Biography
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Years Active
1992 – present (34 years)
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Founded In
South Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, United States
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Members
- Lauryn Hill
- Pras Michel
- Wyclef Jean
The Fugees are an American hip hop trio formed in 1990 in South Orange, New Jersey. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to prominence in the mid-1990s for their pioneering blend of reggae, R&B, funk and hip hop, which eschewed gangsta rap and made them one of the most significant alternative hip hop acts. They occasionally rapped in Haitian Creole, and were one of the first hip hop bands to incorporate live instrumentation during their performances, along with the Roots.
In 1993, the trio signed with Ruffhouse Records, an imprint of Columbia Records. Their debut album Blunted on Reality (1994), fused elements of political hip hop, jazz and neo soul. It was met with favorable reviews, and included the Salaam Remi-remixed underground hits "Nappy Heads" and "Vocab". According to The New York Times, the group's second studio album The Score (1996) placed them "at the forefront of pop music". The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, and was certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It spawned the singles "Ready or Not", "Fu-Gee-La", and "Killing Me Softly". The latter single reached number one in over twenty countries worldwide. The Score was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year. This marked the second time a rap album received a nomination for the award.
Afterwards, the Fugees made an uncredited guest appearance on Simply Red's version of "Angel"; and released the single "Rumble in the Jungle" (featuring Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest & John Forté), both of which peaked within the top five on the UK Singles Chart. Their 1997 performance in Haiti marked the largest staged concert ever held in the country. They also collaborated with Bounty Killer on the single "Hip-Hopera", which spent several weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Fugees later disbanded due to internal conflict, leading each of the members to pursue solo careers. Since then, they have briefly reunited for live performances and reunion tours; most recently in 2023.
Together they have won two Grammy Awards, a Brit Award for International Group, and the Medal of Honor from Haitian President René Préval. They are one of the best-selling hip hop groups of all time, and were the second biggest R&B act worldwide after Michael Jackson in the 1990s. The Fugees were ranked as one of the greatest rap groups by MTV (2007) and Billboard (2023), and landed at number 17 on the '50 Greatest Hip-Hop Artists' list (2003) by VH1. The Score was listed among the 500 Greatest Albums by Rolling Stone. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named "Ready or Not" one of the Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Studio albums
Blunted on Reality (1994)
The Score (1996)
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