The Score

Good but nothing really stood out to me.

If you wanna sound gangsta when you're rapping, make sure your swear words aren't censored, or else you'll just look like a pussy.

Very telling that the only good tracks here are the ones with Lauryn Hill

Honestly, I'm not really sure I understand why this was such a hit. Lauryn is definitely the star here. Wyclef is overrated, and Pras' contributions are easily forgotten. I remember the hits well, but not fondly. They were all overplayed. The non-hits are boring and forgettable.

I will not include the bonus tracks in this review.

I have heard of the East Coast hip-hop group Fugees. The collective of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel took elements of funk, R&B, and reggae with socially conscious lyrics at a time when gangsta rap was dominant. They only released two studio albums before internal conflicts led to their split and subsequent pursuit of solo careers, occasionally reuniting to perform since. The Score is the latter of those two records, becoming a commercial success, and I can see why.

This is a well-produced album where the live instrumentation is balanced with eclectic sample choices. Some truly inspired samplings are blended well, including Enya's "Boadicea" on "Ready or Not", the Flamingos' "I Only Hae Eyes for You" on "Zealots", and A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum" on the cover of Lori Lieberman's "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Combine that with the main trio's laid-back lyrical flows, equally shared among each other, with the occasional extra singing on Lauryn's part, and the result is a sound that has aged remarkably well.

That said, the lyrical subject matter could have been more varied. Multiple tracks on this album are about the Fugees' ability to rap and outwit their contemporaries. Of those tracks, it's clear that "Ready or Not" towards the beginning remained the best, followed by the title track, which also served as a warning for other emcees to avoid any street violence their music might instigate. The only other tracks that vary up the lyrics are "The Beast", which alludes to police brutality towards minorities, and "The Mask", in which African-Americans had to conceal their true emotions to present themselves neatly in a white-dominant society. Outside of those, the skits haven't exactly aged well, and it's clear that the songs that remained in the public consciousness either had a prominent recognizable sample, are a cover of a well-known song, or both in the case of "Killing Me Softly with His Song".

Still, I'd say The Score is a solid record that exemplified a lot of then-young talent and proved that conscious rap still had its place in music.

A great album that had a massive influence on the rap game in the 90s. effortlessly sampling older works and endlessly sampled by modern hip hop artists, this album has everything.

Perhaps, more than that, it features Lauryn Hill, who would just two years later put out one of the greatest albums of all time as a solo artist.

Cool, accessible hip-hop

Hell yeah, more Lauryn Hill. I can see why many people wanted her to go solo - she's definitely the star of the Fugees, while Michel and Jean seem to be out of breath just catching up to her.

I'm not that into hip hop, but this album is definitely pretty enjoyable. I like the flow of the songs and Hill's singing is very much welcomed as a counterpoint to the rapping. In turn, I think this is a nice introduction to rap for me. However, the outros of the songs were a bit long and annoying.

A top 5 hip hop album of all time? Top 3 probably. Just lush immense production and vibes here, everyone is at the peak of their game, Wyclef behind the desk, Pras with his smooth flow, and Lauryn Hill straight defecating on your microphone. This was untouchable until OutKast's Stankonia came around so I'll revert my original hypothesis to top 2 hip hop album of all time.

Non il mio genere, ma si sente la qualità a pelle. Da riascoltare

I found this album boring, but not painful enough for 1 star.

Nekoliko finih pjesama plus tipični hip hop ostatak s anti-progresivnom muzikom. Zaključak i da smeta višak vokala, istovremeno je monotono i teško za upratiti.

Pretty great. Hill is the standout, and I wish she had been featured more. The skits are annoying, but not enough to drag it down.

meu deus do céu que DELÍCIA esse hein

só PEDRADA atras de PEDRADA. a lauryn hill manda demais e os outros dois mano não ficam atras não.
tudo nesse aqui é bão pra caralho, como pode. um absurdo.

I got this in the Columbia House cd club not too long after it came out. My only knock on this album would be Mista Mista which I’ve never loved, but I guess that was an addition to later versions of the album.

5/5, favorites: Zealots, Ready or Not

Everything here feels very tastefully made, a lot more polished than other albums from the era. The album cover is absolutely great and iconic, sidenote. I find myself enjoying some songs here, but not really the overall project. The skits, while not bad like some other albums, still ruin the flow of the overall listening experience. Some of the songs here are good, but they never really seem to hit a real high. Still enjoyable, but not something i'd listen often.

I am not a huge fan of rap but this felt quite accessible for me, perhaps it is because a lot of the melodies were purloined from other songs. I think its called sampling isn't it? and thinking about it today, isn't it similar to a band that only does cover songs? Don't get me wrong some cover versions actually add something to the song - i'm thinking John Cale's Heartbreak Hotel but here? Hmm ironically the song I liked best was Cowboy where I couldn't determine the source of the riffs.

Strong contender for best album of 1996. And that's a year full of great albums. Wyclef and L were too much talent for one group to contain.

Not really my thing, but probably more interesting to me now than if I had heard it when it came out. Now that this is "vintage" hip hop it has a bit more cachet.

This was fantastic. Their cover of No Woman No Cry has always been a favorite.

4.5