#134 Fugees, 'The Score' (1996)
Previously #469
Following the disappointing performance of their debut record, the head of the band’s label, Ruffhouse Records decided to give the band another chance. He advanced them $135k, which the band invested into a studio in Wyclef Jean’s uncle’s basement. The result, a #1 record in 10 countries, including the US and 22 million albums sold worldwide. Lauryn Hill compared the album to The Who’s ‘Tommy,’ saying that “It's almost like a hip-hop version…like what The Who did for rock music.” While cohesive, the record certainly doesn’t tell the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy.’
Typical of a Hip Hop record, the album is packed with samples. First single, ‘Fu-Gee-La’ is based on Teena Marie’s ‘Ooo La La La’ and ‘(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right’ by Ramsey Lewis, the two songs reinterpreted and inconspicuously and masterfully brought together. ‘Ready Or Not’ is a cover of The Delfonics and samples Enya. ‘Zealots,’ one of my favourite tracks on the record makes great use of The Flamingoes’ ‘I Only Have Eyes For You.’ The massive hit on the record was ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song,’ a reimagining of the Roberta Flack hit. The song went to the top of the charts in the US, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand. In the UK it’s the biggest selling single by a Hip Hop group. The song won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and the album won Best Rap album. The album is peppered with references to Bob Marley, including a cover of ‘No Woman No Cry.’ Coincidentally, Hill would meet and subsequently start dating Marley’s son, Rohan a few months after the release of this album. The couple had 5 kids together. The group imploded mostly due to Jean and Hill’s tumultuous relationship. The two both met and became involved with their significant others while in a relationship with each other. The band would never record together again but their legacy is significant. ‘The Score’ remains the biggest selling album by a Hip Hop Group of all time. I loved listening to this album again after not listening to it since the last countdown. Wonderfully crafted album with amazing flow from Jean, Hill and Pras Michel.
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