For example, in the first half of the first verse of the track “The Beast,” there are already 14 rhymes, “Conflicts with night sticks illegal sales districts/Hand-picked lunatics, keep poli-TRICK-cians rich/ Heretics push narcotics amidst its risks and frisks/Cool cliques throw bricks but seldom get targets.” This technique, also known as multisyllabic rhyming, was also popularized by rapper Biggie Smalls and MF Doom.Īdditionally, the Fugees was one of the first groups that prominently featured a woman rapping, which shook gender roles in the male-dominated rap genre. Many songs also include a technique called “rhyme stacking,” in which member Hill uses to take them to the next step. The album consists of 20 songs that tell stories of life in the inner city. When “The Score” debuted, it shook the world when it shot to the #2 spot on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart right behind 2Pac’s “All Eyes on Me.” After that, the album’s popularity continued to skyrocket when it eventually earned the coveted #1 spot on the Billboard 200 on May 25, 1996. Twenty-five years later, it is still recognized as one of the greatest hip-hop albums to ever be released. No Woman, No Cry 13.On February 13, 1996, the hip-hop trio The Fugees, which consisted of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, released their second album “The Score” which would go on to dominate 90’s hip-hop music charts. Pace 1, Young Zee and Rah Digga) Side Four 12. This album was made for vinyl and the beats sound fresher than ever. The Score remains a masterpiece and the themes it explores are as relevant today as they were back in the 90s. It says a lot when a band can make such a huge impact on the music industry in a relatively short space of time. The vinyl reissue is pressed on limited-edition orange vinyl and features a double-sided black-and-white insert with the song credits and imagery from the original release.įugees may have parted ways after the success of The Score but at least they went out on top. The catchy Fu-Gee-La features a fantastic vocal from Hill on the chorus and The Mask explores the idea that everyone wears a mask of some kind to hide parts of themselves from others. Ready Or Not contains three samples (one of which is an Enya track) and it remains one of their most recognisable hits as they warn other rappers that they’re coming to claim their place at the top of the genre.Įlsewhere on the record Wyclef takes lead on No Woman, No Cry, a cover of the Bob Marley classic, and the lyrics are slightly altered to reflect Brooklyn rather than Trenchtown. They seamlessly weave the samples into their own instrumentation and beats. The band uses clever samples throughout The Score such as I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos on Zealots and God Made Me Funky by The Headhunters on The Beast.
It’s bold, brash and confident, three things that Fugees keep up throughout the entire record. Hill also takes some shots at contemporary artists at the time that she believed to be mediocre in terms of their talent. It’s a stop and take notice moment that throws you into their world and catches your attention. The first song on the record is the beat-heavy How Many Mics and it’s a tight rhyme-spitting number that sees the trio hitting back at their critics while showing off their skills. The trio also allowed each other to shine and they all contribute something to every single song. They didn’t represent the ‘thug life’ style of many of their contemporaries, instead crafting songs about society and life in America as black people. One of the things that was so refreshing about Fugees was their refusal to give in to the rap clichés of guns, blunts and women. The Score opens with a spoken word intro, Red Intro, by Red Alert and Ras Barake, and it sets the tone for the record. It’s such a clever twist on the classic song as it gave it a contemporary urban beat whilst retaining the soul of the melody and lyrics. While Hill does use her incredible singing voice throughout album, Killing Me Softly is the only track where she sings for the entirety.
The Score contains the trio’s biggest hit, a cover of Killing Me Softly, which interestingly isn’t representative of the rest of the album at all. The album has is being reissued on vinyl as 2LP set by Sony Music CMG just over 22 years on from its initial release. It sold over 6 million copies in the US alone and was certified 5x Platinum in the UK. The end result was The Score, one of the most ground-breaking and important rap albums of all-time. Give complete creative control and an advance to make the album they wanted to, the band – Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras – set up a studio in Wyclef’s uncle’s basement. Fugees were handed a lifeline after their 1994 debut album Blunted on Reality was a critical and commercial disappointment.
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