Biography
In the mid-'90s the New Jersey-area trio known as the Fugees converted a fluid fusion of jazz-rap, R&B, and reggae into major commercial breakthrough when their landmark second album, The Score, reached the top of the pop album chart and moved more than five million units, later earning two Grammy Awards in 1997. The project, propelled by the tracks “Killing Me Softly” and “Ready or Not,” quickly established itself as a defining release of the decade, after which each member embarked on individual paths that continued well into the 2000s.
The group first came together in the late ’80s in South Orange, New Jersey, where high-school classmates Lauryn Hill and Prakazrel Michel (“Pras”) began collaborating. Michel’s cousin Wyclef Jean soon entered the fold; the three adopted the name Tranzlator Crew and secured a deal with Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1993. They later changed their moniker to the Fugees—a shortened, often derogatory reference to refugees commonly applied to Haitian immigrants—and recorded their debut full-length, Blunted on Reality. Released in early 1994, the album emphasized hard-hitting beats and collective MC interplay reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Digable Planets. Although it earned underground respect, the set made little commercial impact, prompting a stylistic shift for the next effort.
Arriving in 1996, The Score became an immediate success. While preserving traces of the group’s earlier jazz-rap approach, it also embraced classic R&B elements that highlighted Hill’s vocal range. The album climbed to the summit of charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum status in both the United States and across Europe. Anchored by the soulful, chart-topping single “Killing Me Softly” and a top-40 reinterpretation of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” the record crossed over to a broad audience yet retained its core supporters, emerging as one of 1996’s unexpected blockbusters. At the 1997 Grammy Awards the Fugees collected Best Rap Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Killing Me Softly.”
After that triumph the trio paused group activities to explore solo work, a separation that proved lasting. Jean delivered his first solo outing, 1997’s The Carnival Featuring the Refugee Allstars, while Michel teamed with Mya and Ol’ Dirty Bastard on the hit “Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are).” In 1998 Hill unveiled her chart-topping neo-soul masterpiece The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which surpassed the sales of The Score and captured five Grammy Awards in 1999. Having stepped away at the height of her popularity, Hill left the spotlight, whereas Michel sustained his rap career alongside forays into acting and film production. Jean, meanwhile, continued issuing solo projects—more than a dozen in total—and lent his production skills to artists including Destiny’s Child, Santana, Shakira, and Young Thug.
Nearly ten years after their commercial peak, the members reunited in 2005 for a European tour and the release of the single “Take It Easy.” The collaboration proved short-lived, however, and the group disbanded once more. Although their time together was brief, The Score remains among the most widely praised albums in history, and each former member stayed creatively and politically engaged for decades afterward.
The group first came together in the late ’80s in South Orange, New Jersey, where high-school classmates Lauryn Hill and Prakazrel Michel (“Pras”) began collaborating. Michel’s cousin Wyclef Jean soon entered the fold; the three adopted the name Tranzlator Crew and secured a deal with Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1993. They later changed their moniker to the Fugees—a shortened, often derogatory reference to refugees commonly applied to Haitian immigrants—and recorded their debut full-length, Blunted on Reality. Released in early 1994, the album emphasized hard-hitting beats and collective MC interplay reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Digable Planets. Although it earned underground respect, the set made little commercial impact, prompting a stylistic shift for the next effort.
Arriving in 1996, The Score became an immediate success. While preserving traces of the group’s earlier jazz-rap approach, it also embraced classic R&B elements that highlighted Hill’s vocal range. The album climbed to the summit of charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum status in both the United States and across Europe. Anchored by the soulful, chart-topping single “Killing Me Softly” and a top-40 reinterpretation of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” the record crossed over to a broad audience yet retained its core supporters, emerging as one of 1996’s unexpected blockbusters. At the 1997 Grammy Awards the Fugees collected Best Rap Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for “Killing Me Softly.”
After that triumph the trio paused group activities to explore solo work, a separation that proved lasting. Jean delivered his first solo outing, 1997’s The Carnival Featuring the Refugee Allstars, while Michel teamed with Mya and Ol’ Dirty Bastard on the hit “Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are).” In 1998 Hill unveiled her chart-topping neo-soul masterpiece The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which surpassed the sales of The Score and captured five Grammy Awards in 1999. Having stepped away at the height of her popularity, Hill left the spotlight, whereas Michel sustained his rap career alongside forays into acting and film production. Jean, meanwhile, continued issuing solo projects—more than a dozen in total—and lent his production skills to artists including Destiny’s Child, Santana, Shakira, and Young Thug.
Nearly ten years after their commercial peak, the members reunited in 2005 for a European tour and the release of the single “Take It Easy.” The collaboration proved short-lived, however, and the group disbanded once more. Although their time together was brief, The Score remains among the most widely praised albums in history, and each former member stayed creatively and politically engaged for decades afterward.
Albums
