The Complete Score

Village Voice - Ranked #2 in the Village Voice's 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll. Rap Pages - 8 (out of 10) - "...THE SCORE...effectively incorporates the energy of a hype stage show to wax....the Fugees have succeeded in creating one of the most innovative rap albums in recent memory. Don't sleep." Spin - Ranked #2 on Spin's list of the "20 Best Albums Of '96." Vibe - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century Q - Included in Q Magazine's "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s." Q - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...an impressively panoramic soundscape, mixed into a 13-track seameless whole..." Rolling Stone - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "The Fugees are a Neapolitan treat, sweet in three layers: rhyme, sample, and groove...the hip-hop threesome cops a grim veneer but escapes gangsta cliches by playing around with the formulas..." NME - Ranked #21 in NME's 1996 critics' poll. Entertainment Weekly - "...showcases their acrobatic lyrical technique 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." - Rating: A Rap Pages - 8 (out of 10) - "...THE SCORE...effectively incorporates the energy of a hype stage show to wax....the Fugees have succeeded in creating one of the most innovative rap albums in recent memory. Don't sleep." NME - Ranked #22 in NME's 1996 critics' poll. Q - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...an impressively panoramic soundscape, mixed into a 13-track seameless whole..." Q - Included in Q Magazine's "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s." Spin - Ranked #17 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s." Rolling Stone - Ranked #10 on Rolling Stone's list of the "Ten Best Albums" of 1996. Vibe - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century Entertainment Weekly - "...showcases their acrobatic lyrical technique 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." - Rating: A Rolling Stone - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "The Fugees are a Neapolitan treat, sweet in three layers: rhyme, sample, and groove...the hip-hop threesome cops a grim veneer but escapes gangsta cliches by playing around with the formulas..." Rolling Stone - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's." Village Voice - Ranked #2 in the Village Voice's 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll. Spin - 9 (out of 10) - "...[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..." Rolling Stone - Ranked #10 on Rolling Stone's list of the "Ten Best Albums" of 1996. Spin - Ranked #2 on Spin's list of the "20 Best Albums Of '96." Spin - 9 (out of 10) - "...[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..."

An open yet funky collage of hip-hop, soul, blues, jazz, and reggae, the Fugees' second album, The Score, is a great step forward for the New York trio. On their debut, the Fugees had sketched out a pattern similar to the multi-ethnic, edgy music on The Score, but they didn't deliver it with the authority that they do here. They cover Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" and Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly," which gives an idea of their range, as well as their intent to carry on the soul/R&B tradition. The group pulls it off with a surprising amount of style and innovation -- with its intelligent, gritty lyrics and brave eclecticism, The Score simply sounds like few rap records of the mid-'90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|