Instant Classic
Too many MCs not enough mics
Why the Fugees final mic drop album is a perfectly balanced masterpiece
If God had given Moses a boombox and CDs to inspire the Jews on their exodus out of Egypt, The Score would have been their anthem. Their rushed footsteps in sync with the beat:
“Left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right (It’s time I settle the score)”
The Fugees second and final studio album released in 1996 was special. It contained a certain timelessness. The beats are fresh and all three MC’s possess a unique rhythm. The combination of producing a hip-hop album, which is relatively new genre, and incorporating old folk songs that sound like your oldest ancestors sung them, allows for an instant classic.
The Score exudes confidence. It’s the type of confidence that comes only through overcoming struggle. The hardships of being minority immigrants that all of our ancestors felt at some point. It’s the same feeling Kobe Bryant has taking the final shot knowing that he has spent more hours in the gym than his opponents, sweating and grinding. The Score comes from struggle and hence, is filled with fearlessness.
“Ready or not, refugees taking over/The Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta.”
Wyclef and the Fugees aren’t going to stay under the radar. They refute the idea that they should be complacent, calling out the police force in “The Beast.” The Score disguises their radical beliefs beautifully behind a relaxed Hip-Hop/R&B facade. Hiding in plain sight, the Wyclef delivers smooth bars.
“You can’t search me without probable cause
Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicionListen, I’ll bring friction to your whole jurisdiction
You planted seeds in my seat when I wasn’t lookin’”
The Fugees are ready to bring hell fire down on anyone who stands in the way between them and justice, but that’s not all. For a revolutionary, The Score is a battle cry, but for the average person, the album still pleases. The songs sit between message and melody perfectly.
My favorite song on the album, “Zealots,” balances on this thin line like a circus act. While the name expresses its revolutionary undertone, the Fugees are just having fun, taking turns over the Calypso beat. Lauryn shows her nerdier side with mythology, biblical references, quantum theory, and the group’s future breakup.
Two MCs can’t occupy the same space at the same time/
It’s against the laws of physics
So weep as your sweet dreams break up like Eurythmics
Three MC’s share one mic
With the R&B and soul ability of Lauryn Hill, the Reggae influence of Wyclef Jean, and the Hip-Hop skills of Pras Michel, it is a challenge split one mic three ways. Nevertheless, each artist has their moment in the lime light.
Lauryn Hill: the lead rapper with a silky smooth voice
Lauryn Hill gets hers in the eighth track of The Score, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” a cover of Roberta Flack’s 1973 jazzy original. Lauryn gives this classic a spin with the use of ad-libs and a minimal beat. The other MC’s step aside and let Lauryn reveal her vulnerability in song. This is my second favorite song on the album and my go to recommendation to any curious friends. Listen first to “Killing Me Softly,” and then to Hill’s masterpiece, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Wyclef brings his Reggae lineage
The Fugees understand the art of mic sharing. Lauryn had assistance with Wyclef Jean and Pras. Wyclef is an incredibly talented rapper and producer. As an immigrant from Haiti, he brings a Reggae influence to The Score. He and Lauryn Hill are close and their tandem style is perfected on “Fu-Gee-La” when Wyclef and Lauryn go toe to toe.
Pras: the unsung hero of the Fugees
I refugee from Guantanamo Bay
Dance around the border like I’m Cassius Clay
If songs on The Score are relay races, Pras is the anchor leg. No matter how well the first verses are executed, if the song is finished poorly, there’s no finding success. Pras’ distinct voice pulls each track together, almost always rapping the final verse. His deep voice and powerful cadence add a classic 90’s rap feel to the album. “The Mask,” inspired by Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, We Wear the Mask, is the tenth track on The Score. Pras gets more song time than usual and puts it to use. He has clever bars and closes the song with a diss.
(Well, did you shoot him?)
Nah, kid, I didn’t have the balls
That’s when I realized I’m bumpin’
too much Biggie Smalls
With The Score, The Fugees go out with a bang. Their ability to appeal to everyone allowed for this gem to go 6x platinum. The Score would win a Grammy for “Best Rap Album,” and the three MCs received a Five Mic rating from The Source, an impossible feat. Although the Fugees would soon break up without releasing another album, we couldn’t ask for anything more. The Score is an instant classic. It’s the type of album you can play over and over without having to worry about the songs getting old.
