Fugees

›Fugees›Overview

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Verified yes

GenreRap, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soul

Rank4,249 (new)

Albums6

Songs49

AboutNew York, USA-based crew comprising Wyclef Jean (b. 17 October 1972, Haiti), his cousin Pras (b. Prakazrel Michel, 19 October 1972), and Lauryn Hill (b. 25 May 1975, South Orange, New Jersey, USA), who became the most successful crossover rap outfit of the 90s with 1996's best-selling The Score. Originally signed to Ruffhouse Records in 1992 as the Tranzlator Crew, their new name was a shortened version of Refugees (inspired by Wyclef and Pras' Haitian backgrounds). The Fugees' style combines dry, cushioning beats with clever, rhythmic wordplay. All three members rap over acoustic guitars, as well as more upbeat numbers informed by dub and reggae, both modes in which they excel. The sound was not exactly unfamiliar, and the title of their debut album, Blunted On Reality, seemed to suggest they were coming from a similar direction to Cypress Hill and Digable Planets. All three members professed to be non-users, however, indicating that the album title signified their belief that they did not need to smoke the weed to induce a state of heightened perception and relaxation. Similarly, the lyrical concerns on the album were somewhat different, as might be expected of a crew where the majority of members also attended university courses. Some of their targets included America's perception of Haitians as "Boat People" (Pras stated his intention to return to Haiti, using profits from his music to help build schools and decent roads on the island) and their own mixed gender status.

The Score was a magnificent follow-up, one of the musical highlights of 1996, and accessible enough to bring their soulful jazz-rap to a wider market. "Ready Or Not" and reworkings of "Killing Me Softly" (Roberta Flack) and "No Woman No Cry" (Bob Marley) were all international hit singles, and the album achieved multi-platinum worldwide success. Hill's pregnancy meant the trio were largely inactive during 1997, with Wyclef Jean taking the time to release a solo album. In 1998, Pras and Hill also embarked on solo careers, with the latter's The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill enjoying huge critical and commercial success.

-=[You can find a longer version of this biography by visiting www.fugees-online.de/]=-

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>>lauryn hill<<
Born 25 May 1975, South Orange, New Jersey, USA. The multi-talented Hill originally balanced an acting career, which included a cameo in the Whoopi Goldberg vehicle Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit, with her degree course and membership of the Fugees. The trio, comprising Hill and rappers Pras and Wyclef Jean, shot to hip-hop super stardom when their sophomore set The Score became a huge international success in 1996.

Hill began work on her self-produced debut after giving birth to a son by Rohan Marley, and writing for Aretha Franklin's 1998 comeback set A Rose Is Not A Rose. She also directed videos for Franklin and Common through her production company, Zion Films.

The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill was released in September 1998, and went straight in at number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. In the process, Hill became the first female solo artist to sell more than 400,000 units in the first week of release. The album stayed at the top for three weeks before being knocked off by Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals, but returned to the top a week later. It also proved to be a worldwide bestseller, debuting at number 2 in the UK album chart in October. Although it featured some stellar guest appearances from artists including Mary J. Blige (on "I Used To Love Him") and D'Angelo ("Nothing Even Matters"), the album was dominated by Hill's singular presence. The lead-off singles, "Doo Wop (That Thing)" (US number 1/UK number 3) and "Ex-Factor" (US number 22/UK number 4), showcased her winning blend of soulful vocals and hip-hop rhythms, while on "Forgive Them Father" she explored a roots reggae direction.

Hill set a new record for a female artist at the 1999 Grammies, walking away with five awards (Best New Artist, Album Of The Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album).

The wait for Hill's eagerly anticipated second album was broken in 2002 by the release of a sprawling unplugged album for MTV.

>>Pras<<
b. Samuel Prakazrel Michel, 19 October 1972. Like fellow members Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, Pras has forged a successful solo career away from hip-hop stars the Fugees. Pras first recorded with fellow student Hill and cousin Wyclef Jean as the Tranzlator Crew. Following a name change and a moderately successful debut album, 1994's Blunted On Reality, the trio went on to enjoy huge crossover success with 1996's The Score. The Fugees were put on hold in the late 90s with each member working on solo projects. Pras enjoyed instant success, achieving an international hit single with "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)". Based around a sample of the Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton hit "Islands In The Stream', and featuring the vocals of Mya and Wu-Tang Clan member Ol" Dirty Bastard, the song benefited from its inclusion on the soundtrack to the Warren Beatty movie Bulworth. It eventually spent eight weeks in the UK Top 5, peaking at number 2 in July 1998, and reached US number 15 a month later. "Blue Angels' was another UK Top 10 hit, reaching number 6 in November. Co-produced by Jerry Duplessis, Ghetto Supastar debuted outside the US Top 50, dwarfed by the phenomenal chart-topping success of Hill's Grammy-award winning The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. From a musical point of view, when compared with the audacity and verve of Hill's album, Pras" mainstream-orientated grooves sounded hackneyed and unimaginative.