaining about it. Overall, this is a landmark album that everyone should listen to, full of pop culture references, smart rap, and a lot more fun stuff added to the mix as well. Personal enjoyment was just ok, but it’s a very high 3 nearing a 4 for me, and that’s still really good in my book.

monotony

Very overrated but good

I never heard of Fugees before, but something rang a bell with a couple of their songs. Really good and chill music, worth diving into more.

I can hear the influences on future hip-hop with 30 years of perspective. Killing me Softly still isn't my favorite, but Ready or Not and Zealots are great songs.

I love Lauryn Hill The lyrics are kind of funny It all kind of sounds the same

Better than expectations. Familiar with the hits, and the album itself is solid enough, but the skits are a tiresome and I find myself not being able to really recall the deepcuts. Can't see myself reaching for this again. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 397 Already owned : 89 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 284

Como he dicho ya tantas veces por aquí, no soy fan del hip hop, pero el disco de los Fugees me gustó. Tiene muchas referencias a la cultura pop que fue divertido estar escuchando, y sobre todo tiene muy buenos sampleos de canciones clásicas que le van muy bien a la banda. Además, el equilibro entre Jean y Hill le da bastantes puntos al disco. Le pondría 3.5, pero esta cosa no deja calificar con decimales, así que ni modo. Baja a 3.

5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background

I can’t lie, I’m not the target audience here. That doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge that for its time it was groundbreaking, and I can really appreciate the sampling and the flows are nice at points. Really like “The Beast” as it just hit hard and had a solid consistent theme despite the several artists featured. Lauryn Hill is a genius and elevates most of the songs here simply by her presence. Killing Me Softly is beautiful and I wish Lauryn Hill would sing more, this song has aged best from the rest of the album. With that being said, some of the bars here don’t land like I wish they could. Slang is a revolving door and lyrics like “my crew is so fly” and using the term MC feels prehistoric. I don’t know which one Wyclef is, but the Jamaican guy can be obnoxious and the more plain rapper can get stale. The overall thematic is “cops bad” which I find low hanging fruit. Maybe I just don’t understand what’s going on here but it’s also hard to sympathize with people who are massively successful singers singing about struggle. Not for me but I fully understand the skill and wordplay here is next level.

The covers are great. The beats and music are great. The lyrics feel confrontational and harsh, not pleasure to listen to. 3 out of 5

Pretty nice

Killing me slowly goes so crazy

This album is an Oreo and killing me softly serves as the stuffing.

I kind of dig it

Good album. Lauryn Hill's voice is so good. A little dragged out, though.

Above average rap/hip hop. Made better by a sprinkling of Lauren Hill.

7/10 fv song: Fu-Gee-La - Sly & Robbie Mixp

A : 4, Zealot JL: 3, Manifest

ehh

sounds good i like it.

it's good, but nothing i'll relisten to much

hiphop wiec gowno ale dobre gowno jak na gowno wiec tszy

Very poetic, just not my style

If there was a 3.5 I'd give it that. Some great tracks and harmonies but some tracks just pass me by

Probably the smoothest hip hop album I've ever listened to, but it just didn't click for me for some reason. (2.5)

Interesting. I've never listened to rap music before. I usually found rap songs to harsh but the couple songs I've heard so far in this album were quite nice.

2-3 chansons que je connais forcément, du rap classique américain des années 90-2000. De bon flow des prod classiques.

Good

Cool, juste pas mon style

I liked it, not sure how I never heard it before. Nothing I could really sink my teeth in to but a fun listen.

This is a super fun album I was expecting to like it more because of how much I like miseducation but it was a little bit worse than that album I love the intro and outro You can tell this album was made with love and I love the vibe of it Favorites: killing me softly with his song, ready or not, the mask 3 or 3.5

Pretty fun listen

Album jest ciekawy. Kocham połączenie rapujących meżczyzn i śpiewających kobiet. Album zawiera ciekawe wstawki i jest dość hip-hopowy.

some great individual songs, and you can really hear the influence this album on so many other artists

Fun rhymes, rhythms, and samples. A lot of variety, humor, and themes in this album combine to make an album of great character.

too many skits

5/10 was fun but not my genre Highlight: Killing Me Softly

You know it wasn’t bad, not usually my style but actually kind of enjoyed it

I listened

A pretty good album, I liked Killing Me Softly With His Song and Mista Mista the most.

Ik vond het wel oke, maar gevoelsmatig was het een erg lang album, weinig verrassend. Waar ik me het meest aan stoorde was de eentonigheid van de drumbeats. Dat viel me eerder al op bij hun grootste hit killing me softly waar ze een drumloopje hebben gepakt wat vrij eentonig doorgaat. Dit hoor je ook terug in andere nummers. 2,5 afgerond 3 want ze rappen wel aardig.

Light 3,5

BEFORE: Had this CD as a teenager but haven't listened in years, although I still have Ready or Not on a few playlists. Let's see how it holds up... AFTER: First version of this I found was censored. No thanks. The beats and hooks mostly hold up well and Lauryn Hill was clearly an outstanding talent. Wyclef holds his own. The rhymes are hit and miss and it is hard to work out what Pras actually brought to the table, if anything. Falls off hard in the second half. Highlights: Ready or Not, Fu-Gee-La, Zealots, Family Business, Lauryn Hill when they let her sing without interrupting. Lowlights: Pras trying to rap, the racist nonsense after The Beast, The Mask, No Woman No Cry (I like Wyclef but he has no business covering Bob Marley and needs to stop trying). VERDICT: 3.5/5. Some hidden gems on there beyond the singles, but too uneven to be a classic.

the basic hiphop (which i discovered im not into as much?!) but it still had major hits i liked but most of it was very monotonous to me and i didnt like the chinese restraunt skit (im sorry?!)

OK but nothing special. I knew the singles and they are probably the best tracks. Why do so many of these albums have skits because the ones on this are embarrassing at best.

Alhoewel dit album echt niet mijn genre is, kan ik niet ontkenen dat sommige nummers wel een beetje catchy zijn. De Chinese Restaurant Skit is wel echt een massieve sfeersspons. 3 sterren maar eigenlijk maar 2

It's cool....radio hits still hold up. But enough with the fucking skits!

Doesn’t quite click with me, but still some highlights

I wanted to like this more than I did. The vocals are excellent and it is lyrically interesting, but the music just didn’t do it for me

I think I've said this elsewhere in my 1001 reviews, but Lauryn Hill was a once-in-a-generation genius rapper/singer; her straight up skill is in evidence here on "Killing Me Softly." Nothing will change that--not even her later descent into strains of Christianity that most of us could hang with. That said, the Fugees took second place after Ms. Hill's 1994 hit. In my heart anyhow. Wyclef Jean and Haitian politics fascinated me then and now--his story is powerful. The album has a couple hard-hitting hits, eg "Killing Me...", but otherwise doesn't have the era-changing magic of Ms. Hill's solo debut.

I'm sensing a pattern here. Another 90s hip hop record, another album with some great songs and a ton of filler including absolutely wretched "skits" or whatever they are. A lot to like and a lot to cringe at. When those skits start all I can hear is Amy Tan on the Simpsons saying "I'm embarrassed for both of us." Yes, i am.

- love the sampling on zealots -intriguing sample work - i wonder what the purpose of skits are in rap albums, interesting sonic texture and bit of drama--pushes what sound can be -lost me at times.

Mmm yeah I like I like

Rap tiene un temon y la mina también ya me había tocado y telón pero muy rap200s

Classic 90’s hip hop. Soulful. Great rhymes. It’s a little dated… just a little. The best thing this record did was introduce the Lady Ms. Lauryn Hill to the world. I would rather listen to The Miseducation. 3.7

This wasn't bad. There were some strong moments and great harmonies. I still don't love interludes / intros, but this album flows well. I can only listen to so many remixes of "Fu-Gee-La" but this was fun. Great beats Liked Songs: "Ready or Not" , "Zealots" , "Fu-Gee-La" , "Killing Me Softly With His Song" , "Manifest/Outro" , "Fu-Gee-La - Sly & Robbie Mix"

My rating 2.8

Lauryn Hill is the standout talent in this trio for me. Her bars are sick, her flow is smooth, and she can sing like a bird. She’s the total package. This is intellectual hip hop written incredibly well with some insanely good cultural references. I found the beats to suffer from sameness. Also, the album feels really long. I struggled to rate it because I appreciate the ingenuity in the lyrical content and feel the beats are smooth and enjoyable, but I just don’t love the album. I’d much rather take the hits on their own and leave the rest.

I like the Fugees well enough but maybe just the well known tracks. Their version of Killing Me Softly is the best. Maybe just because the album is too long, couldn't nudge this up to a four.

I like Lauryn Hill, and there certainly are some great tracks here. I struggled slightly with the vocal styles of the male MCs here, though. Frankly, I didn’t think they were particularly good. As well as that, the overly smooth production style paired with reggae-style backing tracks wasn’t something that I enjoyed so much. All that said, there are still some amazing tracks here, and anything less than a 3 would be an injustice.

Not something I'd normally listen to, but I did enjoy it well enough

This was a hard one to rate because there are some classics in there but there’s also some very mediocre rhymes too.

I really do enjoy the sonic world the fugees build. It's rich and intricate. I enjoy all their voices and the knack they have for grabbing sounds from so many different places and bringing them together. I'm not sure how deeply I can connect with it on a personal level. These people are lucidly describing the world they live in, but I tire sometimes. They are very clever lyricists, have excellent poetic meter and rhythm. Lauryn has such a rich voice. And yet...