134. Fugees, "The Score"

 


It's wild, I always thought of this as kind of an underground classic but come to find out it's not just one of the best-selling rap albums of all time, it's one of the best-selling albums of all time, with like 22 million copies sold.  And I am overjoyed to report that unlike some of the best-selling albums, this brilliant record deserves every unit moved.  It's an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Let's start with the singles.  "Fu-Gee-La" starts with a verse by Wyclef Jean, and then the high melodic chorus sung by Miss Lauryn Hill, who also takes the next verse.  It's really a lovely chorus, and the whole song has that kind of moody trip-hop sound that was all over rap in the mid-90's.  (This album came out in 1996.)  The second single was "Killing Me Softly," a cover of the Roberta Flack classic that shows off Hill's perfectly tuned voice, with the trip-hop drums gassing up the original version.  "Ready or Not," the third single, has that immediately memorable chorus and one of Hill's best raps on the album:

I play my enemies like a game of chess, where I rest
No stress
If you don't smoke sess, lest
I must confess, my destiny's manifest
In some Goretex and sweats I make treks like I'm homeless
Rap orgies with Porgy and Bess
Capture your bounty like Elliot Ness, yes
Bless you if you represent the Fu
But I'll hex you with some witch's brew if you're Doo Doo Voodoo

Although it was never a single, "The Mask" is also a gem, with Hill rapping about a neverending problem, dudes hassling women:

Shook my hips to the bass line, this joker grabbed my waistline,
Putting pressure on my spine trying to get L-Boog to wind,
I backed up off him then caught him with five finger to his face,
I had to put him in his place,
This kids invading my space

Unfortunately, the Fugees began to splinter under the weight of the overwhelming success of this album.  Each member would embark on solo careers with different degrees of success.  We will almost certainly be seeing Lauryn Hill again in this space.  Stay tuned.  Listen to this album today.

Is this album in my personal Top 500? Absolutely.

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