Fugees - The Score

The Album Concept Hour

[JON's PICK] When you think of mid-90s hip hop, a few things probably come to mind... "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio, Wu Tang's "36 Chambers" (along with their numerous projects), various Beastie Boys hits, "Waterfalls" by TLC, A Tribe Called Quest... "Jock Jams"... and Fugee's sophomore album, "The Score." From "Ready or Not" to "Fu-Gee-La" to their Grammy winning cover of "Killing Me Softly With His Song," this album is full of hits and had a big impact on the hip hop and pop scene. Coming from a growing tradition of strong female MCs, Lauryn Hill wasn't pulling any punches with her lyrical approach. She is still considered one of the best female rappers of all time and on top of that, she could sing like an angel. With both of those talents at their disposal, along with legendary Haitian-American producing cousins, Wyclef Jean & Pras Michel, Fugees (named after a derogatory term for Haitian-American refugees) were perfectly poised to rule the airwaves for the rest of the 90s; but there were problems brewing in Fu-Gee-La. During the production of the album, Lauryn and Wyclef were in the midst of a heated affair, which, while contributing to the raw emotion and creativity of the album, ultimately led to their downfall. Much like Fleetwood Mac, they fell apart. However, unlike the members of Fleetwood Mac, they have all had a hard time since their success with "The Score," with Lauryn jailed briefly for tax evasion, Wyclef being accused of mismanaging a charity, and Pras being investigated for suspicious political campaign contributions. Ironically, the feds coming after them for white collar crimes that are often swept under the rug (for certain... lighter skinned peoples), kind of proves some of the paranoia they expressed in the song "The Mask:" "Put the mask upon the face just to make the next day. Feds be hawking me, jokers be stalking me...Hit the streets for relief, I bumped into the Feds, I got kidnapped they took me to D.C... everybody wear the mask but how long will it last?" Join Brad, Jon, and Scott as we try our best to get through an episode on facebook video messenger.

Next Up: (06-29-20) SEASON FINALE Grant Summerland - Bigfoot Museum with GRANT SUMMERLAND HIMSELF!!! LISTEN HERE IF YOU HAVE SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/1L5tvX17qmkGjWeQ8EUlbS?si=b3mp6be3T6qmqQNUkAnHOQ

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST NUMBER ONE: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Z67Ka5xedSfYIvWw6YNt4?si=GG5CAvtUQ0CWpr74gRn-_A

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