Inflated egos and a desire to prove their impeccable solo talents (along with scraps within the group) resulted in the demised of one of the most lauded trios ever. What is left is a legacy which we can only hope will be resurrected someday - although with Lauryn (or Ms. Hill as she now prefers to be called) currently battling serious personal demons, the future doesn't look good (I hope that genius brings out another solo album - surely can't be as good as "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill" though...can it?!). Success, fame and power tore them apart and this album is the only real thing we have left to remember them by.

Adopting the alias "Refugee Camp," the Fugees brought something fresh to the scene in the mid-90's. Their fusion of rap and pop was exciting and very ground-breaking. It sounds not so today, but eight years ago it definitely was - before everyone was ripping it off. The album opens with "Red Intro," followed swiftly by the classic opener "How Many Mics." Superb rapping here from Wyclef and Pras inparticular, whilst Lauryn's lyrics bring something new to the song everytime you listen to it. "Ready Or Not" is the now classic massive UK No.1 that rounded off a year of phenomenal success in 1996. Sampling Enya's haunting "Boadicea," the song becomes a profoundly eerie and dramatic Hip-Hop classic. Mario Winans recently sampled it, but his version pales in comparison to the version the Fugees provide here. "Zealots" has a rather corny chant that plays in the background throughout the song (that, for some unknown reason, reminds me of The Shawshank Redemption!), but the lyrics and rapping arrangement makes up for this and results in another great track.

"The Beast" opens with a dragging and throbbing beat that is tired and exhausted. The deep and suffocating atmosphere of the urban underground can be felt completely here and the lyrics are once more superbly arranged and performed. "Fu-gee-la" brings something to the album that has been missing up until this point - a catchy vocal arrangement. With a heavy beat and brilliant rapping, the song effortlessly switches between Wyclef's serious lyrics to Lauryn's fun-loving sung-chorus in that awesome voice of hers. "Family Business" has a distinctive and hidden beat that is incredibly deep and ambiguous, whilst Lauryn's chant of "Ha-ha, ha-ha" in the background is spine-tingling. A great song that is unfortunately forgotten as soon as the next song plays - truly one of the greatest cover versions of all time...

Yes, it's the multi-million selling mammoth No.1 "Killing Me Softly." Lauryn Hill completely owns this track with her tear-inducing voice that caught the ears of millions worldwide. This was the song that made the Fugees international superstars, and Lauryn brings something to the song that Roberta Flack never could originally. "The Score" is held together by a thrilling and haunting beat that breaks down each verse and enhances the choruses, whilst samples from each of the previous songs play to remind you of what you've just heard. "The Mask" offers a metaphorical observation on the identity of people and warns the listener to be aware the false motifs of others, "Yeah everybody wears the mask but how long will it last?" "Cowboys" has a catchy beat with some really truthful lyrics about the dangers of gun crime. A serious topic is perfectly contrasted with Wyclef's hilarious cowboy chant "Oh-lee-i!"

The third single to be taken from the album was "No Woman No Cry," a fantastic cover of the Bob Marley track. The guitar strumming is totally different to anything else on offer on the album. "Manifest/Outro" is the album's final proper track, and the music is hardly present at all. We hear Wyclef teaching us a lesson about his experiences with drugs and all the rest of it, as the piano break from the Intro of the album starts to play. Then Wyclef thanks everyone for working on the album as clapping in the background plays. Kinda funny! The album also has two remixes of "Fu-gee-la" which I'm not really fond of, but apart from that, this is a near-flawless album!

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

At present all is not well in the world of the ex-members of the Fugees. After the phenomenal critical acclaim of her debut solo album and sales surpassing 13 million, Lauryn Hill's personal life has been plagued with many difficulties. Since she met that preacher dude Anthony, I pray that she'll be okay and come out of it, get her head screwed on and bring out another album. I know she's working on one, but she's taking her time - fine by me. Wyclef and Pras parted on bad terms and still don't talk to each other. I think it's a great shame that one of the world's most notorious and talented Hip-Hop acts ever had to end this way. The music on this album is stellar, making it an essential and instant classic - buy a piece of history now.

10 of 10 found the following review helpful:


The Fugees- The Score  Dec 22, 2003 By Constant
The Fugees (Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Pras) sophomore album "The Score" (1996) is a first class album and deserves all the recognition it has recieved. Musically and lyrically the Fugees dropped a gem with this release, delivering an album to remember. What I appreciate most about this album is the variety of musical influences the Fugees use in there music whether it be Hip Hop, Soul, Reggae, Gospel or Blues. The Fugees do justice to the originals on there covers for "Killing Me Softly With His Song" (Roberta Flack) and "No Woman, No Cry" (Bob Marley), both of these songs are off the hook. I wont front either, I had never heard the original versions back in 96, but have since listened to and enjoyed them and become a Bob Marley fan, thanks to this album. Love the instrumentals, Fugees rhyming and Lauryn Hill's outstanding vocals on "Ready or Not" and "Fu-Gee-La". The Fugees rip "Zealots" warning other MCs not to mess around, and talk about police discrimination on "The Beast". The darkly deep "Family Business" with Omega and Forte is another sick track. Both the "Fu-Gee-La" mixes are good, I especially like the "Refugee Camp Remix". Individually and collectively the Fugees shine on the "The Score" an album for every Hip Hop collection.

9 of 9 found the following review helpful:


How can you not like this CD?  Jul 26, 2000 By The Big RG
I don't know about everyone else, but when I throw on this album the beats automatically make me bounce. The mix of rap, raggae, r&b, and Lauryn Hill's sweet vocals just paralyzes you. The slow, methodical rhythm of the record just captures your mind. From the grooves of "Ready or Not" to the fast-paced hip-hop of "Fu-Gee La" to the raggae remake of Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" to the most famous "Killing Me Softly" ballad, the CD doesn't grow dull or allow you to drift away. Unlike most groups, the Fugees mix up their styles and sounds in order to keep you rapt and attentive. This album is great.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:


This is a Hip Hop Album  Feb 11, 2006 By Mel Gabby
God alone knows what the hell, 50 cent, g-unit, nelly(who by the way has absolutely no skills on the mic), lil' jon etc are doing.
Well for me this is the best Hip Hop album of all time. the year is 2006 (10 yr after its release)and i quite often am bumping fu-gee-la, ready or not and killing me softly, just to break away from the crap that dominates mainstream hip hop radio.

Sorry to be a young black male and say, 95% of the Hip Hip/rap music and even now R&B music these days are pure crap.

this album is one of music's gems.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:


A great album from a great group  May 15, 2006 By PhillyG
Aight, I just bought this album a couple of days ago. I was sitting in my room listening to the radio, and I hated some of the mainstream hiphop that they were playing. I needed a old school hiphop group that i could listen to. So i went out and bought the Fugees cd cuz i heard their stuff from the past, and thought they were fresh, so i bought it. I dont know what the hell took me so long to go buy this record. This is possibly one of my top 10 albums of all time. I think that the old school beats, the lyrics, the flow of the group is crazy fly. I think that all hip hop fans should go cop this album right now, if you dont already have it. This is no doubt a classic album, one of the best of all time. If you want a old school real hiphop album, this is one that you should go buy.

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