The Score (album)

Last updated

The Score
Fugees - The Score.png
Studio album by
Fugees
ReleasedFebruary 13, 1996 (1996-02-13)
RecordedJune–November 1995
Genre
Length60:52
Label
Producer
Fugees chronology
Blunted on Reality
(1994)		The Score
(1996)		 Bootleg Versions
(1996)
Singles from The Score
  1. "Fu-Gee-La"
    Released: December 13, 1995
  2. "Killing Me Softly"
    Released: May 31, 1996
  3. "Ready or Not"
    Released: September 2, 1996
  4. "No Woman, No Cry"
    Released: December 5, 1996

The Score is the second [4] studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide on 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- to late-1990s. Primarily, The Score'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".

Contents

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, [5] 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, [6] 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; [7] 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 Stone 's revised list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2020). [8]

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, [9] where the album has been certified Diamond. With an estimated 22 million copies sold worldwide, [10] 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, [11] [12] and remains the best-selling album by a hip hop group. [13] As of June 2021, the album is the fifth-most streamed 1990s hip-hop album on Spotify. [14]

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. [15] 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. [15]

Recording for the album began in June 1995, and extended into November 1995 [16] 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." [15]

In regard to The Score'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." [17]

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. [18] "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 wasn’t available for purchase, which made it ineligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart due to their previous rules; [19] however, it still managed to peak at No. 1 on the US Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic airplay charts. [20] 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. [21] In 1997, "Killing Me Softly" won the Fugees a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by Duo or group. [22]

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. [18] The song became their second No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, staying at the top for two weeks. [23] 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. [24]

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. [25] 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." [16]

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. [26] It features uncredited backing vocals from by Marley's children Stephen and Sharon Marley, as well as reggae singer Pam Hall. [27] An official remix of the track, featuring Stephen Marley, was included on the group's third release, Bootleg Versions . [26] The song peaked at No. 38 on the US Hot 100 Airplay chart. [28] It was more successful worldwide, peaking atop the New Zealand Singles Chart for two weeks, [29] and No. 2 in the UK. [30]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [31]
Christgau's Consumer Guide A [32]
Entertainment Weekly A [33]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [34]
Pitchfork 9.3/10 [35]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [36]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [37]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [38]
Spin 9/10 [39]

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." [33] 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". [40] 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." [2] 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." [34] 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." [39] Q described the album as "An impressively panoramic soundscape." [36]

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." [37] 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". [41]

Awards

Awards and nominations for The Score
YearOrganizationAwardResult
1997 Soul Train Music Awards Album of the Year Nominated
Grammy Awards Album of the Year Nominated
Best Rap Album Won

Accolades

Accolades for The Score
PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
About.com United States 100 Greatest Rap Albums [42] 200818
Best Rap Albums of 1996 [43] 20085
Alternative Press 20 Albums That Paved The Way For Alternative As We Know It [44] 2022*
BigO Singapore Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]199634
Blender United States500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die[ citation needed ]2003*
Ego Trip Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980–98[ citation needed ]19995
Elvis Costello United Kingdom 500 Albums You Need [45] 2013*
Expressen Sweden The 100 Best Records Ever[ citation needed ]1999100
Eye Weekly Canada Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]199615
FaceUnited KingdomAlbums of the Year[ citation needed ]19961
Helsingin Sanomat Finland 50th Anniversary of Rock[ citation needed ]2004*
Hip Hop Connection United KingdomThe 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995–2005[ citation needed ]200515
Juice Australia The 100 (+34) Greatest Albums of the 90s[ citation needed ]199964
Mixmag United KingdomAlbums of the Year[ citation needed ]19962
Mojo Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]199615
The Mojo Collection (4th Edition) [46] 03/07*
Muzik Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]19963
The New Nation Top 100 Albums by Black Artists[ citation needed ]200534
NME United States1996 Crits Poll[ citation needed ]199622
United KingdomBest Albums and Tracks of 1996 [47] 201622
Nude as the NewsUnited StatesThe 100 Most Compelling Albums of the 90s[ citation needed ]199997
OOR Netherlands Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]199638
Pause & PlayUnited StatesThe 90s Top 100 Essential Albums[ citation needed ]199911
Plásticos y Decibelios Spain The 80 Best Albums of All Time[ citation needed ]200068
PopSwedenAlbums of the Year[ citation needed ]19961
Pure Pop Mexico Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]199610
Q United KingdomAlbums of the Year[ citation needed ]1996*
90 best Albums of the 90s[ citation needed ]1999*
Record Collector10 Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st Century[ citation needed ]2000*
Robert DimeryUnited States 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die [48] 2005*
Rock Sound France Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]199624
Rolling Stone United StatesAlbums of the Year[ citation needed ]199610
The Essential Recordings of the 90s [49] 1999*
100 Best Albums of the Nineties [50] 201144
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time [51] [52] 2003477
2012469
2020134
The Source 100 Best Rap Albums [53] 1998*
The Critics Top 100 Black Music Albums of All Time [54] 200634
Spex Germany Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]199641
Spin United States20 Best Albums of '96[ citation needed ]19962
The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s [55] 199917
Tom Moon 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die [56] 2008*
Various WritersAlbums: 50 Years of Great Recordings[ citation needed ]2005*
Vibe 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century[ citation needed ]1999*
The Village Voice Albums of the Year[ citation needed ]19962
Vox United KingdomAlbums of the Year[ citation needed ]199615
VPRO Netherlands299 Nominations of the Best Album of All Time[ citation needed ]2006*
Yardbarker United StatesThe 25 most important hip hop albums from the '90s [57] 2022*
Yediot Ahonot Israel Top 99 Albums of All Time[ citation needed ]199974

Track listing

The Score track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Red Intro" 
  • Wyclef
  • Te Bass
  • Pras [a]
1:51
2."How Many Mics"
4:28
3."Ready or Not"
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
3:47
4."Zealots"
  • Jean
  • Michel
  • Hill
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
4:20
5."The Beast"
  • Jean
  • Michel
  • Hill
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
5:37
6."Fu-Gee-La"
 Salaam Remi 4:20
7."Family Business" (featuring John Forté and Omega)
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Forté
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
5:43
8."Killing Me Softly"
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
4:58
9."The Score" (featuring Diamond D)
5:02
10."The Mask"
  • Jean
  • Michel
  • Hill
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
4:50
11."Cowboys" (featuring the Outsidaz)
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Forté
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
5:23
12."No Woman, No Cry" Vincent Ford
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
4:33
13."Manifest"/"Outro"
  • Jean
  • Michel
  • Hill
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
5:59
Total length:60:52
Bonus tracks (CD only)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Fu-Gee-La" (Refugee Camp Remix featuring John Forté)
  • Jean
  • Michel
  • Hill
  • McGrier
  • Marie
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
4:22
15."Fu-Gee-La" (Sly & Robbie mix)
  • Jean
  • Michel
  • Hill
  • McGrier
  • Marie
Handel Tucker5:27
16."Mista Mista"Jean
  • Wyclef
  • Te Bass
  • Hill [a]
2:42
17."Fu-Gee-La" (Refugee Camp global mix featuring John Forté)
  • Jean
  • Michel
  • Hill
  • McGrier
  • Marie
  • Wyclef
  • Hill
  • Pras [a]
  • Te Bass [a]
4:20
Total length:77:52

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Fugees

Additional personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for The Score
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [104] Platinum70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria) [105] Platinum50,000*
Belgium (BEA) [106] Platinum50,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [107] 5× Platinum500,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [108] 4× Platinum80,000‡
Finland—26,267 [109]
France (SNEP) [110] Diamond1,000,000*
Germany (BVMI) [111] 3× Gold750,000^
Italy (FIMI) [112]
sales since 2009 		Gold25,000‡
Japan (RIAJ) [113] Gold100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) [114] Platinum100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [115] Platinum15,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway) [116] Gold25,000*
Poland (ZPAV) [117] Platinum100,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [118] Platinum100,000^
Sweden (GLF) [119] Platinum100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [120] 2× Platinum100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [121] 5× Platinum1,500,000^
United States (RIAA) [122] 7× Platinum7,000,000‡
Summaries
Europe (IFPI) [123] 6× Platinum6,000,000*
Worldwide—22,000,000 [124] [125]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "50 Greatest East Coast Hip-Hop Albums of the 1990s". The Boombox . October 20, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "The Score – Fugees". AllMusic . Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  3. ↑ Coker, Cheo Hodari (March 31, 1996). "Lots of non-hip-hop fans groove to their complex beat, but they'll tell you their roots are firmly in the 'hood". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  4. ↑ Siegler, Mara (June 28, 2024). "Fugees working on a new album". Page Six. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Chart Juice: Drake's Domination, The Latest Chapter". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Billboard Best-Selling Records of 1996". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. January 18, 1997. p. 61.
  7. ↑ "3 Reasons Lil Uzi Vert Could be Headed for Album of the Year Grammy Nomination". Billboard. March 23, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  8. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Billboard - Google Books". September 23, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  10. ↑ "In 'The Score,' the Fugees Made Refugees the Heroes of an Epic Tale - The Ringer". February 20, 2021. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  11. ↑ Boucher, Geoff (August 31, 2000). "Wyclef Jean's 'Ecleftic' Debuts in Top 10". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Vibe - Google Books". September 23, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Wyclef Jean Rocks the BPC | Berklee". college.berklee.edu. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III Surpasses One Billion Streams On Spotify – VIBE.com". July 9, 2021. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  15. 1 2 3 Coleman, Brian (2007). Check the Technique . New York City: Random House. pp.  213–215. ISBN   978-0812977752.
  16. 1 2 Furman; Leah, Elina. 1999, p. 86.
  17. ↑ Furman; Leah, Elina. 1999, p. 78.
  18. 1 2 The Score Singles Billboard Peak Positions. AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  19. ↑ Boucher, Geoff (November 28, 1998). "Singles Only? No Longer for Billboard's 'Hot 100'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  20. ↑ ""Killing Me Softly": From Poem to Flack to Fugees Smash". Notorious Classics. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  21. ↑ Nickson, Chris, 1999, pp. 74–75.
  22. ↑ The Score Grammy Awards. Allmusic. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  23. ↑ "FUGEES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Irish Voice article at archive.org". February 18, 1997. Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
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  28. ↑ "Fugees". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  29. ↑ "charts.org.nz - Fugees - No Woman, No Cry". charts.nz. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  30. ↑ "no woman, no cry | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  31. ↑ Kot, Greg (March 14, 1996). "Fugees: The Score (Ruffhouse)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  32. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Fugees: The Score". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 109. ISBN   0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  33. 1 2 Bernard, James (February 16, 1996). "The Score". Entertainment Weekly . New York. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  34. 1 2 Coker, Cheo Hodari (February 24, 1996). "Versatile Fugees Wrap Up Some Classics" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  35. ↑ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (May 16, 2021). "Fugees: The Score". Pitchfork . Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  36. 1 2 "Fugees: The Score". Q . No. 115. London. April 1996. p. 109.
  37. 1 2 Powers, Ann (March 21, 1996). "The Score". Rolling Stone . New York. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  38. ↑ Sarig, Roni (2004). "Fugees". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  316. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  39. 1 2 Hinds, Selwyn Seyfu (March 1996). "The Fugees: The Score". Spin . Vol. 11, no. 12. New York. p. 113. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
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  73. ↑ "Billboard". September 14, 1996.
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