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The Score (album)

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Untitled

The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide February 13, 1996 on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the mid-late 1990s. The Score's production was handled mostly by the Fugees themselves and Jerry Duplessis, with additional production from Salaam Remi, John Forté, Shawn King[disambiguation needed], and Diamond D. The album's guest raps are from Outsidaz' members Rah Digga, Young Zee and Pacewon, as well as Omega, John Forté, and Diamond D. Most versions of the album feature four bonus tracks, including three remixes of "Fu-Gee-La", and a short acoustic Wyclef Jean solo track entitled "Mista Mista."

Upon its release, The Score was a commercial success, peaking at the number one spot on both the Billboard 200, and the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart (it was a number-one album on the latter in 1996 on the year-end chart). The singles "Killing Me Softly," "Fu-Gee-La," and "Ready or Not" also achieved notable chart success, and helped the group achieve worldwide recognition. On October 3, 1997, The Score was certified six times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In addition to receiving mostly favorable reviews upon its release, the album has garnered a considerable amount of acclaim over the years, with many music critics and publications noting it as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 1998, the album was included in The Source's 100 best rap albums list, and in 2003, it was ranked number 477 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Background

Although the Fugees' previous album Blunted on Reality proved to be critically and commercially unsuccessful, Christ Schwartz, head of Ruffhouse Records, decided to give the group another chance. In early 1995, he gave them a $135,000 advance and granted them complete artistic control for a follow-up album.[1] The group used the money for recording equipment and set up a studio in Wyclef's uncle's basement, which they referred to as Booga Basement.[2] Recording for the album began in June of 1995, and exceeded into November of 1995[3] at what Wyclef described as a "relaxed pace" by stating "It was done calmly, almost unconsciously. There wasn't any pressure - it was like "let's make some music," and it just started forming into something amazing. It sounded like a feel-good hip hop record to us, and it was different than what anyone was doing at the time. It was three kids from an urban background expressing themselves."[4] In regards to The Score's unified themes and production, Lauryn commented "It's an audio film. It's like how radio was back in the 1940s. It tells a story, and there are cuts and breaks in the music. It's almost like a hip hop version of Tommy, like what The Who did for rock music."[5]

Music

Production

The Score was produced by a variety of producers including each member of the Fugees as well as Diamond D, Salaam Remi and Jerry Duplessis. Although most tracks are built on sampled melodies, live instrumentation and DJing are incorporated into multiple tracks. Wyclef Jean plays the guitar on "Family Business," while DJ Scribble scratches on "Manifest/Outro," and the song "Fu-Gee-La (Sly & Robbie Remix)" is entirely instrumental. Nevertheless, samples are the predominant production tool on The Score. "Fu-Gee-La" incorporates a sample of Teena Marie's "Ooh La La La," and is interpolated in the song's chorus. "Ready or Not" also contains a sample that is interpolated; "Ready or Not (Here I Come)" by The Delfonics. "Manifest/Outro" contains a sample from "Rock Dis Funky Joint" by Poor Righteous Teachers, while the title track contains vocal samples from every track on the entire album.

Singles

Three official singles were released in promotion of The Score. The first of which was "Fu-Gee-La." The single was released January 9, 1996 and peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 13 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 2 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.[6] The song was produced by Salaam Remi and includes elements of "Ooo La La La" as performed by Teena Marie.

The second single, "Killing Me Softly" was released May 31, 1996. Proving to be the most successful single from the album, it instantly reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as number one on the UK Singles Chart.[6] Initially, the song was to be titled "Killing Them Softly," though alluding to Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel's "Killing Me Softly with His Song," it was originally not intended to be a cover, however, the original writers refused permission for the rewrite of their song, but did allow the Fugees to do a cover version.[7] In 1997, "Killing Me Softly" won the Fugees a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by Duo or group.[8]

The third and final single released for the album was "Ready or Not," released September 2, 1996. The song was the least successful of all the singles from the album, only peaking at number 34 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.[6] The track interpolates "Ready or Not, Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" as performed by The Delfonics, and also samples Enya's "Boadicea". Initially this sample was uncredited, and Enya was prepared to sue for copyright infringement, however decided not to when she discovered that the Fugees were not gangsta rappers.[9] In a later interview, Fugee member Pras described the recording of "Ready or Not" stating "The three of us was each going through some pain. Lauryn was crying when she did her vocals. It was unbelievable. To see her singing with tears coming out of her eyes, it made me want to cry too."[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[10]
Robert Christgau(A)[11]
Entertainment Weekly(A)[12]
Los Angeles Times[13]
The New York Times(favorable)[14]
Q[15]
Rolling Stone 1996[16]
Rolling Stone 2004[17]
The Source[18]
Spin(9/10)[19]

Upon its release, The Score received mostly positive reviews from most music critics. Entertainment Weekly writer James Bernard gave the album an A rating, and commented "What a shock: a smooth, well-produced rap album that doesn't have Dr. Dre's fingerprints on it [...] The Score showcases their acrobatic lyrical techniques and restless intelligence, and unlike much East Coast rap, The Score feels warm and intimate — partly because the instruments are live but also because the Fugees sound so relaxed and casual."[12] Robert Christgau from The Village Voice also gave the album an A rating and stated "Forget their debut [...] this isn't another terrible thing to waste. It's so beautiful and funny its courage could make you weep."[11] Steve Huey from Allmusic gave the album 5 out of 5 stars, and stated

"Even when they're not relying on easily recognizable tunes, their original material is powered by a raft of indelible hooks [...] The Score balances intelligence and accessibility with an easy assurance, and ranks as one of the most distinctive hip-hop albums of its era."[10]

— Steve Huey

He and others also touted it for its eclecticism, group rapping with good chemistry and social consciousness. Cheo Hodari Coker from Los Angeles Times gave the album 2½ out of 4 stars, and wrote "The Score succeeds on all counts. As a cohesive unit, Hill, Wyclef Jean and Prakazrel Michel complement one another like no rap trio since A Tribe Called Quest. Their specialty is matching a gymnastic rhyme flow and rock-solid beats with expert crooning."[13] Spin gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating, and commented "A sense of organic interaction is the hallmark of this album [....] the album's most important factor is its beats; chest-shaking, obscure-texture-having, freestyle-friendly beats."[19] Q gave The Score 4 out of 5 stars, and described the album as "An impressively panoramic soundscape."[15] Initially, Rolling Stone gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, with Ann Powers commenting "The Fugees' roots in reggae gives them a solid base in song and a basic philosophy that's richer than the money-or-nothing ethic that dulls much of rap these days. Without being sanctimonious, The Score paints the ghetto as a mythical landscape, one that can inspire pride as well as sorrow. Like Wu-Tang Clan, the Fugees view the world as their movie, complete with stunts and special effects."[16] Rolling Stone later rated the album 4½ out of 5 stars in 2004, with Christian Hoard complimenting the group's growth since their previous album.[17]

Track listing

# Title Performer(s) Producer(s) Sample(s) / interpolation(s) Time
1 "Red Intro" —— —— 1:52
2 "How Many Mics"
  • Intro: Wyclef Jean / Lauryn Hill
  • Chorus: Wyclef Jean / Lauryn Hill
  • First verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Second verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Third verse: Pras
 Fugees,
Shawn King[disambiguation needed],
Jerry Duplessis 		4:29
3 "Ready or Not"
  • Chorus: Lauryn Hill
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Second verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Third verse: Pras
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		3:47
4 "Zealots"
  • Chorus: Wyclef Jean
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Second verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Third verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Fourth verse: Pras
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		4:21
5 "The Beast"
  • Chorus: Wyclef Jean
  • First verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Second verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Third verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Fourth verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Fifth verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Sixth verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Seventh verse: Pras
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		—— 5:37
6 "Fu-Gee-La"
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Chorus: Lauryn Hill
  • Second verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Third verse: Pras
  • Fourth verse: Wyclef Jean
 Salaam Remi 4:20
7 "Family Business"
  • Backing vocals: Lauryn Hill
  • First verse: Omega
  • Second verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Third verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Fourth verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Fifth verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Sixth verse: John Forté
  • Outro: Wyclef Jean / Lauryn Hill
 Fugees,
John Forté,
Jerry Duplessis 		5:44
8 "Killing Me Softly"
  • Intro: Wyclef Jean / Lauryn Hill
  • Verses, chorus: Lauryn Hill
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		4:59
9 "The Score"
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Second verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Third verse: Pras
  • Fourth verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Fifth verse: Diamond D
 Diamond D,
Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		5:02
10 "The Mask"
  • Chorus: Fugees
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Second verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Third verse: Pras
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		4:51
11 "Cowboys"
  • Chorus: Wyclef Jean
  • First verse: Pacewon / Wyclef Jean
  • Second verse: Lauryn Hill / Rah Digga
  • Third verse: Pras / Young Zee
  • Fourth verse: John Forté
 Fugees,
John Forté,
Jerry Duplessis 		5:24
12 "No Woman, No Cry"
  • Wyclef Jean
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		4:33
13 "Manifest/Outro"
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Second verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Third verse: Pras
  • Outro: DJ Red Alert
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		6:00
14 "Fu-Gee-La" (Refugee Camp Remix)
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Chorus: Wyclef Jean
  • Second verse: John Forté
  • Third verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Fourth verse: Pras
  • Fifth verse: Wyclef
  • Outro: Wyclef Jean
 Fugees,
Jerry Duplessis 		—— 4:24
15 "Fu-Gee-La" (Sly & Robbie Mix)
  • Intro: Sly & Robbie
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Chorus: Lauryn Hill
  • Second verse: John Forté
  • Third verse: Lauryn Hill
  • Fourth verse: Pras
  • Fifth verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Outro: Akon
 Handel Tucker —— 5:28
16 "Mista Mista"
  • Wyclef Jean
 Wyclef Jean —— 2:42
17 "Fu-Gee-La" (Refugee Camp Global Mix)
  • First verse: Wyclef Jean
  • Chorus: Lauryn Hill
  • Second verse: Lauryn Hill/ Wyclef Jean
  • Third verse: Pras
  • Fourth verse: Wyclef Jean
 Fugees —— 4:20

Personnel

Charts

Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
May 25 - June 21, 1996 		Succeeded by

Awards

The Score earned the Fugees two Grammy Awards in 1996.[8]

Nomination Award Result
Killing Me Softly Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Won
The Score Best Rap Album Won

Accolades

  • Information regarding accolades is extracted from Acclaimedmusic.net,[41]except for accolades with additional sources.
  • (*) Signifies unordered lists
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
About.com United States 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums[42] 2008 18
Best Rap Albums of 1996[43] 2008 5
BigO Singapore Albums of the Year 1996 34
Blender United States 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die 2003 *
Ego Trip Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 1999 5
Elvis Costello United Kingdom 500 Albums You Need 2000 *
Expressen Sweden The 100 Best Records Ever 1999 100
Eye Weekly Canada Albums of the Year 1996 15
Face United kingdom Albums of the Year 1996 1
Helsingin Sanomat Finland 50th Anniversary of Rock 2004 *
Hip-Hop Connection United Kingdom The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005 2005 15
Juice Australia The 100 (+34) Greatest Albums of the 90s 1999 64
Mixmag United kingdom Albums of the Year 1996 2
Mojo The Mojo Collection, 3rd and/or 4th Edition 03/07 *
Albums of the Year 1996 15
Muzik Albums of the Year 1996 3
The New Nation Top 100 Albums by Black Artists 2005 34
NME United States 1996 Crits Poll 1996 22
United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1996 22
Nude as the News United States The 100 Most Compelling Albums of the 90s 1999 97
OOR Netherlands Albums of the Year 1996 38
Pause & Play United States The 90s Top 100 Essential Albums 1999 11
Plásticos y Decibelios Spain The 80 Best Albums of All Time 2000 68
Pop Sweden Albums of the Year 1996 1
Pure Pop Mexico Albums of the Year 1996 10
Q United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1996 *
90 best Albums of the 90s 1999 *
Record Collector 10 Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st Century 2000 *
Robert Dimery United states 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005 *
Rock Sound France Albums of the Year 1996 24
Rolling Stone United States The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 2003 477
The Essential Recordings of the 90s 1999 *
Albums of the Year 1996 10
The Source 100 Best Rap Albums[44] 1998 *
The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time[45] 2006 34
Spex Germany Albums of the Year 1996 41
Spin United States Top 90 Albums of the 90s 1999 17
20 Best Albums of '96 1996 2
Tom Moon 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die[46] 2008 *
Various Writers Albums: 50 Years of Great Recordings 2005 *
Vibe 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century 1999 *
The Village Voice Albums of the Year 1996 2
Vox United Kingdom Albums of the Year 1996 15
VPRO Netherlands 299 Nominations of the Best Album of All Time 2006 *
Yediot Ahonot Israel Top 99 Albums of All Time 1999 74

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Coleman, Brian. 2008. P.213-214
  2. ^ Coleman, Brian. 2008. P.214
  3. ^ a b Furman; Leah, Elina. 1999. P.86
  4. ^ Coleman, Brian. 2008. P.215
  5. ^ Furman; Leah, Elina. 1999. P.78
  6. ^ a b c The Score Singles Billboard Peak Positions. Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  7. ^ Nickson, Chris, 1999. P.74-75
  8. ^ a b The Score Grammy Awards. Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  9. ^ "Irish Voice article at archive.org". 1997-02-18. Archived from the original on 2005-04-07. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  10. ^ a b Huey, Steve. Review: The Score. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-09-21.
  11. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. Review: The Score. Robert Christgau. Retrieved on 2009-09-21.
  12. ^ a b Bernard, James. Review: The Score. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-09-21.
  13. ^ a b Coker, Cheo-Hodari. Review: The Score. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2009-09-21.
  14. ^ Pareles, John. Review: The Score. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-09-21.
  15. ^ a b Columnist. Review: The Score. Q: 109. April 1996.
  16. ^ a b Powers, Ann. Review: The Score. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2010-04-14.
  17. ^ a b Christian, Hoard. Ranking: The Score. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2009-09-21.
  18. ^ Columnist. Ranking: The Score. The Source. Retrieved on 2009-09-21.
  19. ^ a b Columnist. Review: The Score. Spin: 113. March 1996.
  20. ^ australian-charts.com - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  21. ^ austriancharts.at - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  22. ^ ultratop.be - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  23. ^ ultratop.be - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  24. ^ finnishcharts.com - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  25. ^ lescharts.com - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  26. ^ dutchcharts.nl - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  27. ^ charts.org.nz - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  28. ^ norwegiancharts.com - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  29. ^ swedishcharts.com - Fugees - The Score Hung Medien. Retrieve January 8, 2011.
  30. ^ Fugees - The Score -hitparade.ch Hung Medien. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  31. ^ "The Fugees Album & Song Chart History". Billboard 200 for The Fugees. Prometheus Global Media.
  32. ^ "The Fugees Album & Song Chart History". R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for The Fugees. Prometheus Global Media.
  33. ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). "1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ Austria Certifications. ifpi.at. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  35. ^ Canada Certifications. cria.ca. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  36. ^ Europe Certifications. ifpi.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  37. ^ France Certifications. disqueenfrance.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  38. ^ Template:Cite gold platin
  39. ^ UK Certifications. bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  40. ^ United States Certifications. riaa.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  41. ^ The Score album accolades. acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  42. ^ Adaso, Henry. About.com's 100 Greatest Rap Albums. About.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  43. ^ Adaso, Henry. About.com's Best Rap Albums of 1996. About.com. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  44. ^ Columnist. The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums. The Source. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  45. ^ Columnist. The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time. The Source. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  46. ^ Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die. Tom Moon. Retrieved 2010-04-16.

References

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