Vocab (song)

"Vocab"
Single by Fugees
from the album Blunted on Reality
B-side	"Refugees on the Mic" [1]
Released	October 18, 1994 (1994-10-18) [2]
Recorded	1992 (1992) [3]
Genre	Hip hop
Length	5:02 (album version) 4:16 (single edit) [1]
Label	Ruffhouse
Songwriter(s)	Fugees
Producer(s)	Pras Michel Wyclef Jean, [4] Salaam Remi
Fugees singles chronology
"Nappy Heads" (1994) "Vocab" (1994) "Refugees on the Mic" (1994)
Music video
"Vocab" (album version) on YouTube, "Vocab" (single edit) on YouTube

"Vocab" is a song written and performed by American hip-hop group Fugees. It was issued in October 1994 by Ruffhouse Records as the third single from the group's debut album, Blunted on Reality (1994). The song was co-produced by Pras and Wyclef Jean. ^[4] Similar to the group's previous single, Nappy Heads, "Vocab" is best-known for its remixes, which were both co-produced by Salaam Remi and the Fugees. The song peaked at number 22 on the Billboard rap chart in 1995. ^[5]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "For those who seek intelligent, intriguing rap, this is as good as it gets. The weird sounds and grooves will appeal to nappy heads and Deadheads alike. A freaky funk beat is interrupted midway by a jilted rendition of the Police song 'Roxanne'. Then, the beat resumes and the stream-of-conscious oddness continues. Expand your soul." ^[6]

Music video

The official music video for "Vocab" was directed by Max Malkin. ^[7] The video was partially filmed in East Harlem in 1994. ^[8]

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [5]	21

Chart (1995) [5]	Peak position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks ( Billboard )	91
US Hot Rap Singles ( Billboard )	22

References

1. "Fugees (Tranzlator Crew)* - Vocab at Discogs". Discogs . Retrieved April 26, 2014.
2. "Amazon.com: Vocab: Music". Amazon.com . Retrieved April 26, 2014.
3. "Blunted On Reality Album Review, Songs, Ratings". Starpulse. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
4. "Fugees (Tranzlator Crew)* - Vocab (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
5. "Fugees - Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved April 27, 2014.
6. Flick, Larry (December 3, 1994). "Single Reviews: Rap" (PDF). Billboard . p. 79. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
7. "the Fugees - 'Vocab'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
8. Andreasson, Interview by Karin (2015-01-14). "Lisa Leone's best photograph: the Fugees on a Harlem rooftop". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2020-05-26.

External links

• "Vocab" Music video on YouTube