Blunted on Reality

Performer: The Fugees
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Fugees (Tranzlator Crew): Wyclef, Lauryn (rap vocals); Prakazrel (rap vocals, guitar, bass). Additional personnel: Levi, Mad Spider (vocals); Larry Stokes (guitar); Khalis Bayyan (saxophone, keyboards); Rashad Muhammad (bass, programming); Derrick Darling (drums); DJ Boy Wonder (scratches); Deejay Doc 4 (programming). Producers include: Rashad Muhammad, Le Jam Productions, Inc., Brand X, Wyclef, Prakazrel, Khalis Bayyan. Recorded at House of Music, Inc., West Orange, New Jersey. Two years before their platinum-selling breakthrough, THE SCORE, the New Jersey trio also known as the Tranzlator Crew hit the scene with 18 decidedly harder boom-bap tracks built on high-energy shout raps. On bass-heavy and fevered drum-fueled cuts like "Nappy Heads," "Recharge," and "How Hard Is It?" Wyclef, Lauryn, and Pras let loose frantic tag-team flows reminiscent of early-'90s crews like Fu-Schnickens and Leaders of the New School, while the laidback, acoustic guitar-driven beat of "Vocab" and the dancehall-infused "Temple" would give inklings of the group's later direction.

Q (11/96, p.150) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...singalongs like `Nappy Head' and `Giggles' contrast spitting raps with mischievous humor, illustrating that the Fugee crew aren't scared of debunking the expected macho values. Muthafuckas and bitches are not an overriding obsession; the word content is more thoughtful..." Vibe (2/94, p.107) - "...Descendants of the `hip hop, you don't stop' rhyming of Sugarhill days, the Fugees celebrate words, wordplay, and MC battles settled with lyrical beatdowns, not literal ones....The Fugees are talented songwriters and gifted rappers who...don't take themselves too seriously...." The Source (3/94, p.71) - "...Good ideas abound on the album, from progressive production techniques to inter-song segues to some inventive lyrics....Lauryn possesses much of the trio's lyrical muscle...she steals the show again and again on every track she appears on....Not since Ladybug from Dig Plans has a female MC emerged with such grace and style...." Melody Maker (3/5/94, p.42) - "...The most fully-realised rap album since The Goats' TRICKS OF THE SHADE....A perfect microcosm of 25 years of inspirational music and a fine point at which to recapture the time when black Americans didn't have to act like fucking criminals to turn whitey on..." New York Times (Publisher) (1/5/95, p.C15) - Included on Jon Pareles' list of the Top 10 Albums Of '94 - "...Brash, smart raps, drawing on Jamaican dancehall rhythms as well as American hip-hop..."

Two members of the Fugees were expatriate Haitians, hence the name, which is short for "refugees." All three Fugees were outsiders to the hip-hop scene in a sense, bringing an entirely new blend of pop, reggae and soul influences, educated rhymes, and spirituality to their music. Their innovative 1996 album THE SCORE showcased smart, jazzy rapping and Lauryn Hill's relaxed, smooth vocals balanced with soft beats and soulful grooves. After the group's dissipation, Hill and Wyclef Jean both went on to massive solo success. While Wyclef prospered, though, Hill seemed unable to cope with the rigors of fame in the wake of her 1998 hit debut THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL and thereafter shunned the spotlight.

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