The Score (album)

The Score is the second and final studio album by American hip hop group Fugees, released worldwide on February 13, 1996, by 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- to late-1990s. Primarily, The ScoreTemplate:'s production was handled by the Fugees themselves, Jerry Duplessis and Warren Riker, with additional production from Salaam Remi, John Forté, Diamond D, and Shawn King. The album's guest verses are from Outsidaz members Rah Digga, Young Zee, and Pacewon, as well as 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 atop the U.S. Billboard 200. It also topped the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart for eight weeks, becoming the longest running number one for a hip hop group,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and topped the 1996 year-end chart. The singles "Killing Me Softly", "Fu-Gee-La", and "Ready or Not" also achieved notable chart success, leading the album to become the third best selling album of 1996 in the United States,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and helping the group achieve worldwide recognition.

The album received critical acclaim. It received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 39th Grammy Awards, becoming the second rap album to receive a nomination in the category and the first from a hip hop group;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, along with Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Killing Me Softly". In retrospect, The Score 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. The Score was included on the list of 200 Definitive Albums in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was ranked number 134 on Rolling StoneTemplate:'s revised list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2020).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

As of February 2021, The Score has been certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is the best-selling album by an American hip hop act in France,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where the album has been certified Diamond. With an estimated 22 million copies sold worldwide,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the album has become one of the best-selling albums of all time, at the time of its release it briefly became the best-selling hip hop album of all time,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and remains the best-selling album by a hip hop group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of June 2021, the album is the fifth-most streamed 1990s hip-hop album on Spotify.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Background

Although the Fugees' previous album, Blunted on Reality proved to be critically and commercially unsuccessful, Chris Schwartz, the 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.<ref name="Technique">Template:Cite book</ref> The group used the money for recording equipment and set up a studio in Wyclef Jean's uncle's basement, which they referred to as the Booga Basement.<ref name="Technique" />

Recording for the album began in June 1995, and extended into November 1995<ref name="Furman86">Furman; Leah, Elina. 1999, p. 86.</ref> at what Jean described as a "relaxed pace ... 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."<ref name="Technique" />

In regard to The ScoreTemplate:'s unified themes and production, Lauryn Hill 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."<ref>Furman; Leah, Elina. 1999, p. 78.</ref>

Music

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 Skribble scratches on "Manifest/Outro". Nevertheless, samples are the predominant production tool on The Score. "Fu-Gee-La" incorporates a sample of Teena Marie's "Ooo 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, "The Score" contains vocal samples from every track on the entire album.

Three official singles were released in promotion of The Score, the first of which was "Fu-Gee-La", which was released on January 9, 1996, reached the Top 40, peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, the song reached No. 13 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and No. 2 on the Hot Rap Songs chart.<ref name="Singles">[[[:Template:AllMusic]] The Score Singles Billboard Peak Positions]. AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-04-16.</ref> "Fu-Gee-La" was produced by Salaam Remi and includes elements of "Ooo La La La" as performed by Teena Marie.

The second single, "Killing Me Softly", with lead vocals by Lauryn Hill, was released on May 31, 1996. "Killing Me Softly" proved to be the most successful single from the album. The song went No. 1 in 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it peaked atop the UK Singles Chart, and became one of the region's best-selling singles ever. In the US, the song was not available for purchase, which made it ineligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart due to their previous rules;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> however, it still managed to peak at No. 1 on the US Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic airplay charts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Initially, the song was to be titled "Killing Them Softly", and 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.<ref>Nickson, Chris, 1999, pp. 74–75.</ref> In 1997, "Killing Me Softly" won the Fugees a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by Duo or group.<ref name="Awards">[[[:Template:AllMusic]] The Score Grammy Awards]. Allmusic. Retrieved April 16, 2010.</ref>

The third single released from the album was "Ready or Not", which was released on September 2, 1996. In the US the song peaked at No. 34 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.<ref name="Singles"/> The song became their second No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, staying at the top for two weeks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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, but decided not to when she discovered that the Fugees were not gangsta rappers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The accompanying music video was directed by film director Marcus Nispel, and was reported to have cost approximately 1.3 million dollars at the time, making it one of the most expensive music videos ever.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a later interview, Fugees 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."<ref name="Furman86" />

The fourth and final single from the album, a cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry", with lead vocals by Wyclef Jean, was released on November 18, 1996. It was produced by Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill, with additionally production from Pras and Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis.<ref name="bb19961109">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It features uncredited backing vocals from by Marley's children Stephen and Sharon Marley, as well as reggae singer Pam Hall.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> An official remix of the track, featuring Stephen Marley, was included on the group's third release, Bootleg Versions.<ref name="bb19961109" /> The song peaked at No. 38 on the US Hot 100 Airplay chart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was more successful worldwide, peaking atop the New Zealand Singles Chart for two weeks,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and No. 2 in the UK.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Critical reception

Upon its release, The Score received critical acclaim. Entertainment Weekly writer James Bernard 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."<ref name="EW"/> Robert Christgau from The Village Voice called The Score "so beautiful and funny its courage could make you weep", and said the Fugees possess "black humanism" and "the gender-equality formula in which one girl learning equals two guys calling the shots".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Steve Huey from AllMusic wrote that, "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."<ref name="AM"/> Cheo Hodari Coker from the Los Angeles Times wrote that, "The Score succeeds on all counts", while the Fugees are as fluid a rap group since A Tribe Called Quest: "Their specialty is matching a gymnastic rhyme flow and rock-solid beats with expert crooning."<ref name="LAT"/> Selwyn Seyfu Hinds of Spin 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."<ref name="Spin"/> Q described the album as "An impressively panoramic soundscape."<ref name="Q"/>

However, in a mixed review, Rolling Stone writer Ann Powers commented, "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."<ref name="RS1"/> Jon Pareles of The New York Times found the group's "vision of ghetto life" both eccentric and realistic, although he felt "Killing Me Softly" sounds "out of place amid the hard-nosed surrealism".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Awards

Awards and nominations for The Score

Year	Organization	Award	Result
1997	Soul Train Music Awards	Album of the Year	Template:Nom
	Grammy Awards	Album of the Year	Template:Nom
		Best Rap Album	Template:Won

Accolades

• (*) Signifies unordered lists

Accolades for The Score

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
About.com	United States	100 Greatest Rap Albums<ref>Adaso, Henry. About.com's 100 Greatest Rap Albums Template:Webarchive. About.com. Retrieved April 16, 2010.</ref>	2008	18
		Best Rap Albums of 1996<ref>Adaso, Henry. About.com's Best Rap Albums of 1996 Template:Webarchive. About.com. Retrieved April 16, 2010.</ref>	2008	5
Alternative Press		20 Albums That Paved The Way For Alternative As We Know It<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2022	*
BigO	Singapore	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	34
Blender	United States	500 CDs You Must Own Before You DieTemplate:CN	2003	*
Ego Trip		Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98Template:CN	1999	5
Elvis Costello	United Kingdom	500 Albums You Need<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2013	*
Expressen	Sweden	The 100 Best Records EverTemplate:CN	1999	100
Eye Weekly	Canada	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	15
Face	United Kingdom	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	1
Helsingin Sanomat	Finland	50th Anniversary of RockTemplate:CN	2004	*
Hip Hop Connection	United Kingdom	The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005Template:CN	2005	15
Juice	Australia	The 100 (+34) Greatest Albums of the 90sTemplate:CN	1999	64
Mixmag	United Kingdom	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	2
Mojo		Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	15
		The Mojo Collection (4th Edition)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	03/07	*
Muzik		Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	3
The New Nation		Top 100 Albums by Black ArtistsTemplate:CN	2005	34
NME	United States	1996 Crits PollTemplate:CN	1996	22
	United Kingdom	Best Albums and Tracks of 1996<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2016	22
Nude as the News	United States	The 100 Most Compelling Albums of the 90sTemplate:CN	1999	97
OOR	Netherlands	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	38
Pause & Play	United States	The 90s Top 100 Essential AlbumsTemplate:CN	1999	11
Plásticos y Decibelios	Spain	The 80 Best Albums of All TimeTemplate:CN	2000	68
Pop	Sweden	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	1
Pure Pop	Mexico	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	10
Q	United Kingdom	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	*
		90 best Albums of the 90sTemplate:CN	1999	*
Record Collector		10 Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st CenturyTemplate:CN	2000	*
Robert Dimery	United States	1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	2005	*
Rock Sound	France	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	24
Rolling Stone	United States	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	10
		The Essential Recordings of the 90s<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1999	*
		100 Best Albums of the Nineties<ref>100 Best Albums of the Nineties. Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 7, 2012.</ref>	2011	44
		The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2003	477
			2012	469
			2020	134
The Source		100 Best Rap Albums<ref>Columnist. Template:Usurped. The Source. Retrieved 2010-04-16.</ref>	1998	*
		The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time<ref>Columnist. The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time Template:Webarchive. The Source. Retrieved 2010-04-16.</ref>	2006	34
Spex	Germany	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	41
Spin	United States	20 Best Albums of '96<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2
		The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1999	17
Tom Moon		1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die<ref>Moon, Tom. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die Template:Webarchive. Tom Moon. Retrieved April 16, 2010.</ref>	2008	*
Various Writers		Albums: 50 Years of Great Recordings<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	2005	*
Vibe		100 Essential Albums of the 20th CenturyTemplate:CN	1999	*
The Village Voice		Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	2
Vox	United Kingdom	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	1996	15
VPRO	Netherlands	299 Nominations of the Best Album of All TimeTemplate:CN	2006	*
Yardbarker	United States	The 25 most important hip hop albums from the '90s<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2022	*
Yediot Ahonot	Israel	Top 99 Albums of All TimeTemplate:CN	1999	74

Track listing

Template:Track listing Notes

• ^{Template:Note} signifies a co-producer.
• Interludes performed by Talent, Wil Shannon Briggs and Ras Baraka.
• Intro performed by Red Alert and Ras Baraka.
• Outro performed by Red Alert.
• "Fu-Gee-La (Sly & Robbie mix)" features uncredited vocals by Akon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sample credits

• "Ready or Not" contains samples of "Boadicea" by Enya, "God Made Me Funky" by The Headhunters, and an interpolation of "Ready or Not, Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" by The Delfonics.
• "Zealots" contains a sample of "I Only Have Eyes for You" by The Flamingos.
• "The Beast" contains a sample of "God Made Me Funky" by The Headhunters.
• "Fu-Gee-La" contains a sample of "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" by Ramsey Lewis, and an interpolation of "Ooo La La La" by Teena Marie.
• "Family Business" contains a sample of "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" by Francisco Tarrega, and "Gypsy Woman" by Joe Bataan (on the outro interlude).
• "Killing Me Softly" covers "Killing Me Softly with His Song" by Roberta Flack, and contains samples of "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, "Fool Yourself" by Little Feat, and "The Day Begins" by The Moody Blues (on the outro interlude).
• "The Score" contains samples of "Dove" by Cymande, "My Melody" by Eric B. & Rakim, "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa, and "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band (on the outro interlude).
• "Cowboys" contains a sample of "Something 'Bout Love" by The Main Ingredient.
• "No Woman, No Cry" covers "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley & The Wailers.
• "Manifest" contains a sample of "Rock Dis Funky Joint" by Poor Righteous Teachers.

Personnel

Template:Div col Fugees

• Wyclef Jean – vocals, guitar, producer
• Lauryn Hill – vocals, producer, arranger
• Pras Michel – vocals, producer

Additional personnel

• John Forté – vocals, producer, drum programming
• Diamond D – vocals, producer
• DJ Red Alert – vocals
• Omega – vocals
• Pacewon – vocals
• Rah Digga – vocals
• Young Zee – vocals
• Sly Dunbar – drums, drum programming
• Ras Baraka – vocals
• Robbie Shakespeare – bass
• Backspin – DJ scratches
• DJ Scribble – DJ scratches
• Jerry Duplessis – producer
• Salaam Remi – producer
• Shawn King – producer
• Handel Tucker – producer, keyboards
• Warren Riker – recorder, engineer
• Bob Brockmann – engineer
• Gary Noble – engineer
• Eddie Hudson – engineer, mixing
• Delroy Pottinger – engineer
• Courtney Small – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

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Weekly chart performance for The Score

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	3
European Albums (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1
Icelandic Albums (Tónlist)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	1
Irish Albums (IRMA)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2
Italian Albums (FIMI)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2
Portuguese Albums (AFP)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	8
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	14

Year-end charts

1996 year-end chart performance for The Score

Chart (1996)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	38
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	5
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	3
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	9
European Albums (Top 100)<ref name = "Europe">Template:Cite web</ref>	4
French Albums (SNEP)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1
Italian Albums (Hit Parade)<ref name="itayearend">Template:Cite web</ref>	6
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	10
Spanish Albums (AFYVE)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	31
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	11
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	6
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	7
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	5
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1

1997 year-end chart performance for The Score

Chart (1997)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	53

2002 year-end chart performance for The Score

Chart (2002)	Position
Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	186
Canadian Rap Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	92

Decade-end charts

Decade-end chart performance for The Score

Chart (1990–1999)	Position
US Billboard 200<ref name="1990sbb">Template:Cite book</ref>	58

See also

• Album era
• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1996
• List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1996
• Billboard Year-End

References

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Article at Spin
• Album Review at BBC Music
• Album Review at RapReviews